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Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Ready to rock your bookshelves with another must read title? Well then, you're in the right place because today we're joining the RELEASE DAY celebration for a NEW HISTORICAL FICTION title hitting store and virtual shelves via Forge Books. It's from a new writer on the scene, but from the sound of things, she's gonna make a name for herself pretty fast. Ready or not, here we go! Today's spotlight title is on deck...
by
Jenni L. Walsh
9780765390189
Forge Books
About the book...
From debut historical novelist Jenni L. Walsh comes the untold story of how wholesome Bonnelyn Parker became half of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde duo.
The summer of 1927 might be the height of the Roaring Twenties, but Bonnelyn Parker is more likely to belt out a church hymn than sling drinks at an illicit juice joint. She’s a sharp girl with plans to overcome her family's poverty, provide for herself, and maybe someday marry her boyfriend, Roy Thornton. But when Roy springs a proposal on her and financial woes jeopardize her ambitions, Bonnelyn finds salvation in an unlikely place: Dallas's newest speakeasy, Doc's.
Living the life of a moll at night, Bonnie remains a wholesome girl by day, engaged to Roy, attending school and working toward a steady future. When Roy discovers her secret life, and embraces it—perhaps too much, especially when it comes to booze and gambling—Bonnie tries to make the pieces fit. Maybe she can have it all: the American Dream, the husband, and the intoxicating allure of jazz music. What she doesn't know is that her life—like her country—is headed for a crash.
She’s about to meet Clyde Barrow.
Few details are known about Bonnie's life prior to meeting her infamous partner. In Becoming Bonnie, Jenni L. Walsh shows a young woman promised the American dream and given the Great Depression, and offers a compelling account of why she fell so hard for a convicted felon—and turned to crime herself.
The summer of 1927 might be the height of the Roaring Twenties, but Bonnelyn Parker is more likely to belt out a church hymn than sling drinks at an illicit juice joint. She’s a sharp girl with plans to overcome her family's poverty, provide for herself, and maybe someday marry her boyfriend, Roy Thornton. But when Roy springs a proposal on her and financial woes jeopardize her ambitions, Bonnelyn finds salvation in an unlikely place: Dallas's newest speakeasy, Doc's.
Living the life of a moll at night, Bonnie remains a wholesome girl by day, engaged to Roy, attending school and working toward a steady future. When Roy discovers her secret life, and embraces it—perhaps too much, especially when it comes to booze and gambling—Bonnie tries to make the pieces fit. Maybe she can have it all: the American Dream, the husband, and the intoxicating allure of jazz music. What she doesn't know is that her life—like her country—is headed for a crash.
She’s about to meet Clyde Barrow.
Few details are known about Bonnie's life prior to meeting her infamous partner. In Becoming Bonnie, Jenni L. Walsh shows a young woman promised the American dream and given the Great Depression, and offers a compelling account of why she fell so hard for a convicted felon—and turned to crime herself.
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~~~ EXCERPT ~~~
CHAPTER 1
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Sounds good, right?
RIGHT!
So, let's get to know the mind behind the work....
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~~~ AUTHOR INTERVIEW~~~
Jenni L. Walsh
It's your debut novel, congratulations! Now, describe your book in TEN WORDS OR LESS...and you thought Twitter was hard! ^-^
How Bonnie becomes the Bonnie of Bonnie and Clyde.
Tell us, what made you decide to become a writer...
It’s funny because I have a very specific answer for this. In fifth grade, my class held an advertising competition where we wrote the copy and created the design for an ad. I ended up winning and, in that moment, I thought it’d be cool to be a copywriter one day. Flash forward to my first job out of college, and I was a copywriter. I spent ten years in that role before I decided to try my hand at another form of writing: full-length novels.
What were the best and most-nerve-racking moments you experienced on the road to publication?
Only one, haha? I think being on submission with editors may’ve been the hardest for me, though. As authors, we work so hard to get an offer of representation and I naively thought, “okay, I got the agent, now show me the book deal!” In reality, it’s not that simple and doesn’t often happen overnight. But when it did happen, seven months after I went out on submission, that was the best moment. I was very pregnant at the time so my heightened emotions were even more heightened.
If you could meet any writer, living or otherwise, who would it be and why?
Bonnie Parker ☺ She actually wrote quite a few poems. I speculated so much into her thoughts and behaviors that I’d love to sit down with her and hear it all straight from her mouth.
A little quid pro quo. I say FAVORITE, you say...the first thing that pops into your mind. Ready? GO! Favorite...
...time of day? Bedtime
...flavor? Cookie dough
...color? Blue
...season? Fall
...book to reread? Little Blue Truck (this is totally a picture book and I read it a dozen times already today. It’s okay, though, because it’s a blast to read!)
...go-to author, as in you'll pretty much read whatever they release? J.D. Robb
...downtime activity? Sleeping (I have a 1 yo and 3 yo)
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Jenni L. Walsh spent her early years chasing around cats, dogs, and chickens in Philadelphia's countryside, before dividing time between a soccer field and a classroom at Villanova University. She put her marketing degree to good use as an advertising copywriter, zip-code hopping with her husband to DC, NYC, NJ, and not surprisingly, back to Philly. There, Jenni's passion for words continued, adding author to her resume. She now balances her laptop with a kid on each hip, and a four-legged child at her feet. Becoming Bonnie is her first novel.
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Special thanks to the author for the chance to participate in this release day celebration. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is IN STORES NOW so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.
BEFORE YOU GO...
DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD AND BECOMING BONNIE MUG, NOW THROUGH FRIDAY MAY 12TH!
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Congrats on the release and thanks for the chance to win :)
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read this! Sounds great!
ReplyDeleteThis would be intriguing, enjoyable and special.Thanks for this fascinating feature and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read!
ReplyDelete