Promo: Lost Immortals Saga by KaSonndra Leigh

When Copper Suns Fall

(The Lost Immortals, Book 1)

by KaSonndra Leigh

It has been fifty-five years since the angels of the Apocalyptic War attempted to wipe out humanity. Now a new nation has been built where alchemy is forbidden, and angels fear for their lives as they hide among the mortals. 

The city’s leaders share one view on the ancestors of angels: shoot first, no questions. 

When her twin brother falls into a strange coma, sixteen-year-old Chela Prizeon vows to discover her role among these exiles, the royal angels known as the Lost Immortals. 

Chela’s only hope lies with the mysterious, but infuriating leader of a rebel group. But can she trust this boy, someone who can control her dreams and her heart. 

Escape into a world filled with celestial creatures, fascinating villainy, high-stake choices, and forbidden romance.

Purchase Links

~Amazon~     ~Barnes and Noble~

When Silver Moons Rise

(The Lost Immortals, Book 2)

by KaSonndra Leigh

Facing an unstable future, Chela Prizeon leaves Castle Hayne and crosses over to enemy territory in pursuit of Faris--the boy of royal blood who is cursed by a bitter rival. But soon Chela learns that he has been taken deep into the treacherous frozen prisons--a majestic, but deadly place where people enter and are never seen again. To find the boy she loves, Chela must join forces with one of her greatest enemies. And even though she pulls strength from the good in her powers, she finds herself drawn to the dark side's temptation as well.

Narrated from both Chela's and Faris's point of view, this enchanting sequel to When Copper Suns Fall will take them on a voyage into unknown lands, where the dark, twisted, and revengeful wait to make this their most dangerous journey ever.

Purchase Links

~Amazon~     ~Barnes and Noble~

Dark Seraphine

(Seraphine Trilogy, Book 1 - Pre-quel to The Lost Immortals)

by KaSonndra Leigh

"Mom always says the angels walk among us. She forgot to tell me that sometimes they're not all fluffy and nice."

Seventeen-year-old Caleb Wood has seen people he calls the walkers since he was a baby. It didn't take long for him to realize something…no one can see these strangers but him. They never stuck around or tried to touch him. And they never said a word. That was until one day on the first day of class in his senior year when an incredibly gorgeous girl strolls into his life…and things are never the same again.

Soon Caleb realizes he has stepped into the middle of a growing conflict between two ancient groups. And his ability to see the invisible ones, the half-breeds that want to modify the human race, just might be the only hope both he and the mysterious, but infuriating, Gia, have of making it out alive.

Purchase Links

~Amazon~ 

About the author:  KaSonndra Leigh was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She now lives in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. She likes to write about people of all ages doing fantastical things in magical worlds. Her two sons have made her promise to write a boy book next.

She loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the Indiana Jones version), and Pandora's Box (good writer's block therapy). She lives in an L-shaped house with a garden dedicated to her grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass. 

LINKS FOR KaSonndra Leigh

KaSonndra’s Twitter: http://twitter.com/kasonndraleigh

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/KaSonndra-Leigh/e/B0066W7GY4

KaSonndra’s Author website: www.kasonndraleigh.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/alestasia

Lost Immortals FaceBook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/KaSonndraLeighBooks

It's Monday! What are you reading? (May 13, 2013)

What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too! 

Physical Book:

Two are Better

by Tim and Debbie Bishop

With no prior experience in either bicycle touring or marriage, 52-year-olds Tim and Debbie Bishop went from an engagement, to Tim’s “retirement” and relocation, to a cross-country trek in just ten weeks. Their adventure, which touches on midlife change, marriage, and faith, inspires its readers to cast away the old and the stale in pursuit of their dreams.

Ebook:

Walking Disaster

by Jamie McGuire

Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster. 

Can you love someone too much?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

Bathroom Book:

The Apple Orchard

by Susan Wiggs

Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners. People like Annelise Winther, who refuses to sell her long-gone mother's beloved necklace—despite Tess's advice. To Annelise, the jewel's value is in its memories.

