Aubrey Wynne's Blog, page 11

August 6, 2024

The Wallflower’s Scandalous Proposal by Sandra Sookoo

The Wallflower’s Scandalous Proposal
by Sandra Sookoo

When a lady’s life has been based in lies, it is difficult to discern the truth… even through love.

Miss Penelope Watterson—a wallflower, not by choice—wants revenge on the man who destroyed her adoptive family. For years she has despised the Viscount of Maplecrest, who caused her family’s distress. After fleeing London due to multiple family scandals, she has been stuck in the Derbyshire countryside, and she’s had enough. It is past time to take back her life and her rightful place in the ton.

Adam Coventry, the new Viscount Maplecrest, has returned to London from a stint in America where he made a fortune importing French brandy through naval blockades and then later solidified that fortune by investing in agriculture. Once his father died, he was obliged to attend to his title, yet he wishes to reside in America permanently, for he wants space between him and the insanity of the Watterson family… even if he’s still in love with Penny.

Plans go awry when they both attend a summer ball and emotions beset them. Despite being enemies, desire flares, and forced proximity only enhances those feelings. As long held secrets are revealed, perceptions change, but when the foundation of Penny’s life begins to crumble and truths are revealed for each of them in a highly scandalous way, something must be done. If they can’t leave hurt and pride in the past, they might forfeit a love they never knew they needed.

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More titles coming in August

 

 

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Published on August 06, 2024 02:00

July 30, 2024

Wallflower Gone Rogue by Rachel Ann Smith #revengeofthewallflowers

Wallflower Gone Rogue
by Rachel Ann Smith

A wallflower and a secret agent walk into a ballroom . . .
And the game begins.

Lady Lillian Tanner can think of several things she wants to do besides marry the Marquess of Middleton.
But duty to King and Crown calls, and she must obey.

Gerald Dansworth, Marquess of Middleton, never imagined a marriage of convenience—but he’ll do what he must to outsmart a villain.

As danger mounts, these two find themselves locked in a battle of the heart.
Will they be able to admit their love before it’s too late?

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Published on July 30, 2024 03:00

July 27, 2024

Her Fake Boyfriend by Heatherly Bell with excerpt and giveaway



Her Fake Boyfriend
Heatherly Bell
(Charming, Texas, #7)
Published by: Harlequin Special Edition
Publication date: July 23rd 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Her Prince Charming…

In a make-believe fairy tale?

Talented divorce attorney and town newcomer Michelle LaCroix needs roots in Charming to make partner, according to her old-fashioned boss. And that means a boyfriend! Problem is, she’s got to produce her beau in the flesh. Enter the town’s most eligible bachelor, former professional athlete Finn Sheridan, who’s only too happy to play pretend with his best friend’s ex—for a price. To his surprise, the more he’s thrown together with Michelle, the more he’s intrigued by a woman who’s far more than her ice-queen exterior. But with Finn’s trust still shattered by a brutal divorce, the make-believe match is just a fun diversion…until it becomes all too real!

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

“There you are, Boo!” Michelle ran over and threw her arms around him.

Finn seemed to freeze in place, his arms remaining where they’d been at his side. “Huh?”

“Please,” she hissed in his ear. “Go along with this and I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Go along with what?

“Long story, I’ll explain later. For now, pretend you’re my boyfriend.”

Hands on her waist, he set her back a step, eyes narrowed. “Have you been drinking?”

“No. I wish! Listen, there’s someone here I need to impress.”

“With me?” He quirked a brow.

“Well, you’ll do.”

He scowled. “I’m not interested in pretending. I know you’re a lawyer and this is your life but the rest of us don’t lie to people daily. Excuse me.”

He tried to step aside but she grabbed him by the lapels of his navy peacoat and planted a kiss on him. Nothing too crazy as she wasn’t big on PDA especially when she actually knew people were watching. Arthur hadn’t taken his eyes off them since she ran over here. Still, Finn’s lack of resistance surprised her. So did the buzz through her body. Finn was not a terrible kisser, as it turned out. And dear Lord he smelled good.

When she broke the kiss Finn was staring at her with mossy green eyes. It was a look that said he thought she should be committed to the nearest mental hospital, and the idea made him a little sad.

Well, she could work with that.

Author Bio:

Bestselling author Heatherly Bell was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama but lost her accent by the time she was two. After leaving Alabama, Heatherly lived with her family in Puerto Rico and Maryland before being transplanted kicking and screaming to the California Bay Area. She now loves it here, she swears. Except the traffic.

