Good afternoon, my Fuzzy Writers! We have guests today. Four of them, to be exact. Alicia Dean has brought three of her close friends, so make her welcome. Alicia, I'm so glad you made it today. Tell us about your fun new series.
Martini
Club 4 – The 1920s
A few years ago, three of my writer friends —Amanda McCabe,
Kathy L Wheeler, and Krysta Scott and I—began meeting each Friday evening (unless
something extremely important kept one of us away, and trust me, it had
to be IMPORTANT) for Martinis and various other libations, at the Martini
Lounge in Edmond, Oklahoma. In time, we came to dub our
gathering the ‘Martini Club.’ We unwind, vent, chat about writing, laugh, and
strengthen an already strong bond of friendship. It’s not only fun, it’s
beneficial. As all writers know, no other friend besides a writer friend truly
understands us. (We also have an honorary MC member, Cindy Sorenson. Although
she is a writer, she declined to write one of the stories, but she has been
invaluable as far as brainstorming and beta reading. So, what else could we
do…we named a character after her in the series!)
During one of these gatherings, one of us, and I can’t remember who, made
an offhand remark about writing stories centered around the Martini Club. The
idea blossomed from there, and the ‘Martini Club 4’ series was born. We thought
it would be fun to set our first MC4 stories in the 1920’s, but we intend to
write more in other decades in the future. During the planning, plotting, and
writing, we have had a few weekend retreats that were loads of fun, and some
were even productive. J What a joy to do something that I love so much—writing—with a group of
ladies that I love so much!
Left to Right: Krysta Scott, Amanda McCabe, Kathy L Wheeler, Alicia Dean
Without further ado, I’d like to present the four novellas in our Martini
Club – The 1920’s series.
*** Release date is February 26, 2015 and the price at that time will be $2.99
each. If you pre-order, they are only 99 cents each! ***
The
entire series can be found at this link on Amazon:
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Rebellious: Martini Club 4 Series – The 1920s
Amanda
McCabe
Blurb: Can an aristocratic lady melt
the cold heart of a Russian gangster?
Lady Jessica Hatton fled her high-society London debutante life for one of investigative journalism in New York—only to be relegated to the fashion pages. Searching for a juicy story leads her to Club 501, the city's most glamorous speakeasy—and its handsome, mysterious owner, Frank Markov. But his past of war and revolution puts their hearts—and their lives—in danger...
Lady Jessica Hatton fled her high-society London debutante life for one of investigative journalism in New York—only to be relegated to the fashion pages. Searching for a juicy story leads her to Club 501, the city's most glamorous speakeasy—and its handsome, mysterious owner, Frank Markov. But his past of war and revolution puts their hearts—and their lives—in danger...
Excerpt: “Do you
smell that, Meggie?” Jessica Hatton cried as she leaned into the cold, salt
spray wind, her t-strap shoes perched on the lowest rung of the ship's
railing. She'd lost her hat, and
the short strands of her hair blew into her eyes, but she didn't care. England was far behind them. They had escaped.
“It
smells like freedom!” she shouted, and threw up her arms. It felt like she could fly all the way
to America.
“I
only smell old fish,” Meggie said.
“Now come down from there, Jess.
If you tumble into the drink, it will all be over before it even
starts.”
Jessica
laughed and shook her head, but she did climb down. She spun around to see Meggie stretched out on one of the
deck chairs, the glossy mink collar of her coat drawn close around her.
The
sky was grey and dismal-looking, the water not as glassy-smooth as when
they slid past Ireland yesterday and headed out to open sea. Several of the passengers had retreated
to their cabins, but Jessica couldn't stand staying inside. Not when there was so much to be seen.
“It
smells like fish and freedom,” Jessica insisted. “But we can go in now. Maybe Charlotte and Eliza will want to
play some cards or mah-jong.”
“Finally,”
Meggie grumbled as she swung her feet down to the damp deck. But her smile was broad. Jessica knew Meggie was loving it all
just as much as she was.