But Tess's own history is filled with gaps: a father she never met, a mother who spent more time traveling than with her daughter. So Tess is shocked when she discovers the grandfather she never knew is in a coma. And that she has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a hundred-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel.

The rest is willed to Isabel Johansen. A half sister she's never heard of.

Against the rich landscape of Bella Vista, Tess begins to discover a world filled with the simple pleasures of food and family, of the warm earth beneath her bare feet. A world where family comes first and the roots of history run deep. A place where falling in love is not only possible, but inevitable.

And in a season filled with new experiences, Tess begins to see the truth in something Annelise once told her: if you don't believe memories are worth more than money, then perhaps you've not made the right kind of memories.

Library Book:

Red Sorghum

by Mo Yan

Spanning three generations, this novel of family and myth is told through a series of flashbacks that depict events of staggering horror set against a landscape of gemlike beauty, as the Chinese battle both Japanese invaders and each other in the turbulent 1930s.

A legend in China, where it won major literary awards and inspired an Oscar-nominated film, Red Sorghum is a book in which fable and history collide to produce fiction that is entirely new -- and unforgettable.

Waiting for Reviews:  I need a week just to get caught up on reviews!

Ice Blue
by Susan Rae

Love Water Memory
by Jennie Shortridge

The Spark
by Kristine Barnett

Beautiful Disaster
by Jamie McGuire

The Last Telegram
by Liz Trenow

Dear Cassie
by Lisa Burstein

Evidence of Life
by Barbara taylor Sissel

Blood Money
By Doug Richardson

From the Kitchen of Half
Truth
by Maria Goodin

The Night is Watching
by Heather Graham

Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop (May 13 - 19) Open wherever The Book Depository ships!

Children’s Book Week Giveaway Hop

May 13th – 19th

Hosted by 

KidLitFrenzy, Mymcbooks

& I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

What is Children’s Book Week?

Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running literacy initiative in the country. Each year, books for young people and the joy of reading are feted for a full week with author and illustrator appearances, storytelling, parties, and other book-related events at schools, libraries, bookstores, museums, and homes from coast to coast!

For more information please visit: http://www.bookweekonline.com/

I am giving away a copy of Hush, Little Monster by Denis Markell and illustrated by Melissa Iwai.  I had the opportunity to meet the author and illustrator when they visited the school library that I work at last fall.  They are a wonderful couple and team and read the book to the kids and then drew some fantasy animals for them as well.  Fill out the rafflecopter below to enter. You are eligible to enter if The Book Depository ships to you.  

Hush, Little Monster

by Denis Markell

A classic lullaby gets a playfully spooky spin in this monstrously sweet picture book. "Hush, Little Monster, don't you howl. ""Daddy's gonna give you a...screeching owl. ""If that owl won't say "whoo whoo..".""Granny Ghost will bring you a big, bad boo! " A monster father softly sings his own version of a favorite lullaby to his son. A screeching owl, a vampire, an ogre, and zombies are just a few of the creatures who will come to soothe Little Monster through the night, until (when the sun comes up) it's finally time for him to go to sleep. Parents and children alike will love this humorous twist on "Hush, Little Baby."

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Promo Blitz: Hope's Reign by Selina Fenech

Hope's Reign

Selina Fenech

YA Fantasy

Book Two in Memory's Wake Trilogy

Date Published: May 10, 2013

Summary:

Everything is slipping away from Memory. The bond of friendship between her, Eloryn, Roen, and Will, that was formed while running for their lives is tearing. In a world that doesn’t feel like home, with a mind filled with nothing but questions, Memory struggles to be true to herself… whoever that is. When her past self starts haunting her, she knows her sanity could be the next thing she will lose.

Buy Link:

Amazon Author Page

Selina Fenech

Born in 1981 to Australian and Maltese parents, Selina lives in Australia with her husband, an unnamed cat. During her life Selina has found ancient Roman treasure, survived cancer, had knights joust at her wedding, been mugged for doughnuts, made a living as a visual artist, and shared her imaginary worlds in paintings and now in her novels.