Over 200,000 copies of Heatherly’s books have been sold, many of them translated into two languages.

Heatherly also writes sweet and wholesome books under the pen name of Maria Michaels. She is represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency.

Luke’s unwavering loyalty to Lexi and her family gives this sweet romance unexpected integrity …Readers looking for a tender romance that leans more toward the emotional than the physical will find this very satisfying.” ~ Publishers Weekly/Booklife review on Country Gold.

“Heatherly Bell writes romance that will capture your heart.” ~ Marina Adair, New York Times bestselling author.

“What a thoroughly delightful story. I adored it.” ~ Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author on Lucky Cowboy.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

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Published on July 27, 2024 08:25

July 23, 2024

The Blossoming of the Wallflower by Jude Knight #revengeofthewallflowers

The Blossoming of the Wallflower
by Jude Knight

As a gardener, Merrilyn Parkham-Smythe, was happy to be called a wallflower. Wallflowers were tenacious, long-blooming, colourful and reliable plants, easy to care for as long as they had a fair share of sun. Like them, Merrilyn had no objection to providing background to the showier and more troublesome ladies of Society. She did object to being slighted and bullied by those highly-praised blooms and their male counterparts.

The gentleman next door, for example. What a pity such a fine looking man was such an ass. He had damaged her garden and insulted her. He richly deserved what he had coming. Didn’t he?

Sir Darius Finchwater hadn’t meant to offend the lady next door. He had acted on an assumption. He should have checked. And when he found out, too late, what he had done, he should have made a charming apology. Sometimes, when embarrassed, his tongue betrayed him. He was much better with reptiles than with people.

He could think of a better use for those perfectly shaped lips than to hurl abuse at him. Since he couldn’t be in her presence without thoughts that were inappropriate in the presence of an innocent lady, he had to ignore her. But would she ignore him?

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Published on July 23, 2024 02:40

July 16, 2024

The Wallflower Wager by Lana Williams Release Day #revengeofthewallflowers

The Wallflower Wager by Lana Williams

One high-stakes wager. Two stubborn hearts.

After a humiliating debut three years earlier, Lady Prudence Davies decides to embrace her status as a wallflower and sets a course for spinsterhood. But when her fellow wallflowers become targets of a band of rogues, Prudence ventures out of the shadows to aid them.

Silas Hayward, Viscount Winstead, and his friends make an unfortunate wager, one that Silas deeply regrets. If his family didn’t so desperately need the winnings, he would’ve found a way to bow out. Twelve balls and a dance with twelve different wallflowers. How hard could it be?

Prudence has no intention of allowing any of the rogues to win the ridiculous wager–not when she’s one of the twelve. While a steamy kiss with Silas has her reconsidering her opinion of rogues, she refuses to allow her friends to be hurt.
Silas is knocked sideways as he comes to know Prudence and doesn’t like the idea of using her to win. Suddenly there’s more at stake than the money, yet he can’t possibly choose her over helping his family.

Who will win the wallflower wager?

This is a standalone novella connected to the Revenge of the Wallflowers and The Mayfair Literary League series, which starts with A Matter of Convenience.

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More titles releasing in July

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Published on July 16, 2024 02:05

July 11, 2024

Molly by Shanna Hatfield with excerpt and giveaway



Molly
Shanna Hatfield
(Pendleton Promises, #2)
Publication date: June 11th 2024
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance


Inspired by the Hello Girls, America’s first women soldiers who helped win World War I.


She longs to make a difference.
He yearns to claim her heart.


After years of managing the Pendleton telephone office, Molly Thorsen answers the call for women to serve as telephone operators during World War I. Upon her arrival in France, she navigates the challenges of working near the front lines and battles the prejudices and skepticism of the men around her. Determined to prove her worth and skill, Molly faces adversity head-on while unexpectedly falling in love with a charming soldier.


Friday Fitzpatrick may not have been eager to engage in combat, but when he is drafted into the American Expeditionary Forces, he embraces the role of a soldier with unwavering determination. While fighting to survive the harrowing battlefield experiences, he clings to his sanity by dreaming about the captivating Hello Girl who has captured his heart. Though his opportunities to see her are limited, she serves as a beacon of hope in the midst of his darkest days.


Through their shared experiences and the trials they endure, Molly and Friday find comfort and encouragement in each other’s company, forging a connection that defies the chaos of a world in conflict. As the war draws to a close and they return home, will civilian life bring them together or pull them apart?


