Y’all ready to set the flo’? Say what? Not
sure what I’m talking about? You’re not alone. I had no idea what “set the flo’”
meant until digging into the research I needed to bring readers into my
point-of-view character Drake Bailey’s world in the third book of The Last
Timekeepers time travel adventure series. Set in 1855, during the antebellum
period in Georgia, Drake discovers that it’s not the best place for an African
American time traveler, but he endures and lives to tell his tale.
Plantation slaves in the deep south of America weren’t given many pleasures in their hard lives. Author Julius Lester sums it up beautifully when he wrote in his book, To Be A Slave, “The prayer meetings, the parties, and the holidays did not make being a slave pleasurable. Nothing could do that, but whatever pleasure the slave was able to provide for himself was a remarkable testimony to the ability to retain humanity under the most inhuman conditions.” One of those small pleasures was to set the flo’ or set de flo’—a dance style competition—where the best couple or single dancer won a cake through their creative jig.
Strutting
was an element always present in set the flo’ dancing, and there were different
styles, such as water dances. As you may have guessed, this jig demanded the
dancer keep a glass or pail of water on his or her head and see how many kinds
of steps they could make without spilling the water. Um, no thanks. Already
dressed in their best clothes, why tempt fate? The fluid and graceful steps of
the dance may have given rise to the colloquialism that something accomplished
with ease is a ‘cakewalk’, but the life of a slave was far from that.
However, there is an interesting element
with the history of this dance. A firsthand account from ex-slaves interviewed
during the 1930’s shares that the cakewalk was meant to covertly mock their
owners without getting punished, through the signals and expression of dance.
Now that’s what I call getting their just desserts!
Speaking of desserts…
What’s better than a 12-slice cheesecake
to serve at your next family gathering or function? Getting to choose a mini version
of your favorite cheesecake and indulge without the guilt of having a large
piece. Enter Cheesecake Shots…
1 can of cherry or blueberry pie
filling
⅓ cup caramel ice cream topping and pecan halves
Preheat oven to 300° F.
Mix crumbs and butter; press into
bottom of 12-count muffin pan (1 tablespoon in each cup).
Beat cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour a ¼ cup of mixture over crust in each cup.
Bake 18 – 22 minutes or until center is almost set. Refrigerate 4 hours.
Depending on what you choose for a topping: spread caramel topping over cheesecake just before serving and garnish with chopped chocolate or pecan halves, or add a dollop of your favorite pie filling, and enjoy!
While you’re waiting for the cheesecake shots to set in the fridge, here’s a taste of The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave available for purchase on all your online bookstores.
True freedom happens only when you choose to be free.
Eleven-year-old
Drake Bailey is an analytical thinker and the genius of the Timekeeper crew.
However, no logic or mathematical acumen can change the color of his skin, or
prepare him for this third Timekeeper mission in antebellum Georgia. To
survive, Drake must learn to play the role of a plantation slave and when
confronted with the brutality, hatred, and racism of the deep south, he’ll have
to strategically keep one move ahead of his sadistic captors to ensure his
lineage continues.
In a dark world of Voodoo, zombies, and ritualistic sacrifice, the Timekeepers must ensure a royal bloodline survives. Can Drake remove both literal and figurative chains to save both himself and a devout slave girl from a terrible fate? If he can’t summon the necessary courage, humanity could stand to lose one of its greatest leaders.
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