Contact Links

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Couponing for the Rest of Us by Kasey Knight Trenum (Book Review and Q&A)

Title: Couponing for the Rest of Us
Author: Kasey Knight Trenum
Publisher: Revell

About the Book:  Founder of Time 2 $ave Shows Busy Women How to Save Big Without Spending Hours a Week Clipping Coupons

Couponing expert Kasey Knight Trenum will be the first to tell you that she does not like coupons.  But she does love saving money. Faced with mounting bills after her husband was downsized five years ago, Trenum turned to coupons to plug the hole in their savings account.  She spent hours researching how to use coupons effectively and easily reduced her family's weekly grocery bill 75 percent.  "I've learned how to balance savings with having a life and without it becoming an obsession," says Trenum.  "I've never woken up singing the praises of a coupon; I've just sung the joys of saving a ton of money."

Trenum shares the ins and outs of couponing and all the secrets she's put to good use over the years in Couponing for the Rest of Us: The Not-So-Extreme Guide to Saving More. With her help, readers will discover ways to hundreds of dollars every month and ultimately improve their family's finances without letting it take over their lives.  Couponing for the Rest of Us shows readers:

• Where to find coupons for what your family eats
• How to make the internet do the work for you
• How to find sale cycles and store match-ups (and what those terms mean!)
• How to reinvent your shopping strategy and toss your lists
• How to make grocery shopping less stressful -- even fun!
• How to turn money saved into money shared
• Make couponing fit your life not become your life

"If you're worried that your not a coupon kind of girl, don't," writes Trenum.  "You don't have to be in love with coupons.  You don't have to compute math in your head. And you don't have to set aside hours each week just to work on your coupons. I can't stress enough -- balance is the key to making couponing work for you.  You have to figure out how to make it fit into your world; it cannot become your world."

After shoppers started following Trenum to her car to find out how she was getting such good deals, she realized she had a lifestyle solution she could share.  She began teaching couponing workshops. In 2009, she cofounded Time 2 $ave, a frugal and couponing blog, to help others discover how to make couponing work for them.  The silver lining to her savings from coupons became an empowering focus on giving to others. She has helped thousands improve their lives and become purposeful givers.

My thoughts: I think this book will be good for anyone who would like to save a little or a lot of money.  The important things that I took away from it were things like what it means to stack coupons (use a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon); where to find a store's policy on coupons; why shopping at a drugstore is different from shopping at a grocery store.  

It is organized very well, though I must admit that I thought it got a little long in the beginning before we actually got to the ins and outs of couponing. There are some great resources in the back of the book as well, such as a glossary and inventory sheets for taking stock of your pantry and for beginning your stockpile.  

She stresses the importance of taking it slow and not letting it overwhelm you, even giving you some baby steps to try out as you begin the journey of couponing. I think it would overwhelm me if I let it, so I am probably going to start small - by really looking at my store ads for those things that I could use for my stockpile rather than those things that I need for day to day.  I have already bookmarked her website www.time2saveworkshops.com and signed up for her email.  You can find all kinds of coupons on their as well as links to store ads and other coupons.

I am very glad that I signed up to tour with this book and want to thank Revell Blog Tour for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my review. 

Available May 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Purchase Links:

~Amazon~     ~Barnes and Noble~

Q&A with Kasey Knight Trenum
Author of Couponing For the Rest of Us

Q. I’m already busy, and couponing looks like a part time job. Do I really have time?
A. I hear your pain. If anyone thought she didn’t have time to coupon, it was me. I didn’t even consider it as a remote possibility. Time or no time, I couldn’t afford not to use couponing as an avenue to save. Soon I began to see how the benefits outweighed my investment. It was worth it to have several hundred dollars a month back in our budget, especially when our other household expenses weren’t going down. Will couponing take some of your time? Yes, but not much. I’ll show you the ropes so you can save both time and money.

