Martini Club 4 – The 1920s

I’d like to present Alicia Dean and friends, sharing a fun new series:

Before they introduce their stories, the four ladies have a question for readers:

Amanda McCabe: What book started you on reading and/or history?  (Mine were the Betsy/Tacy series, which I found in my elementary school library!  We followed Betsy and Tacy from when they were about 5 to marriage and families in the early 1900s, and I was fascinated by their world!)

Alicia Dean: What book have you read that sticks out in your mind the most? For me, it’s hard to pick just one, but I will say that the Eden Series from nearly 40 years ago by Marilyn Harris is probably one that has stayed with me as much or more than any others.

Kathy L Wheeler: The very best part of working with a group of your favorite writers is the hanging out! What do you do for fun?


Krysta Scott: When reading a romance, do you prefer love triangles or just two people? If you don’t like love triangles, is it because they are not well written well or realistic?

 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. 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

*** 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! ***

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The entire series can be found at this link on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=series_rw_dp_labf?_encoding=UTF8&field-keywords=Martini%20Club%204%20Series%20-%20The%201920s&url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text

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... 

Excerpt: Jessica turned back to look at the building.  The windows stared down at them in blank darkness, and she could only hear the faint roar of traffic from Broadway, a woman's shrill laughter, a cat howling from behind a trash can.

“No, not from here,” she said.  But she saw the shallow flight of stone steps Meggie had told them to look for, leading down to a shadowy doorway.  “Come on!  We'll be late.  Maybe Eliza is already waiting.”  Eliza had said she would meet them there after her shift at the factory, though they hadn't seen her for a while.

She tugged Charlotte down the steps after her and knocked three times on the door.  A tiny, grilled window set high above her head slid open.

“The elephant's eyebrows,” she said, repeating the passwords she'd been given.  Obviously, someone there had a weird sense of humor.

The window slammed shut, and for several long seconds there was no sound except that distant hum of cars and the pounding of Jessica's heart.  Had she done it wrong?  Had she come this close to finding a real story, to finding her shipboard Romeo again, only to be turned away?

Amazon buy link: http://amzn.com/B00RICWBC8 

Contact info: http://ammandamccabe.com

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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. 

Excerpt:

Lord Renwald bellowed, then fell to his knees, one hand on his head, blood seeping between his fingers. His mouth gaped like a fish, his eyes wide and agony-filled. He reached his free hand for her and nearly gripped her skirt, but she jumped back, out of his reach. He frowned as if perplexed, then thudded to the floor—still as a corpse.

Eliza stood frozen for a moment. Her entire body trembled. Warm stickiness coated her fingers. She’d killed a man. Not just a man, but an Earl. Dear Heaven, she’d killed him. If they caught her, she’d be put to death. The realization jolted her from her trance. She dropped the vase and rushed to the door, flinging it open. She raced down the hallway, to the stairs that led to the lower floor. Nearly flying, she hurried down the steps, past the wide-eyed stares of the other housemaids, and opened the cubby. Just as Maud promised, the valise was inside. Eliza snatched it and rushed to the back door. Her heart ached that she hadn’t had a chance to tell Maud goodbye, to thank her. But she’d promised the woman she would run and never look back. She didn’t know where she would go, or how she would get there, but she knew she would never return.


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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. 

Excerpt: Shadows loomed, and every so often a match struck, and the red-tipped glow of a cigarette illuminated a face. Meggie pulled a deep breath to steady her jumpy nerves. Adapted her mind into her stage persona mode.  Forced a casual stride. It occurred and surprised her in how comfortable the oxford-styled uppers were compared to the toe-choking heels she wore nightly. She shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her coat.

The closer she grew to Club 501 the tighter her stomach knotted. She reached the block and crept around the building, nerves taut as the gory details relayed by Jess and Charli in her head like the film with Ramon Navarro she and Jess had seen, only the scene in her head appeared in vivid colors. The most dominant being red.

Fingers clenched to stop their trembling, she hugged the side of the building. Nothing.

She didn’t know whether to be relieved or furious after all of her and Georgie’s painstaking efforts.

Just as she let out a dejected sigh, a truck rolled in with the lights cut. Meggie sank to the ground behind a row of bushes and watched. The overhead door to Club 501 raised and Butch hurried out, Harry following in his more deliberate gait. A hundred bats flew into motion deep within her abdomen. Could she do this? Eliza. Eliza needs help.

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. 

Excerpt: “I-I have nothing to say to you.” She whirled and marched away from the expectations that had besieged her since the day she was born. Arranged marriages had been outdated since the early 1800s, even in England.

Heart thumping, breathing shallow, Charli escaped. From him. From her previous life.

Loud, firm steps thundered behind her. What had she expected? The man had followed her from London. Fury pressed through her veins. Well, that was his choice. She hadn’t asked him to look for her. But she couldn’t…wouldn’t go back to that life. She walked faster. Almost running, but strong fingers curled about her arm, jerking her to a stop.

“Charlotte.” He gasped for air. “What the devil are you doing?”

“Getting away from you.” Her hand flew to her mouth. Had those words just come out of her? Only six months in New York, and she’d gained gumption. From wherever the fortitude rose, she embraced it. Clung to it. Needed it. She yanked her arm from his grip, and before he could stop her, continued down the sidewalk. “Leave me alone.”

“Why are you being so obstinate?” His voice echoed in the quiet of the night. Still, he trailed her. The familiar entrance to her flat lay only two blocks ahead. She pushed to close the distance—between Geoffrey and her old life—to reach her haven.

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

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