Find out in this sweet and wholesome historical romance filled with hope, faith, courage, and love.


Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

“Molly! What a surprise!” Harley John swung Molly off her feet into a wide circle, then kissed her cheek before he set her down.

Hoping none of her superiors had witnessed the display, Molly frowned at Harley John, but playfully swatted his shoulder before straightening her cap he’d knocked askew with his exuberant greeting. She gave him another hug, unable to keep from sharing her pleasure in seeing him. “Oh, Harley John! I’d hoped to see you, but had no idea where you’d be. Have you been here long?”

“No. We just arrived this morning. How long have you been here?” he asked.

“A few weeks. It’s so good to see you.” Molly gave him a studying glance, then grinned, concluding Harley John had changed since he’d been drafted. “You look wonderful. I take it being a soldier agrees with you.”

Harley John shrugged. “No more than anyone else here, but I get along well enough.”

“Bosh and nonsense. You look quite handsome and so grown up. If Sadie saw you, she’d likely swoon.”

He grinned at her and squeezed her hand. “I can tell you for a fact she nearly did when I saw her recently. She was taking a few days of rest at the home of a patient’s sister. Other than divine intervention, there is no way to understand how we happened upon one another. We’d both gone to pick some grapes and found each other in the vineyard. Can you believe it?”

Stunned by his story, Molly could only imagine what seeing Harley John had been like for Sadie. Her sister would have treasured every precious moment with him. “How is she? Is she well? Was she thrilled to see you? Tell me everything.”

“I will. Right after you meet my friend.” Harley John directed her over to where the good-looking soldier who’d elbowed him stood near the mess hall. “Molly, I’d like you to meet my good friend, Friday Fitzpatrick. Friday, this is Sadie’s sister Molly.”

Friday politely tipped his head to Molly and offered her a look she wasn’t certain how to interpret. It left her unsettled and anxious, but interested at the same time. She gave the man a half-smile before she pointed to a bench constructed by one of their engineers from a fallen tree. “Let’s sit there and visit, Harley John. I have a few minutes before I report for duty.”

Harley John guided Molly to the bench. Despite her intentions to ignore him, she twice glanced over her shoulder at Friday. The silly man remained exactly where they’d left him, as though his boots had been set in cement. The look on his face could only be described as dumbfounded.

She and Harley John sat and visited about family, France, and the war. She cast a glimpse over to where Friday continued to stand as stiff as a statue. “Tell me about your friend Friday.”

Harley John smirked at her, and she blushed.

“Normally he doesn’t look like such a dunce, but I think you left him awestruck,” Harley John said as he looked at his friend. “He’s from Oregon. His folks have a nut orchard south of Portland. He has four sisters, and he’s a fine fellow and a good friend. He intends to return to the orchard when the war ends, but you know it’s only a few hours by train between there and Pendleton.”

 


Author Bio:


USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.


Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”


When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.


To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield


Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Pinterest / Newsletter


 

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Published on July 11, 2024 02:09

July 9, 2024

A Wallflower Never Surrenders by Courtney McCaskill #steamyromance #revengeofthewallflowers

A Wallflower Never Surrenders
by Courtney McCaskill

They call them the Weatherby Wallflowers…

After her mother’s death, Eleanor Weatherby has had a hard enough time shepherding her three younger sisters through the world and running her father’s household on a shoestring budget. But now her father, an eccentric naturalist who has always shown more interest in birds and beetles than his own flesh and blood, has sold their home so he could afford passage on an exploratory voyage around the world! Suddenly the four sisters dubbed the Weatherby Wallflowers don’t even have a roof over their heads.

Their only chance…

Eleanor somehow manages to secure an invitation to the Countess of Milthorpe’s house party, which buys them two weeks of shelter. Eleanor is firmly on the shelf, but her youngest sister, Philippa, manages to catch the eye of Felix St. James, younger brother of the Duke of Norwood. If Pippa can bring Felix up to scratch, it will draw them back from the brink of destitution.

The man standing in their way…

There’s only one problem—Jasper St. James, the Duke of Norwood. He immediately marked Pippa as an upstart miss who was only after his brother’s fortune. Jasper vows that he won’t let Felix out of his sight. But at every turn he is foiled by Eleanor Weatherby, who seems as determined to promote the match as Jasper is to prevent it.

