Martini Club 4 – The 1920s with @Alicia_Dean_

I’d like to present Alicia Dean and friends, sharing a fun new series, the Martini Club. But before we dive into their stories, the four ladies each want to share a fun fact:

Amanda McCabe: Sometimes I get asked what is your favorite snack food that inspires you when writing? A kinda weird question, but I am always happy to talk about junk food! I love Dove Salted Caramel Dark Chocolates. And ice cream sandwiches–even in winter. What about you??

Alicia Dean: I modeled my hero, Vince, after Robert Redford.

Kathy L Wheeler: My daughter asked how I choose names for my characters, and I know it will not come as a surprise to my cohorts, but I keep a spreadsheet. And I alphabetize it. This is so I don’t choose all names that begin with “A”. Because I did do that one time and the story was entered in a contest. Guess what her comment was?

Krysta Scott: I am responsible for TV shows being cancelled. It’s true. If I start watching a show when the pilot airs, it hangs in the balance. Some examples are Roswell, Nowhere Man and most recently Believe. I can’t explain it. If I’m really into a show, the network is sure to hate it.

Martini Club 4 – The 1920s

A few years ago, myself and three of my writer friends—Amanda McCabe, Kathy L Wheeler, and Krysta Scott—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. What a joy to do something that I love so much—writing—with a group of ladies that I love so much!
Martini Club authorsLeft 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! ***

Please check out and ‘like’ our Facebook page. The entire series can be found at Amazon.

MC1-RebelliousCover200x316Rebellious: 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…

Amazon buy link: http://amzn.com/B00RICWBC8
Contact info: http://ammandamccabe.com

cover of RuinedRuined: 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.

Amazon buy link: http://amzn.com/B00RICLM2I
Website: http://aliciadean.com
Blog:http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008364070487
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alicia_Dean_
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/aliciamdean/

cover of RecklessReckless: 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.

Amazon buy link: http://amzn.com/B00RICW0G0

Contact info: kathy@klwheeler.com
Website: http://kathylwheeler.com
Blog: http://kathylwheeler.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kathylwheeler
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kathylwheeler
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kathylwheeler

cover of RunawayRunaway: 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.

Amazon buy link: http://amzn.com/B00RIFHGPC

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Book Review Club: Dinosaurs, Dodos and Time Traveling Historians

Just One Damned Thing After Another coverJust One Damned Thing After Another
(The Chronicles of St. Mary’s)
by Jodi Taylor

The title comes from a quote by Alfred Toynbee: “Some historians hold that history … is just one damned thing after another.” The series takes place in England at St. Mary’s, part of Thirsk University, at an unspecified point in the future. Time travel is a reality, but only the historians at St. Mary’s get to go back in time, and strictly to observe. Dire consequences ensue when someone messes with history, however inadvertently. The main character is Madeleine Maxwell, a historian and university professor who came from an abusive background. We know she had a terrible childhood, but fortunately, Taylor doesn’t go into detail, which was fine with me. Max is damaged, though, and her social skills aren’t always the best. She’s perfect for the eccentric crew at St. Mary’s. She joins the ranks of the time traveling historians in book one and finds more adventure than anyone could bargain for.

Here’s the blurb:

Behind the seemingly innocuous façade of St Mary’s, a different kind of historical research is taking place. They don’t do ‘time-travel’ – they ‘investigate major historical events in contemporary time’. Maintaining the appearance of harmless eccentrics is not always within their power – especially given their propensity for causing loud explosions when things get too quiet. Meet the disaster-magnets of St Mary’s Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around History. Their aim is to observe and document – to try and find the answers to many of History’s unanswered questions…and not to die in the process. But one wrong move and History will fight back – to the death. And, as they soon discover – it’s not just History they’re fighting. Follow the catastrophe curve from eleventh-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria. For wherever Historians go, chaos is sure to follow in their wake …

The story is intelligent, adventurous, often very funny, and a little romantic, though the body count is fairly high. Who would expect historian to be a dangerous job? But given the chance to go back in time, what else could be expected?

A Symphony of Echoes coverA Symphony of Echoes is the second book in the series, and it builds on what happened in the first installment. This time, they discover that items (and living creatures) that are destined to be destroyed can be safely brought into the future, so the team sets out to save historic treasures where possible, including the dodo. The Great Dodo Hunt is hilarious. Quote: “I was rapidly concluding that their extinction might not have been completely man’s fault. Dodos — our dodos anyway — displayed the parenting skills of a brick.”

I look forward to reading the rest of the series and recommend it highly.

As always, click on the graphic below for more great reviews in Barrie Summy’s Book Review Club, and don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card & 2015 Mouse Pad Calendar.

Linda / Lyndi

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