A MATTER of the RUTLAND MULE MATTER

Below is a sample page from my Post-Civil War Novel, The Rutland Mule Matter. Enter to win one of 10 signed print copies to be given away by GOODREADS.com on July 28, 2016. Simply click on the entry link at the right of my most recent Blog.

Isaac N. Rutland, of Orange County, was one of 69 delegates of Florida's 1861 Secession Convention. Three years later, Isaac was killed while fighting in the Civil War. His name never became part of the history of Orange County, not until now.

While reading this sample page I suggest you keep one thing in mind - ALL of the characters, and place names, are historically accurate.

Enjoy!

Chapter 8; Page 102:

Sunday, October 9, 1888:

My favorite time of the day is again nearing an end. My morning ritual is to sit on my Finegan Porch and watch a beautiful sunrise over Lake Apopka, but that portion of this day has now past. So too is day one of my sister Sarah's family visit.

While the others still sleep, I thought I’d commit events of yesterday to my diary. It was an interesting day.

We started with a sightseeing tour, taking Sarah and Ezekiel into West Apopka so they could see first-hand how folks, ‘on the far side of the lake’ live. We walked up to the rail depot, watched the southbound Tavares, Apopka & Gulf Railroad pass through town, and later visited with a few of the townsfolk.

Neighbor William Patterson insisted we all come by his place for lunch, so we did, and during our visit the topic of me traveling to Ohio of course came up. That in turn led to a discussion of the search for my father.   

Ezekiel, who I swear can talk to anyone about anything, mentioned the Navy being at Mellonville at war’s end. Patterson’s response nearly knocked Ezekiel and I both off our feet. “Othman, you need to talk to Jim Franklin about this, he’s a retired Navy guy.”

I had not known, and to save my brother-in-law from asking, I filled him in on the man mentioned. “Jim has a grove to the south of here.”

“More than a grove!” William Patterson was right, at this time the man had far more going than just a citrus grove, so I allowed Mr. Patterson to fill in details. “Jim Franklin is developing a town to rival most any Central Florida city. His land sits high on a hill, and many of his town lots have a splendid view of Lake Apopka.”

Assuming Ezekiel wouldn’t know the town, I saved him from having to ask. “It’s called Montverde.”