As Jasper and Eleanor match wits, he discovers that she is impertinent, imperious… and impossible to resist. It turns out that sparring with a headstrong wallflower is more to this stern duke’s taste than the milquetoast maidens he was considering for his bride at the start of the house party. Maybe one of the Weatherby Wallflowers will be marrying into the St. James family after all… if Jasper hasn’t already ruined everything.

A Wallflower Never Surrenders is a steamy, comedic Regency Romance. It is Book 19 in the multi-author series Revenge of the Wallflowers and also Book 1 in The Weatherby Wallflowers Quartet. Look for Clarissa Weatherby’s story, Snowbound with the Scoundrel, in November 2024!

Shop Now – https://books2read.com/u/m2EXP1

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More titles releasing in July

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Published on July 09, 2024 02:50

July 2, 2024

Rogue Wallflower: Lady Be Vengeful (Revenge of the Wallflowers Book 18) by Dawn Brower

Rogue Wallflower: Lady Be Vengeful (Revenge of the Wallflowers Book 18) Kindle Edition
by Dawn Brower

Lady Victoria Spencer has loved one man her entire life. Of course he never notices her. Why should he? She’s a wallflower and no one pays the unwanted ladies much mind. Had she been a bit plump? Yes. Now that she no longer is, she has a plan. She’s going to become a rogue wallflower, and only one man will do as her first lover.
David Brooks, Earl of Foxcroft had led a charmed life. Right up until his father died and he was forced to take responsibility for his family and the estate. His father had run the coffers nearly empty and it had been up to him to restore their fortune. He could have married an heiress, but felt that was a cowardly way out. Instead he focused on rebuilding his fortune. Now that he feels secure enough with his family’s status he has decided to take a wife. Only one woman will do, but now that he can claim her, she would rather take a lover, not a husband.
All Victoria needs is a gentleman well versed in everything roguish to give her those lessons. David seizes upon the opportunity. He is more than willing to use her curiosity to his advantage. As long as in the end, he’s the only rogue she wields her newfound skills on.

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More titles releasing in July

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Published on July 02, 2024 05:00

June 25, 2024

The Wallflower Trap by BW Haggart with Excerpt #ReleaseDay #RevengeoftheWallflowers

The Wallflower Trap by BW Haggart

Lady Mimolette Lindsey harbors a secret which leads her to refuse any requests for a dance. This isn’t because her late father, the Earl of Bathmorris, named all his children after cheeses. It isn’t because he spent his fortune on fake Aphrodite antiquities, threatening financial ruin. It isn’t that this brands the Lindseys as socially undesirable. Her secret simply makes it even more difficult to find husbands for her younger sisters, Treccia and Ovolina. Like the Lindsey sisters, any number of hopefuls attend the Season’s events. Any number are labeled wallflowers, rarely asked to dance, with little opportunity for romance.

Refusing to be crushed by the ton’s disdain, Mimolette devises a shrewd plan, organizing the christened wallflowers, crafting the needed conditions for them to garner dances, and perhaps find husbands. Revenge for the passing snubs of coxcombs and bucks also figures into her scheme. Her stratagems are working too, until an arrogant Major Tremaine decides, as a lark, to insert himself into their “game.” Or does he mean to spoil it altogether?

Nine years of bloody war are over, leaving Major Lord John Tremaine with nightmares and at loose ends. Entertainment and carousing prove the most convenient opportunities for forgetting the war. Crashing one of the first balls of the season, he notices a mysterious beauty in white sitting among a gaggle of nature’s unfortunates and asks for an introduction. His friends refuse, claiming Lady Lindsey is dangerous. Any introduction or even proximity invariably leads to dancing with one or more of the ‘plain janes’ gathered about the lady. The warnings only pique Tremaine’s curiosity, the most intriguing sport he’s come across since returning home. He fenagles an introduction, though he must bribe his best friend to approach the lady. He grins, anticipating the fun he will have uncovering this incognita’s machinations.

Shop Now –  Amazon – Release June 26

Available at other vendors June 25

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Shop the Series – https://books.bookfunnel.com/revenge_of_the_wallflowers/7x4ng9tv7t

