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Donna Balon
Donna Balon is a former certified public accountant and tax attorney based in Las Vegas who turned to fiction writing. She is the author of Sam Time (Desert Day Press LLC, September 2023), a historical fiction novel about a history professor who befriends Ulysses S. Grant. Inspired during a trip to Colorado's old mining towns, she immersed herself in researching Grant and Victorian customs to bring the story to life.
On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed Sam Time.
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Books ReviewedAsk LuvemBooks about Donna Balon
Donna Balon is a former CPA and tax attorney who made an unlikely pivot to historical fiction, bringing a researcher's discipline to her debut novel. Sam Time centers on a history professor who befriends Ulysses S. Grant, and Balon grounds the premise in period-accurate Victorian customs and Grant's documented biography rather than leaning on loose historical atmosphere. LuvemBooks has reviewed one of her books, which carries an Amazon reader rating of 4.2/5 from over 200 ratings.
- Where should I start?
- With only one reviewed title to choose from, the answer is straightforward: start with Sam Time. It's Balon's debut novel and the work that established her as a writer of research-driven historical fiction. The premise — a history professor who befriends Ulysses S. Grant — is accessible to readers new to the genre and rewards those with an interest in the Civil War era and Victorian America. Its Amazon reader rating of 4.2/5 from over 200 ratings suggests it has found a genuine readership.
- What's their writing style?
- Balon writes research-first historical fiction, grounding her narrative in documented history — Grant's biography, Victorian customs, and the landscape of the American West — rather than using the past as loose backdrop. The time-slip structure of Sam Time allows her to contrast a modern perspective with period detail, which gives the novel a degree of accessibility without sacrificing historical specificity. Her background as a CPA and attorney likely contributes to the methodical approach to fact-finding that readers and reviewers have noted. The tone leans toward substantive and immersive rather than breezy.
- Books we've reviewed
- LuvemBooks has reviewed one book by Donna Balon. Sam Time: History Professor Slips into the Past (2023) is her debut historical fiction novel about a history professor who befriends Ulysses S. Grant after slipping back in time — a premise rooted in extensive research into Grant's life and Victorian-era America, carrying an Amazon reader rating of 4.2/5 from 229 ratings.
- What genre do they write?
- Donna Balon writes historical fiction. Her debut novel Sam Time specifically uses a time-slip device — a modern history professor transported to the past — to explore the life of Ulysses S. Grant and Victorian-era America. It sits within the subgenre of time-travel historical fiction, which will appeal to readers who enjoy both period accuracy and a contemporary character's-eye view of the past.
- What should I read after Sam Time?
- Since Balon has only one reviewed title on LuvemBooks, there's no direct follow-up in her catalog to point to yet. Readers who enjoyed the Grant-focused historical detail might try Ron Chernow's biography Grant for a deep nonfiction dive into the same subject. For more time-slip historical fiction with a similar research-driven feel, Diana Gabaldon's Outlander or Jack Finney's Time and Again are well-regarded genre touchstones.
Who is Donna Balon?
Where should I start?
What's their writing style?
Books we've reviewed
What genre do they write?
What should I read after Sam Time?
Who is Donna Balon?
Donna Balon is a Las Vegas-based author and former certified public accountant and tax attorney who turned to fiction writing after a trip to Colorado's old mining towns sparked her imagination. She is best known for her debut novel Sam Time (Desert Day Press LLC, 2023), a historical fiction story in which a history professor travels back in time and befriends Ulysses S. Grant. Balon spent considerable time researching Grant's life and Victorian-era customs to ensure the novel's historical authenticity. Her professional background in detail-oriented fields arguably informs the careful research that readers note in her fiction.
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