Q. I have a small family. I don’t see how using coupons could help us much since our grocery bill isn’t that high.
A. The size of your family doesn’t matter. Whatever your grocery bill is, there is usually room to save. Even if you only spend $50 a week, wouldn’t you like to cut that down to $20 or $30? Aside from the numbers, when you shop ahead of time to buy what you use, it takes the stress of having to go to the grocery store out of your life.

Q. This seems like a lot of work, and I’m not an organized person. I don’t think I can keep up with all this!
A. Oh my! If you look up “unorganized” in the dictionary, you’ll find my picture. I really (really!) want to be organized, and I have tried to help myself in this area more ways than I can count. But you know what? I was not created that way. You can imagine my struggle with organizing my coupons. I had to find a way that worked for me (and didn’t consume my life), and that I could stick with for the long haul. Remember, couponing isn’t all-or-nothing. It’s what fits into whatever season of life you are in right now. What works for one person might not work for another; we are all unique. Be patient as you figure out what makes sense and works best for you.

Q. I’ve seen where couponing revolves around stockpiling and having massive amounts of food in your house. I don’t think I can (or want) to go there.
A. Fabulous! That makes two of us. My goal is to teach you how to save your family money and open up doors to give. It’s all about simplicity here; couponing isn’t an all-or-nothing deal. Couponing success isn’t measured by the size of your stockpile. I’d much rather be known for giving.

Q. I’ve always thought people who use coupons end up purchasing things they don’t need just because they have a coupon for it.
A. Guilty! I did it. Most people do, especially in the beginning. However, you’ll soon figure out the items that your family uses and what items make good donations. Beyond that, I’ll save you some time here. If you can’t donate it, even if it’s free or cheap, it’s not worth it. In some states you will still have to pay tax on the full purchase price before coupons. My mission has been to simplify; if my family doesn’t use it and I can’t donate it, then it’s just going to take up space in my home. You can always share your coupons with friends, schools, military programs and so forth.

Q. I’ve never been good at math—Can I do this?
A. Don’t worry, I was never good at math and you don’t have to be either. Besides, who said you can’t use a calculator? Throw one in your purse or use your smartphone

Q. How many grocery stores do you shop each week?
A. Lately I am happy to make it to one. I have been asked this question more times than I can count. It is not necessary to shop more than one store, or even to shop every single week for that matter. Whether you save 5 percent or 70 percent, you are still saving. Couponing has to fit into your life, not become your life.


Couponing for the Rest of Us
Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, May 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8007-2206-7
192 pages

The Trouble With Charlie by Merry Jones (Giveaway, Interview and Review)

Title: The Trouble with Charlie
Author: Merry Jones
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

About the Book:   With the dark twists of a Hitchcock movie and the light camaraderie of a Lisa Scottoline novel, The Trouble with Charlie tells the story of a man, and the soon-to-be-ex wife who is suspected of killing him.  Elle, the wife, finds Charlie, the soon-to-be-ex husband, dead on her sofa, stabbed with her kitchen knife.  As police investigate, she realizes that she has a gap in her memory; she can't account for her whereabouts when he was killed.  And it turns out she had plenty of motive for murder, some she didn't even know she had.

Charlie had secrets.  not just about infidelity, but secrets about dangerous business clients, an obsessed assistant, and an illegal international sex ring.  The more Elle finds out about Charlie, the less she knows about their marriage -- and herself -- and the more peril she faces.  Strangest of all, Charlie seems reluctant to leave.  He hangs around, believing that she's killed him, haunting her.  Taunting her.  Of course, Elle doesn't believe in ghosts -- even so, as she unravels secrets, she strives to solve the mystery.  She survives murderous attempts by Charlie's powerful, unscrupulous business associates.  More than just Elle's safety is in danger. 

Purchase Links

~Amazon~     ~Barnes and Noble~

My thoughts: Boy, this book was not at all what I thought it was going to be about. It is told from Elle's point of view, and with the gaps and fuzziness in her memory, you can't be sure that the information that you are getting is what is actually correct.  It really made me feel what Elle must have been feeling.  Sort of a disconnect to reality, not knowing who you can trust - or even if you can trust yourself.

