Good Morning!
Lot's of stuff going on this week. On Saturday I have an author event out of town then next Wednesday, I'm headed to Bandera for a few days! So without much further ado, please welcome Penelope Marcez back to talk about her new book, Angel of the L Train.
I grew up in a house across the bay
from New York City. I now live a bit farther inland, but not by much. Many
people in the area commute to New York City every day to go to work. I’ve enjoyed
going to the museums in New York, seeing the Empire State Building, the Statue
of Liberty (multiple times), the Coney Island Aquarium, and the World Trade
Center many years ago. However, I never knew much about taking the subways
until one of our daughters moved to Brooklyn. Then I learned about the G train,
the E train, and the L train—among others.
On the subway trains, I was
entertained by a wide variety of subway musicians, a few rats, a poetry writer,
and the guy who beats plastic buckets. I learned it is far, far better to ride
the trains at off-peak hours if you want to get a seat. The subways are usually
extremely efficient at getting you where you want to go most of the time—except
when they’re not. New York City is a very busy place.
I realized if I included this country’s largest city as a setting in a book, I needed to include the New York City subway. Angel of the L Train is a story about a young woman who grew up in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey but gets a job at a tabloid in Manhattan. But working for a media company that deals in gossip is a huge mistake for a young woman with a big secret.
Thea Ahern desperately needs a job, so when she
lands a job at LetSlip, a New York City gossip magazine, she takes it even
though it will mean hiding her heritage. When she helps a man who is attacked
on the subway, she's hailed as the Angel of the L Train, and people notice her
striking resemblance to a once famous actress. This sparks a renewed interest
in Paris Hulette and her whereabouts. What happened to the award-winning actress
after her husband shot her? And is Thea Ahern really the actress's daughter?
Thea's coworker, John, understands what it means
to hide from your past, and so he shields Thea from the ensuing media frenzy.
She falls for him, and he falls for her, but LetSlip's CEO orders John to
investigate Thea. Now he has to choose between protecting Thea or losing his
job.
When LetSlip's CEO is murdered while John is in
the building, John is thrust into the public spotlight along with Thea, and his
past is revealed. Can Thea ever trust him again? And can he ever be forgiven
for what he's done?
Interested? Here’s an excerpt from the beginning of the book.
Thea
Ahern twisted her hands in her lap as she sat in front of the huge polished
desk of LetSlip’s CEO. The receptionist in the notorious gossip magazine’s
human resources office took one look at Thea and sent her directly to this
office, which seemed odd. Still, this interview was the first one she’d managed
to get, and while LetSlip’s reputation might be unsavory, it was a job—and she
needed money.
As
the petite CEO studied Thea’s portfolio, Thea glanced at the huge, abstract
painting covering the wall on her left. She clamped her jaw together in an
effort to prevent displaying any trace of emotion. Her mother created that work
of art ten years ago or so. Sorrow pierced Thea as she remembered her mother’s
joy in splashing the canvas with the vivid colors. It spanned the entire wall,
brightening up the otherwise drab office.
“I’m
impressed with your work.” The woman stated from across the other side of the
massive desk.
“Thank
you, Ms. Capello.” Thea gave a tentative smile as a sense of relief flowed through
her.
“Please,
call me Salbatora. We use first names only at LetSlip. We’re all family here.”
The woman shoved aside Thea’s portfolio. “You haven’t lived in Brooklyn for
long. I can tell by your accent. Where did you grow up?”
“In
south Jersey,” Thea answered.
“Down
the shore?” The woman tapped her well- manicured fingers on the shiny desk.
“Sort
of, actually in the Pine Barrens.”
“I’ve
never been there.” The woman turned her head to stare at the painting on the
wall.
A
strange chill slid up Thea’s spine.
Penelope Marzec grew up along the Jersey shore. She started reading romances at a young age and fell hopelessly in love with happy endings. Two of her inspirational romances won EPIC’s eBook Award and another was a finalist in that contest. Her paranormal, Irons in the Fire, was a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award. Her Christian historical, Patriot’s Courage, placed First in the Inspirational category of the 2021 National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest.
Visit her website at penelopemarzec.com for more information.
Angel of the L Train will be released on August 12, 2022. It is now available for pre-order at: Amazon.
Pelican Book Group Apple Nook Kobo
Check out Penelope's previous visit to our blog HERE.
7 comments:
Thanks for sharing. This sounds like an interesting book, and I enjoyed the excerpt.
Penny, This sounds like such an intriguing story. I can't wait to read it!
What a great premise for a contemporary romance! Congratulations on the book!
Sounds wonderful! Very cool!
I can't wait to read this one. Congrats on the new book.
This draws me in, can't wait to read it.
Thanks to Pamela for posting this. Thanks also to all who stopped by. I can’t wait for Angel of the L Train to be released.
Penelope
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