Amazon buy link: http://amzn.com/B00RICWBC8
Contact info: http://ammandamccabe.com
Ruined: Martini Club 4 Series – The 1920s
Alicia Dean
Blurb: She vowed she’d be no man’s
doxy, but fate had other plans...
After the Earl of Goodwin attempts to force himself on her, housemaid Eliza Gilbert flees England for New York, hoping to build a better life. But the land of opportunity proves as harsh as the London docks, and she finds herself in a situation more dreadful than the one she escaped.
Former boxer, Vince “The Fist” Taggart dreams of marrying, having a family, and living a quiet, peaceful life. But when a girl he's known since childhood disappears, he heads to New York in search of her and meets Eliza, a woman with a less than honorable reputation. Inexplicably captivated, Vince can’t force himself to stay away, especially when he learns Eliza is the key to finding his missing friend.
After the Earl of Goodwin attempts to force himself on her, housemaid Eliza Gilbert flees England for New York, hoping to build a better life. But the land of opportunity proves as harsh as the London docks, and she finds herself in a situation more dreadful than the one she escaped.
Former boxer, Vince “The Fist” Taggart dreams of marrying, having a family, and living a quiet, peaceful life. But when a girl he's known since childhood disappears, he heads to New York in search of her and meets Eliza, a woman with a less than honorable reputation. Inexplicably captivated, Vince can’t force himself to stay away, especially when he learns Eliza is the key to finding his missing friend.
Excerpt: Eliza lifted her gaze, then looked away when she met his
eyes. They were just too…striking, too blue. “I’m afraid you’ll have to speak
to Oscar. He handles all my transactions.” She could never have a normal outing
with a man. A lump of regret rose in her throat. She turned and started up the
stairs.
Vince caught up to her in a few steps
and grabbed her arm, taking the bag from her at the same time. “That was a
lousy thing to say.”
She opened her mouth to accuse him of
going around Oscar so he didn’t have to pay. But that was ridiculous. He hadn’t
taken what he’d paid for the first time. She lifted a hand and rubbed her
forehead. His attention confused her. What was his angle? He didn’t want sex.
Did he think she was hiding something about Cynthia and if he spent time with
her he could draw it out? “What do you want from me?”
“A picnic.”
Amazon buy link: http://amzn.com/B00RICLM2I
Reckless: Martini Club 4 Series – The 1920s
Kathy L Wheeler
Blurb: Lady Margaret turned Lady
Bootlegger…
Singer Margaret (Meggie) Montley needs money…fast. Her friend is in a dire situation with nowhere to turn. While Meggie is on the brink of stardom, it’s not soon enough to save her friend.
Harry Dempsey is out to avenge the deaths of his father and brother at the hands of a ruthless gangster. But trouble spirals out of control when Meggie Montley shows up the night he meets his nemesis to settle the score. Saving the impetuous woman from a crime lord might be easier than saving her from her own reckless behavior.
Singer Margaret (Meggie) Montley needs money…fast. Her friend is in a dire situation with nowhere to turn. While Meggie is on the brink of stardom, it’s not soon enough to save her friend.
Harry Dempsey is out to avenge the deaths of his father and brother at the hands of a ruthless gangster. But trouble spirals out of control when Meggie Montley shows up the night he meets his nemesis to settle the score. Saving the impetuous woman from a crime lord might be easier than saving her from her own reckless behavior.
Excerpt: Meggie
launched herself from her hiding place and threw her arms about Harry’s neck.
Locked in his muscular embrace, she rested her chin on his shoulder. His arms
tightened around her. “Oh, Harry. I came as fast as I could. Just as we’d
planned.” The words, she’d intended to carry, came out breathless.
“Fast, huh?” The whisper was against
her ear where no one else could hear, raised goose prickles over her entire
body. “Guess I’ll have to do something about that.” He lifted his head. “What
are you doing with my girl, Joe?”