She has a great group of friends who support and believe her even when the police are closing in.  It helps that one of these friends is a lawyer and is able to give her counsel (even though she doesn't always follow it!)  So, she is suspect number one in the murder of her husband with even Charlie's ghost (or one of her hallucinations - she doesn't know which) accusing her.  She decides that the only way she can prove her innocence is to find out who actually killed him.  She doesn't know where to begin, but when her husband's partner Derek shows up asking lots of questions, it begins to formulate some ideas in her head. As she digs, more dead people show up, which just bring more questions.

I liked the way the story was told, with us only learning things as Elle learned them. Because she wasn't even sure if she had killed Charlie, I didn't know either.  Some of the things that she found out in the end did take me by surprise, and in my mind, not all loose ends were wrapped up - so wondering if we will see more of Elle and her friends in the future.

The book was written without chapters, just breaks.  Normally this drives me nuts, but I read this book so quickly that it didn't bother me this time!

~I received a complimentary copy of The Trouble with Charlie from Oceanview Publishing and Partners in Crime in exchange for my unbiased review.~

About the author:  Merry Jones is the author of The Trouble with Charlie as well as the Harper Jennings thrillers:  Summer Session, Behind the Walls, Winter Break and the Zoe Hayes mysteries:  The Nanny Murders, The River Killings, The Deadly Neighbors, The Borrowed and Blue Murders.

She has also written humor including I Love Him, But. . ., and non-fiction including BIRTHMOTHERS: Women who relinquished babies for adoption tell their stories.  Jones taught writing at Temple University, ran her own video/multi-media production company, worked in Corporate Communications for Sun (Oil) Company, and directed/produced broadcast television.  A member of the Philadelphia Liars Club, Mystery Writers of America and The Authors Guild, Jones earned an MA from the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School, a BA from Cornell University, and lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband, daughters and Corgi.  Contact her at merryjones.com.

Merry Jones was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.  Please enjoy getting to know her a little better below.

1. How do you typically write?  Do you plot it all out beforehand or do you just let the story pour out?

Usually, I have a detailed plot outline to begin with.  But I use it as a backup.  Often, the characters disagree and refuse to follow the plan.  A character may insist that she/he is not the murderer; another might commit a crime I hadn’t anticipated.  Sometimes the characters’ ideas work better than the ones I had.  And if they don’t, I have the original outline to rely on.

 2. How does your family feel about having a writer in the family?  Do they read your books?

I think they’re amused, maybe a little baffled.  Maybe a little proud. 

My husband reads everything I write, usually more than once, because he’s my first reader.  My older daughter reads my books, but she’s in no hurry.  She picks them up years after they come out.  My younger daughter doesn’t even open my books—She says they’re too scary.  My sister reads them dutifully, as does my aunt. I guess the answer is that some relatives sometimes read some of the books, but everyone in the family is very encouraging.  A cousin invited me to her book club. Lots of cousins have come to some signings. At family gatherings, everyone asks me how my books are doing. I don’t know if they really want to know, but at least they ask.

3. What do you do in your spare time?

Hahaha.  Writers don’t have spare time, do they? There’s always another book to write, another promotion effort to make, a website to update, a blog to post. But one thing I squeeze into my schedule is sculling.  I row out of Vesper Boat Club on the Schuylkill River, usually in my single shell or in a double with my husband. I love the exercise, but more than that I love being on the water, moving with it, seeing the turtles and ducks and geese, feeling the breeze and the current.  It’s intoxicating.  And calming. 

4. What themes do you love to read or write about?

I read a lot of genre books—suspense and thrillers, to keep up with what’s happening in my area of fiction.  But I also like historical fiction and non-fiction.  I like books that take me out of my everyday world, that take me to another time and place. 

