CROSSING DAY
William A. Glass
GENRE: Young Adult/Alternate History
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:
As Ryan strolls around the drive-in, he passes several vehicles filled with Johnston soccer players. They wave but aren’t in any mood to socialize after the loss. Ryan loops around the restaurant’s rear to complete the circuit. Through a kitchen window, he sees the staff bustling to get orders ready. The door opens, and Mish skates out with a tray. She delivers it to one of the German soccer players seated at an outside table. “What took so long?” the boy asks.
“We’re a bit overwhelmed,” Mish admits.
“You’re cute for a Swartz. My name’s Dieter.”
“I’ve got to go and get another order.”
“What’s your number?”
“That’s not allowed.” Mish spins on her skates, but Dieter is too fast. He jumps up and seizes Mish’s wrist, twisting it to read the number tattooed on the inside of her arm.
Ryan sees what’s happening and comes over. “Let go of her,” he demands.
“Make me,” the German sneers. Slowly, he increases the pressure on Mish’s wrist. She gasps and her knees buckle.
Pulling out his phone, Ryan snaps a photo. “Fraternizing with slaves is illegal,” he says.
Angrily, the German releases Mish and lunges at Ryan, knocking the phone out of his hand. As the two boys ball their fists and circle each other, vehicles throughout the drive-in empty. Instantly, the German soccer team is surrounded by a crowd of irate Southerners. Dieter drops his hands and backs away. “Ha-ha, I was just joking.” He smiles, but there’s no laughter in his eyes.
Interview with William A. Glass
Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction??
Thank you for having me here at The Avid Reader. This is an excellent question! I read Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton at a young age. It opened my eyes to how a fictional novel could have a seemingly simple plot but a very complicated subtext.
How do you select the names of your characters?
My approach to naming main characters is to picture them in my mind, their looks, mannerisms, etc., and then allow a name that fits them to pop into my head. Secondary characters are harder. Often I’ll name them after people I’ve known, or simply make up names for them.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Yes, I often bury clues about a hidden theme in the story. This usually happens not because I desire to be mysterious but because harping on a secondary theme impedes the narrative flow.
What was your hardest scene to write?
There’s a scene in Crossing Day when I make it clear that a trans boy and a male character have feelings for each other. Very delicate!
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
My first two novels, As Good As Can Be and Off-Broadway: A Marriage Drama, are connected and feature the same main character at different stages of his life. Crossing Day is a stand-alone novel, and I have no plans to make it the first in a series (although that’s been suggested).
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
In this novel, I aimed to bury anti-racism, anti-homophobia, and anti-authoritarianism themes in a hard-to-put-down, action-packed thriller. Early readers tell me I succeeded.
What inspired you to write Crossing Day?
My motivation to write Crossing Day was to debunk the pro-Confederacy propaganda pushed by organized groups of Southern women after the Civil War.
Can you tell us a little bit about the next books, what writing project you have planned for the future?
I have another novel completely diagrammed and just need time to write it. It will feature an eclectic group of characters who come together haphazardly. Suspense, intrigue, and tragedy follow. The underlying theme will be the ramifications of Colonial-era exploitation of Africa.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Crossing Day?
The main characters in my novel are a group of high school seniors who live in Huntsville, Alabama. My job as the author was to give each one a distinct personality and have them react to dramatic events in the story in a way that’s true to their personas. Each character grows and develops as the group undertakes a thrilling adventure rife with danger.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Writing this book was enjoyable because I discovered I could write a purely imaginative story. My first two novels, As Good As Can Be and Off-Broadway: A marriage Drama, were autobiographical. They required good story-telling, but little imagination. I always knew where the story was going next because I lived it.
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.
Connect with William A. Glass
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7 comments:
Thank you so much for hosting today.
I enjoyed the excerpt and guest post. Thanks for sharing.
It's great of you to feature my novel, 'Crossing Day', on The Avid Reader today!
Sounds like a very interesting book to read
Sounds like an interesting book!
looks like a fun one
looks like a fun one
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