Joey’s hands flew into the air, indicating
his surrender. “Sorry, Dempsey. Had no idea she was anyone’s quiff—”
Meggie’s
cheeks burned, and she stiffened at the insult. Harry’s one arm gripped her
closer. The other shot up, jerking her body like a rag doll. She couldn’t see
Harry’s face with her own now buried in his neck, but she felt the corded
muscles contract.
Amazon buy link: http://amzn.com/B00RICW0G0
Contact info: kathy@klwheeler.com
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Runaway: Martini Club 4 Series – The 1920s
Krysta Scott
Blurb: Can she prove her innocence
before more than her dreams are destroyed?
After escaping an arranged marriage, Lady Charlotte Leighton lands on a new shore, determined to realize her dream of opening her own bakery. But her plans are shattered when her former fiancé follows her to New York. Now, she finds herself in a fight for her freedom.
Haunted by a string of failures, Detective Felix Noble is determined to solve his latest case. But his efforts to find a murderer are jeopardized by a forbidden attraction to his number one suspect. While he’s certain Charlotte Leighton is keeping secrets, instinct tells him she’s not the murderess he first believed.
After escaping an arranged marriage, Lady Charlotte Leighton lands on a new shore, determined to realize her dream of opening her own bakery. But her plans are shattered when her former fiancé follows her to New York. Now, she finds herself in a fight for her freedom.
Haunted by a string of failures, Detective Felix Noble is determined to solve his latest case. But his efforts to find a murderer are jeopardized by a forbidden attraction to his number one suspect. While he’s certain Charlotte Leighton is keeping secrets, instinct tells him she’s not the murderess he first believed.
Excerpt: Long thin
fingers curled around a glass and lifted it from the tray. Charli followed the
direction of the drink. Derrick Chaunce, or as the local duffs referred to him,
“Slick”, grinned, exposing yellowed teeth.
“You … You…” Her throat closed. The rest of her diatribe
wouldn’t budge.
He winked. His thin hair slicked back in the latest fashion
exaggerated the gaunt cheekbones and sunken eyes, tinging him with an
unhealthy, dilapidated look. He gulped the whiskey. A bit of the amber liquid
escaped through the gap in his teeth and down his chin. Her stomach lurched.
“Thank you, sweet cakes. Put it on my tab.” He skulked off.
Charli whirled around. How did the bounder get past Tiny?
Ira fumed about customers who ran up a high tab without reconciling at the end
of the night. Now she would have to explain yet another charge added to Slick’s
mounting debt. She sighed and rolled her eyes to the heavens. The customer was
always right. Even when they were wrong.
Amazon buy link: http://amzn.com/B00RIFHGPC
What a wonderful idea. And a great way to a new series. I like it! Can't wait to read all of them.
Thank you, Mary! We loved doing this and I hope it shows in the stories. :)
As I said at the party Sunday night, the titles and covers are fabulous. I love reading stories about the 1920s! When I was young I read a lot of mysteries taking place in the 20s and 30s, so it's familiar territory and great fun. It's wonderful working with other authors--there's so much understanding and support! Best of luck to all of you for these four books and future ones.
Thank you, Barbara! I am fascinated with the 20s as well, but until this, I never thought to set a story in that era.
What fun and what a great group. I wish I had author friends like you close by. And what a great story idea.
I really love these covers. What a great idea! Makes me want to have a writing retreat with friends a do something like this. Meeting with writing friends regularly is the best way to keep on track. Especially if you are held accountable for working between meetings. Without accountability I tend to dawdle.
Love the idea and the covers!
Beth, yes, I feel very blessed to have my friends close by. We have lots of fun and we help one another. It's awesome. :) Thanks for the kind words.
Scarlett, I do the same thing, if I don't have something to keep me on track, I can easily let my writing slip. We meet for critique every two weeks, in addition to our meeting on Fridays, just for fun. Knowing I have a critique meeting looming incites me to write something, even if it sucks. :) Thank you, I also love the covers!
Thank you, Mary. I'm very pleased with the way everything, including the covers, turned out.
Wow, ladies! Looks like you have a very successful series. Great ideas and must-reads.