5.  If your book was made into a TV series or movie, what actors would you like to see playing your characters?  Feel free to add pics.

I LOVE imagining this.  I have a few suspense series out, so I’ll just pick one for this: THE TROUBLE WITH CHARLIE.  Matthew Perry or Michael Weatherly (DiNoso on NCIS) or possibly Chris Noth could be Charlie Harrison.  But then, so could Nicholas Bishop or Mark Valley (both are in Body of Proof). Or Colin Firth (might as well dream, right?) Sandra Bullock would be a good Elle Harrison.  And Elle’s friends? Lisa Kudrow is Jen, Courteny Cox is Susan (the original friends) and Michelle Williams is Becky.

6.  Was there anything (or anyone) while growing up which helped you decide you wanted to be a writer? 

My family seemed to like my stories, but they never particularly encouraged me to write.  I’d say the encouragement came from my teachers.  In elementary school, I remember looking forward to Fridays, when we’d have a creative writing hour.  From second to sixth grade, I had the support and enthusiasm of Mrs. Chones, Mrs. Kellen, Mrs. Isaacs, Mrs. Shellist—These teachers took a genuine interest in the imaginations and creativity of their young students.  They gave us the opportunity to express our ideas, and they stimulated us to develop our little voices.  By the time I was in high school, I’d already developed a clear passion for writing.

7.  Do you have a job outside of being an author?

I teach writing part time.  I taught at community college for five or six years, at Temple University for a dozen.  Now I'm leading a workshop in suspense writing for a local continuing education program.

8.  What would you tell a beginning writer?

Three things:  Write. Write. And write.  Reading is important, but continuing, developing your technique and voice, perfecting your style, honing in on your subject matter -- All of the skills needed for writing can be acquired only by writing. 

9. What were your favorite books growing up?

Early on, I loved Winnie the Pooh.  Especially Eeyore.  And Babar.  And Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.  And the tales of Baba Yaga, who was a witch in a house built on chicken legs.

By the time I was about ten, I'd become addicted to suspense -- Anything from Nancy Drew to Fu Manchu.  I was big on Sherlock Holmes.  And Poe.  Agatha Christie.  I also loved the Gothic romances -- Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.  And the mischief of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

And then came teenage years when I came in touch with literature -- Catch 22, Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, Exodus.  Notes from Underground and other Russian novels and on and on.  It's not possible to list everything. 

Get a copy for yourself:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Trouble with Charlie

Publisher/Publication Date: Oceanview Publishing, Feb 2013

ISBN: 978-1-60809-074-7

280 pages

Spotlight Tour: Too Sexy for His Stetson by Mal Olson

 

Tour Schedule for May

7 – Books and Needlepoint

9 – Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews

10 – New Age Mama

10 – Krista Ames

13 – Books-n-Kisses

13 – Romancing the Highlands

29 – Sizzling Hot Books

30 – You Gotta Read

31 – Starry Night Book Reviews

 

 

Too Sexy for His Stetson

by Mal Olson

 

"Sizzling hot Sheriff in Action"

 

Anguished over his father's lack f morals, Deputy Blade Beringer struggles to conquer self-doubts.  When he and his K9 partner Rambo arrive in the mountains of northern Idaho, Blade is faced with a band of white supremacists, a homicide investigation, and a murder cold case, not to mention the task of training a gorgeous blond rookie.

 

Trainee Brandy Wilcox is bent on clearing her mother's name of a wrongful murder convisiton.  While working the homicide investigation with her sexy new training officer, she discovers a connection between the victim and her mother's case.  The two deputies struggle to resist their mutual attraction and abide by the no-fraternizing rules, but passion blazes and teeters on the brink of love.  With a killer targeting them and danger lurking at every turn, Brandy doubts their love can blossom, especially when she puts Officer Skip Coogan -- Blade's best friend and father figure -- at the top of her suspect list.