The Wallflower Trap Excerpt
“Who is that captivating vision?”
Jack Tremaine studied the intriguing lady sitting on the far side of the massive ballroom. A shining light in pure white among the multi-colored crush of guests. The dark-haired exotic reposed among a gaggle of drab chits which made her gleam all the brighter. He stood admiring her straight, lithe form, while he leaned a hip against the refreshment table. The flocks of well-bred fashionables milling between them only awarded him brief glimpses of the lady.
He had been catching up with an old university chum, the Honorable Reggie Ramsbottom. They hadn’t seen each other since Jack had gone off to war. He was grateful for the unexpected reunion because he didn’t know anyone here and needed a primer on current affairs among the Ten Thousand. As at Oxford, Reggie proved a font of such intelligence.
“Eh, wot?” Reggie squinted, looking in the direction Jack discreetly indicated and jerked erect. “Her? Oh, no, no, no. You, sir, need to avoid that woman at all costs.
She’s dangerous.”
“Pardon?” Jack grinned, astonished by Reggie’s alarm, the man’s Adam’s apple bobbing animatedly. “Come now, in a ballroom? Is she harboring knives or possessing a wicked upper cut? She looks perfectly harmless. Who is she?”
“Harmless? Ha! She’s the devil’s snare, an absolute bonnet.” Reggie gulped down his rum punch and went about obtaining more. “That is Lady Mimolette Lindsey. Two of the nature’s unfortunates sitting with her are her sisters, Treccia and Ovolina.”
Jack frowned and cocked his head, not sure he’d heard aright. “Those are the names of French and Italian cheeses.” Reggie nodded. “In truth?”
“Their father, the Earl of Bathmorris was a mad eccentric. The man had an obsession for cheese and marbles of Aphrodite. Nearly paupered the family buying both in great quantities. Absurd, I know.”
Jack shook his head, intrigued. “The man must have been dighted.”
“Without a doubt an addled pate. The youngest of the four, his only son and heir, Edam, is off at Eton.
Jack eyed Lady Mimolette, her dark hair close about her head, her elfin features an enjoyable study. She seemed contemplative, letting other women talk. “So, Reggie, how can such a siren be hazardous?”
“How? She always turns down any invitation to dance, but somehow, constantly contrives to foist off one of the present gaggle of wallflowers on unsuspecting gentleman.”
“She doesn’t dance?”
“Refuses to. I’ve never seen her on a dance floor this fortnight.”
“Ah, sort of a bait and switch.”
“That’s not the half of it. I have ended my attempts to dance with any of the choice belles. By some dark sorcery, once introduced, I find myself dancing with one of those creatures surrounding the desired beauty. Just tonight, like a fool, I have suffered through three sets of country dances with these frumpish drabs while attempting to be introduced to some of this evening’s diamonds.”
Fascinated, Jack considered Reggie. At Oxford, he had been judged a complete Tony. A cawker always welcomed at evening card games. Perhaps he’d been snookered again. “Other gentlemen too?” With a nod. “You’re serious?”
“Damn twig I am.” Reggie poured another glass of punch, siphoning mostly rum.
“Once introduced to those, those wallflowers, no one can be rid of them.” He took a healthy swig from his glass. “I’ve been to several assemblies and celebrations in the two weeks past, and whenever that—,” he waved his punch glass in Lady Lindsey’s direction,
spilling some, “—person is in attendance, I end up dancing with nothing but Cheiranthus cheiri torments.”
Jack smiled. If there was one thing he cherished in this world, it remained a challenging intrigue, or was it an intriguing challenge? He chuckled to himself at his nonsense. She proved the first really stimulating curiosity to present itself in more than a month. Occupying Paris had quickly turned tedious . Returning to England and traveling to London without encountering the slightest opposition, no Frenchmen, no
highwaymen, no tavern bullies, or even naval officers, proved just as boring. This celebration threatened to be more of the usual dull conventions.
He acknowledged his sad, hurly-burly need for excitement and the novel. Provided by the bucketful on campaign in foreign lands, here entrenched in English Society, it remained considerably less so. Unfortunately, weaned on war and battle, exhilaration and challenge remained a drug he craved. He dreaded this peace so dearly won against Napoleon.
Studying Lady Lindsey, he made one of those quick, energetic decisions so valued among cavalry officers.
“Reggie, introduce me to the lady.”
Shivering, he declared, “Absolutely not. I am not approaching that witch again.”
Jack scrunched up his face in surprise, but seeing his companion so resolute, he glanced around for others he might know. Reggie cut in.
“Don’t bother, old boy. You won’t find any men willing to introduce you to that sorceress. Other females seem to be of two camps, unwilling or in league with Lady Lindsey, and deuce it, I can’t ferret out which is which beforehand. It’s a dem conspiracy, I tell you.”
Just then, a prime example of an incomparable beauty gracefully strode over to talk to Lady Lindsey as the music began for the next set. Lady Lindsey’s greeting smile enchanted him. A man would brave dragons to win that smile.
What proved to be the most amazing thing was the herd of coxcombs following after the beauty. They blew away like leaves in an Autumn breeze as she closed on Lady Lindsey and company. He grinned as the men played least in sight, hiding among the well-dressed multitudes while the women happily chatted. A magnificent cut circumbendius, dodging the horde without a word. She had used the Lady Lindsey to
shed unwanted suitors. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. This evidenced an unusually deep scheme. Blazes, Lady Lindsey seriously piqued his interest.

