What a treat we have for you today. So sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Innocence
Lost (+ Giveaway)
When
you mention the Roaring 20s you can’t help but think of Prohibition and the
mystery surrounding it. Today, lets step back in time and see how a widow copes
with criminal elements and comes to rely on a ghost from the past.
Author
Sherilyn Decter is visiting today to share her latest release, INNOCENCE
LOST, the first installment in her Bootleggers’ Chronicles. She also
has a fun giveaway she’s hosting for the tour. Be sure to check it out at the
end of the post.
In a city of bootleggers and
crime, one woman must rely on a long-dead lawman to hunt down justice…
Philadelphia,
1924. Maggie Barnes doesn't have much left. After the death of her husband, she
finds herself all alone to care for her young son and look after their rundown
house. As if that weren't bad enough, Prohibition has turned her neighborhood
into a bootlegger's playground. To keep the shoddy roof over their heads, she
has no choice but to take on boarders with criminal ties…
When
her son's friend disappears, Maggie suspects the worst. And local politicians
and police don't seem to have any interest in an investigation. With a child's
life on the line, Maggie takes the case and risks angering the enemy living
right under her nose…
Maggie's
one advantage may be her oldest tenant: the ghost of a Victorian-era cop. With
his help, can she find justice in a lawless city?
Innocence
Lost is the first novel in the Bootleggers' Chronicles, a series of
historical fiction tales. If you like headstrong heroines, Prohibition-era
criminal underworlds, and a touch of the paranormal, then you'll love Sherilyn
Decter’s gripping tale.
Check
out INNOCENCE LOST on bookfunnel and
the Media Page on the author’s website. INNOCENCE LOST is also available to buy on Amazon. The second book in the series,TASTING THE APPLE, is available to pre-order.
For those
unfamiliar with the author, here’s a bit of background on her.
The Roaring
Twenties and Prohibition were a fantasy land, coming right after the horrors
and social upheaval of World War I. Even a century later, it all seems so
exotic.
Women got
the vote, started working outside the home, and (horrors!) smoked and drank in
public places. They even went on unchaperoned dates (gasp)! Corsets were thrown
into the back of the closets, and shoes were discovered to be an addictive
fashion accessory after hemlines started to rise. And thanks to Prohibition,
suddenly it was fashionable to break the law. The music was made in America-
ragtime, delta blues, and of course jazz. Cocktails were created to hide the
taste of the bathtub gin. Flappers were dancing, beads and fringes flying.
Fedoras were tipped. And everyone was riding around in automobiles (aka struggle
buggies and I leave it to your imagination why- wink.)
Bootleggers’
Chronicles grew out of that fascination. Writing as Sherilyn Decter, I will
eventually have a series of historical crime fiction novels dealing with the
bootleggers, gangsters, flappers, and general lawlessness that defined
Prohibition. The Bootlegger blog rose out of all the research that I’ve been
doing about this incredible era.
Growing
up on the prairies and living next to the ocean, I am a creature of endless
horizons. Writing allows me to discover what’s just over the next one. My
husband and I have three amazing daughters, a spoiled grandson, and two bad
dogs.
Sherilyn
Decter is enthralled with the flashing flappers and dangerous bootleggers from
the Roaring Twenties and Prohibition. Through meticulous research, that lawless
era is brought to life. Living in a century-old house, maybe the creaking pipes
whisper stories in her ear.
To get
the inside skinny on the Bootlegger’s Chronicles, you can reach Sherilyn at the
following links:
GIVEAWAY
Author
Sherilyn Decter is giving away two autographed paperback copies of INNOCENCE
LOST. Each of the books comes with a couple of sheets of flapper paper
dolls. Click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instruction to
enter. If you can’t see the widget, just click HERE.
Thanks
for stopping by today. Be sure to comment on the post and enter to win your
copy of this tantalizing tale.
How about an excerpt?
Chapter
1
Philadelphia
has not yet lost its soul. It’s still the early days of Prohibition. Sure, you
can see the rot around the edges beginning to creep in, but people, for the
most part, are enjoying the thrill of being lawbreakers. The times; they’re
dangerous, but not yet deadly. Bootleggers are still the boys from down the
street, and hooch still has a bit of quality control to it. Hell, the most
dangerous thing about the Twenties, so far at least, is hemlines. Those short
skirts are trouble.
You can
smack your lips at the scandal of it all. Everyone has a bit of an outlaw in
them, don’t they? Many of the good people of Philadelphia are secretly thrilled
to be able to thumb their noses at a senseless bit of government regulation
imposed by morons in Washington. It’s a buzz
to sneak
out to the local speakeasy, get in with a secret password, and tip back a
refreshing swig of illegal booze.
Ah yes,
that inevitable illegal booze. Stashed in old warehouses; some of them are by
the river, some close to the tracks, all hidden from view. Brick carcasses of
abandoned enterprise, those warehouses now bustle with new business. Risky
business. Bootlegging.
Inspector
Frank Geyer leans against the brick wall inside one such warehouse. Shrouded by
shadow, he is a dapper old gent, his walking stick resting beside him. The high
shirt collar, heavy woollen suit, and thick moustache over a neatly trimmed
beard paint him from a different
generation.
The slow
draw off his cigar provides fuel for his dark thoughts. Frank doesn’t see the
glamour that his fellow Philadelphians seem to be enjoying; the comfortable
danger, the shaking off of the heavy burden of the recent Great War. He’s been
trained to recognize crime when he sees it, regardless of the cheap dress it
wears. Like a bloodhound, his heightened senses catch that faint whiff of
decay.
‘Death is
nothing. But to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.’ Perhaps Napoleon
was right. Certainly, ‘inglorious’ is a good description of Philadelphia these
days. But have the bootleggers and corruption managed to defeat her? Have we
lost the fight so easily? Have I been reduced to this: an old man standing idly
by? Maybe Philly isn’t the only one defeated.
Dark
thoughts, indeed.
Now, I've got to read the rest of this story.
Don't forget to enter the contest.
Congratulations, Sherilyn.
Happy Reading!
Wonderful review Beverly enjoyed the read.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Hi Yvonne. Nice to see you here. The book does sound fascinating. Hoping to read it soon. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteSounds like one guy not to commit a crime around.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Pat. Must see what else happens in this story. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteBeverly, thanks for being a part of this fascinating tour. It's a book that takes you back in time.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy historical fiction, Mason, and seeing how people lived in the past. Sounds like a great book. Thanks for letting me be a part of the tour.
DeleteIt was certainly a shady and changing time in America. Perfect setting!
ReplyDeleteIt does look interesting, Alex. May have to check it out.
DeleteSounds like an interesting time period to set this mystery in. Congrats to Sherilyn.
ReplyDeleteIt sure does, Natalie. Those were exciting times from what I've read.
DeleteIntriguing! It sounds like this has all the elements of a wonderful book. Congratulations, Sherilyn. Thank you for the wonderful review, Beverly.
ReplyDeleteYes, it does, Karin.I enjoy a good historical novel. This sounds like one I would like.
DeleteI'm commenting because I sure would like to win a copy of the book, and the paper dolls. Boy, those bring back memories. I used to love to play with paper dolls. How about you?
ReplyDeleteI would like to win, too! And I like the sound of this book. Thanks for introducing me to it!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, New Release Books. Good luck on the contest.
Delete