 

 





Promo: Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets by Ellen Collier

PROMO

Bathing, Beauties, Booze, and Bullets

By Ellen Collier

NEW ADULT Jazz Age Mystery

Date Published:May 5, 2013

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis:

It’s 1927 in Galveston, Texas—the “Sin City of the Southwest.” Jasmine (“Jazz”) Cross is an ambitious 21-year-old society reporter for the Galveston Gazette who tries to be taken seriously by the good-old-boy staff, but the editors only assign her fluffy puff pieces, like writing profiles of bathing beauties. The last thing Jazz wants to do is compare make-up tips with ditzy dames competing in the Miss Universe contest, known as the “International Pageant of Pulchritude and Bathing Girl Revue.” 

She’d rather help solve the murders of young prostitutes who turn up all over town, but city officials insist on burying the stories during Splash Day festivities. After Jazz gets to know the bathing beauties, she realizes there’s a lot more to them than just pretty faces and figures. Jazz becomes suspicious when she finds out the contest is also sponsored by the Maceos, aspiring Beach Gang leaders and co-owners of the Hollywood Dinner Club, where the girls will perform before the parade and pageant. 

Worse, her half-brother Sammy Cook, owner of the Oasis, a speakeasy on a rival gang’s turf, asks her to call in a favor from handsome Prohibition Agent James Burton—an impossible request that could compromise both of their jobs and budding romance. While Agent Burton gives her the cold shoulder, she fends off advances from Colin Ferris, an attractive but dangerous gangster who threatens Sammy as well as Burton. In the end, she must risk it all to save her friends from a violent killer hell-bent on revenge. Inspired by actual events.

 

Author Bio

Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer/editor whose articles and essays have been published in several national magazines, including: FAMILY CIRCLE, MODERN BRIDE, GLAMOUR, BIOGRAPHY, COSMO, PLAYGIRL, etc. Several of her short stories have appeared in WOMAN'S WORLD. She’s profiled a variety of people, from CEOs and celebrities (including Suze Orman), to charity founders (Nancy Brinker et al) and do-gooders (for BFI).  A flapper at heart, she’s the owner of DECODAME, specializing in Deco to retro vintage items

(www.art-decodame.com). 

Formerly she's worked as a magazine editor, and in advertising and public relations (plus endured a hectic semester as a substitute teacher). She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism, where she enjoyed frou-frou cocktails and lots of lattes.

"When you grow up in Houston, Galveston becomes like a second home. I had no idea this sleepy beach town had such a wild and colorful past until I began doing research, and became fascinated by the legends and stories of the 1920s. Finally I had to stop researching and start writing, trying to imagine a flapper's life in Galveston during Prohibition." 

Goodreads  |  Antiques Website

 

EXCERPT

The Oasis was more than half full, and in the dim lights, I spotted Sammy at a corner table, talking in earnest with a young, good-looking guy with chestnut hair.  I held back, but Amanda charged forward, plopping down on the chair closest to Sammy.

“Hey, Sammy, how are you?” She said it with a smile that only I knew was forced.

“Been busy.  The joint is jumping with all the tourists in town.”  He looked over at me for help, mild panic in his eyes. “Are any of your friends with you? Got a lot of guys asking about the bathing beauties.”

“Aren’t you two dolls in the pageant?” The cute guy stood up and held out a chair for me, motioning for me to sit down. “Sammy, why don’t you introduce me to these dishy dames?”

“No, but thanks for the compliment. I’m Jasmine,” I told the handsome stranger, “but I go by Jazz. This is my friend Amanda.”  I looked across the table, but Sammy and Amanda seemed to be quarreling—no doubt she was upset because she was feeling ignored. What else was new?

“Jazz,” he repeated. “I like jazz. I’m Colin, by the way.” He stuck out a hand, and shook mine with a firm grip, lingering until I pulled my hand away. 

“Nice to meet you.” He looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place him.

“How about a whirl across the dance floor, Jazz?” He flashed a smile of teeth that seemed to light up the room. Very tempting, but I needed to talk to Sammy.

“Maybe later.” He was attractive, but I hadn’t danced with anyone since my rendezvous with Burton at the Surf Club, and I wasn’t in the mood.