More titles coming this June

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Published on June 25, 2024 05:00

June 19, 2024

MY GANGSTER FATHER AND ME! by Marcia Rosen

MY GANGSTER FATHER AND ME!

Marcia Rosen

GENRE:  Memoir

BLURB:

Happy Fathers Day.
Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions and as writers impact our words and stories.  Mine most definitely has. My father was a gangster. Really!

This is my story about my relationship with my father and how his profession affected me and my life, “He called me Sugar Plum. Both a blessing and a burden, I learned interesting lessons from my father: about generosity and determination, taking risks, and certainly finding the willingness to live life as an adventure.”

E xcerpt

You can command respect by your actions and deeds. You most certainly can’t demand love. I’m pretty sure my father never really felt loved by his family or by my mother, except perhaps briefly when they were dating and first married.

My father showed me by example the importance of helping someone who is homeless and hungry. He often bought a meal for those in need. I watched him do those things. One time, I was walking with him on Main Street in downtown Buffalo, past the five and dime store. A man, who looked like he was around fifty, asked for money. My father said, “Let’s go inside and I’ll buy you something to eat.” I can still picture us going inside to buy him a meal.

I grew up learning to be tolerant, yet at times he was intolerant. He taught me to believe in the necessity of fairness and justice, yet he himself did not always demonstrate those traits. He taught me to respect others, yet from my point of view he showed a lack of respect for some people. I believe he was a racist and told him so. His own history figured largely in his feelings and way of thinking.

My father’s attitude towards Black people had its source when he was in his early twenties. He and my grandfather had a small, thriving business providing farm-grown produce to some of the larger grocery chains in the city. Several times a week, leaving well before dawn, they would drive outside of the city to buy fruits and vegetables, often returning after dark.

Tired and in need of some rest, a young Black man who worked for them took over the driving. He too must have been tired and fell asleep at the wheel. There was a serious accident killing my grandfather and sending my father to the hospital for several months. He was lucky to have survived, as was the driver. My dad was not told about his father until the doctors were sure about his recovery. He spent the rest of his life taking a small white pill each day to stop him from shaking; he had nerve damage from the accident. He rarely spoke about it. Yet it affected his entire life.

We strongly disagreed about his being a racist. He would always say, “I’m not racist.” I think he was. When I became very friendly with the daughter of a Black family who moved in next door to us, we moved. As a teenager, when my African American boss drove me home from work one day, my father had a fit. “What if someone sees you? What will they think?” It was the 1950s and people thought all sorts of illogical and irrational things.

There was more of this type of attitude and comments from both my father and mother. I was not at all happy with them, and they were not too pleased with me. This was a frequent topic of controversy between us.

For me, like many others in this country, I cried tears of hope on November 4, 2008, when it was announced an African American was elected President of the United States of America. Tears were on my cheeks, as they were on thousands of others: leaders and everyday Americans, white and Black. We voted and sent an important message. Not everyone heard it, but on that day reasonable voices prevailed.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Marcia Rosen is an award-winning author of twelve books including nine mysteries, the most recent is An Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock, and Me Mystery: Murder at the Zoo. She is also the author of The Senior Sleuths, the Dying to Be Beautiful Mystery Series, and The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus (Menus by her son Jory Rosen). She wrote The Woman’s Business Therapist and My Memoir Workbook and has given Memoir Writing presentations and classes for close to twenty years. Her Memoir Blog can be found on her website. For twenty-five years she was owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency.

Marcia has frequently been a featured speaker at organization meetings, bookstores, libraries, and Zoom Programs presenting talks on Encouraging the Writer Within You, Marketing for Authors, Writing Mysteries…Not A Mystery and A Memoir Detective…Writing Your Life Story. She has also helped numerous writers develop and market their books.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Southwest Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Public Safety Writer’s Association, International Memoir Writer’s Association, Women’s National book Association and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors—for which she is also a board member.

www.MarciaRosen.com

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Published on June 19, 2024 00:00