It’s been one hundred and sixty years since the Confederacy won its independence at the Battle of Altamaha Crossing.
Welcome to the May 17th stop on the blog tour for Crossing Day by William A. Glass with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more guest posts, reviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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Author Guest Post
The main themes in my novel, Crossing Day, ricocheted around in my head for eons. Over-and-over, I thought of a possible framework for a story I could use to bring them out, only to shrug off the approach as either boring or too closely related to another published work. After more years than I care to enumerate, a radical solution came together in my mind. Immediately I grabbed my laptop and over the next several months the narrative rushed out. The key that unlocked the door centered on the time and place I decided to set the story in.
The themes I wanted to get at have to do with all the lies that still circulate about the Civil War. That the Yankees started it, that slavery was not the issue and would have died out on its own, that the entire population of the South supported the Confederacy, and that The War for Southern Independence was a “Glorious Cause.” These lies were spread after the war by organized groups like the Daughters of the Confederacy. I was indoctrinated with the propaganda growing up. It was only my love of reading and a penchant for serious non-fiction history books that led me to realize I had been brainwashed. My desire to debunk all the nonsense probably stems from not liking to be duped.
Several revelations finally came together to help me find the angle I needed to write an engaging novel with the subtext I wanted. The first came thanks to an idea I had several years ago about how the Confederacy might have won the war or forced the North to negotiate. The second brainstorm came one day when I was thinking about a favorite novel from childhood and realized it could serve as a model for Crossing Day. These thoughts brought me to the final key to the puzzle – that of choosing the setting and era for my story.
Thus, Crossing Day is set in Northern Alabama, in the present. That is, one hundred and sixty years after a major Confederate victory led to an armistice between the North and South. The later became an independent nation. Of course, this didn’t really happen. So, early on the reader realizes that they’ve entered a speculative world where anything might happen. My job, once I settled on the right approach, was to make the story wildly entertaining but plausible. Early readers tell me that I succeeded. One called Crossing Day “an action-packed thriller”, another said “it’s like a combination of Huckleberry Finn, Moby Dick, and The Hunger Games.”
About the Book
Crossing Day
by William A. Glass
Published 15 May 2025
Genre: YA Alternate History
Page Count: 301
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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.
About the Author
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.
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Giveaway Alert!
William A. Glass will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| May 13 | Readers Roost | May 14 | Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! |
| May 15 | A Wonderful World of Words | May 16 | Sandra’s Book Club |
| May 17 | Westveil Publishing | May 20 | Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews |
| May 21 | The Pen and Muse Book Reviews | May 22 | Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read |
| May 23 | Kenyan Poet | May 24 | Literary Gold |
| May 27 | The Faerie Review | May 28 | Fabulous and Brunette |
| May 29 | Gina Rae Mitchell | May 30 | The Avid Reader |
| May 31 | Our Town Book Reviews | Jun 3 | Hope. Dreams. Life… Love |
| Jun 4 | Long and Short Reviews | Jun 5 | Books in the Hall |
| Jun 6 | Straight From the Library | Jun 7 | Full Moon Dreaming |
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This looks good. Thanks for sharing.
This book looks very interesting.
Have your ever written a story about a summer friendship?