“Well, how about a drink then, Jazz?” He leaned forward, his arm thrown over my chair.

“Sure, why not? Make it a Manhattan.”   Normally, I didn’t drink with strangers but he seemed to be a friend of Sammy’s and besides, I didn’t expect to hear from Burton anytime soon.... Colin returned with two drinks, and scooted his chair over so our knees touched under the table. The cocktail felt cool and refreshing and I began to relax. “So what do you do?” I asked him, wondering why he looked so familiar.

“I’m in sales,” he said. No wonder he seemed so confident, so outgoing with strangers.

“What do you sell?” I wanted to know.

“Whatever people need. Some import and export, some local.” Rather a vague answer, but then again, this wasn’t an interview for the newspaper.  “How about you? What’s a lovely lass like you  doing here all alone? I take it you’re not married?”

I grinned at him, feeling flirtatious.  “Do I look like I’m married?”

“Just checking.”  Maybe it was the drink, but I felt comfortable around him and soon we were chatting, almost like friends. 

“How do you know Sammy?” I asked.

“We have mutual friends,” he said. Another cryptic answer, but who cared? 

Bernie began playing “Ain’t She Sweet?” on the piano, and Colin held out his hand.  “What are we waiting for? Let’s dance.”

Naturally I was rusty but I loved to dance and for once, I didn’t worry about anything or anyone, least of all Agent Burton.  Colin kept up with my Charleston and even did an improvisational Irish jig when the song ended. Then the tempo slowed down and Colin pulled me to him, his big arms almost crushing my chest.  I tried to push him away, but his grip only tightened around my waist, one hand wandering down my backside.

“Stop, you’re hurting me!” As I struggled to get free, he forced his mouth on mine, his lips rough, the whiskey strong on his breath.  Finally I jerked back and slapped him hard across the face. Even in the shadows, I saw his cheeks turn bright pink. “I said to leave me alone. Who do you think you are?”

A small semi-circle gathered around and Bernie stopped playing, his fingers hovering above the keys. Sammy stormed across the small dance floor, grabbing Colin by the shoulder and knocking him to the floor.  The crowd fanned out, gaping as if it was a boxing match. A few onlookers shouted and cheered: “Fight back, you dumb Palooka!” “Get up, you sorry Mick!” 

Embarrassed, I fled to a corner, wishing I could hide,  disappear in the dark.  The last thing I wanted was to make a scene, or cause trouble for Sammy. 

Colin stood up shakily, his eyes blazing, while Sammy circled him, fists up. Then he took a swing at Sammy and almost fell over.  Frank and Bernie yanked on Colin’s arms, marching him toward the stairs. Buzz cowered behind the bar, watching, wide-eyed with fear.

“Stay out of my joint!” Sammy yelled after him. “Or else!”

Colin managed to break free of Frank’s grasp and whirled around, pointing at Sammy, his hand like a gun going off. “You’re a dead man, hear me? A dead man!”  

A dead man? Now what had I done?

Amanda rushed to my side. “Jazz, what happened? Are you OK?”

Still shaking, I leaned against the wall, waiting for the commotion to subside, trying to catch my breath. “He was getting fresh, that’s all. But I can defend myself. I didn’t expect Sammy to knock him out like that, in the middle of the bar.” I tried to brush it off, but the truth was, I felt vulnerable, violated.

Sammy came over, waving his hands in the air. “Jazz, what were you doing, dancing with an asshole like him? What were you thinking?”

 “I thought he was your friend.” I stared at him, confused. Sure, some of Sammy’s friends were on the unsavory side, but with his cropped hair, striped shirt and khaki pants, Colin looked as clean-cut as any College Joe. “Did you have to slug him? So he got a little too friendly, but I didn’t want to cause a big ruckus.”

“Friend? Far from it,” Sammy snorted.  “Don’t you know who he is?  He’s a member of the Beach Gang, one of Sam Maceo’s goons.”

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