FALLING From THE NEST by Bobbie Candas with giveaway

FALLING FROM THE NEST

Bobbie Candas

GENRE:  Historical Fiction

BLURB:

Spring 1946–Following four years of war on the heels of the decade-long Great Depression, Americans are finally feeling a sense of hope that begins sweeping the nation…

Jo-Jo Anderson feels that optimism too. Slipping the reins of her Iowa farming town, Jo leaves to make her mark on the entertainment scene in Manhattan. Audiences are clamoring for new musicals on Broadway, nightclubs are flourishing, and NYC is the beating heart of the radio networks. After arriving, Jo-Jo quickly realizes that thousands of would-be stars are following her same ambitions, making opportunities scarce, but her luck begins to turn when she hears about Talent Jackpot.

Her twin, Sarah, finds success with her studies as a scholarship student at the University of Iowa. But Sarah is adrift socially, finding it difficult to forge friendships. Her perfectly planned life is upended when her hometown boyfriend announces he’s suddenly joined the navy. Sarah’s top grades draw the attention of a crusty biology professor and after accepting his offer of a lab position, her rigid lifestyle gets a lot more complicated.

This novel tells a story of unexpected change. The twins make their way through multiple challenges with humor, ambition, and heartbreak but remain tied together by the bonds of sisterhood, winding their way through the seedier backdoors of the entertainment business, and into college dorm life and love nest apartments.

With the historical backdrop of the post WW2 era, Falling From The Nest, reads as a stand-alone story but also serves as a sequel to author Bobbie Candas’ previous novel, The Lost and Found of Green Tree.

Excerpt:

While staring through raindrops racing down the smudged windows of the Stage Deli, I was startled by impatient, snapping fingers begging for my attention. I’d been looking at the long line of well-dressed patrons curling around the block of Carnegie Hall. They were patiently waiting, with umbrellas open, to buy tickets to some amazing performance I’d never see.

”Hey you…doll-face.” I looked over in Snappy Finger’s direction. “Two grilled sky-highs on rye and two black coffees. We’re in a hurry.”

Ok, you grumpy, fat bastards. I pulled out a pad and pencil from my apron pocket and looked down at two burly men wearing pinstriped, double breasted suits with tacky wide ties. I flashed a smile, held back my real thoughts, and asked, “Mustard, mayonnaise, or both?” And added sweetly, “And how about a dill pickle on the side?”

“Yeah, all the above, doll. Just get it ordered, quick. Oh, and bring us a couple black-n-whites too.”

“You got it handsome.”

I turned, walking quickly down the tight row of wooden tables at the busy deli and called out my order to the cook behind the grill. “Hey, Chuckles! Two sky-highs, m-and- m, with a dill…and no rush, take your time with those.”

The short-order cook, a balding, older man with a low tolerance for fools and a sucker for a friendly smile, called out, “No problem, Jo-Jo.”

I poured the two cups of coffee and slid two large round cookies with chocolate and vanilla icing onto small plates. Six months ago, I would have been intimidated by those two men and their fancy suits. But now I knew they were only low-level number runners who wore the same cheap suit everyday, except maybe on Sunday when, hopefully, they got them cleaned. I’d seen and learned a lot in the last six months.

Back at Snappy Finger’s table, I purposely leaned over, balancing my tray. “Gentlemen, your coffee and black-n-whites.” I set their cups and cookies down and said,  “I told the cook to put a rush on those sandwiches. Seems to be a little backed up at the grill though.” I then turned around and bussed the table beside them, stretching over to wipe it down, giving them a full view of my back side. I lived off tips. I’d learned what I had to do.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I’m a Texas girl: grew up in San Antonio, went to school at UT in Austin where I earned my degree in journalism, and settled in Dallas where I raised a husband, two kids and a few cats. My husband, Mehmet, and the cats will probably disagree on who raised who, but I’m a sucker for a robust discussion.

For years I was involved in retail management, but in 2014 I refocused on my writing, taking deep dives into the lives of my characters. When you can pry my fingers off the keyboard, I enjoy entertaining, sharing food and drink with friends and family. I enjoy shopping, usually on the hunt for apparel, with a special weakness for shoes, and will frequently jump at the opportunity of an unexpected trip to a far-away place.

And I always make time for reading. I keep a stack of novels ready and waiting on my night stand, with a few tapping their toe in my Kindle. I bounce around genres, and I’m always ready for a good recommendation.

Facebook: Author Bobbie Candas: https://www.facebook.com/bobbiecandasauthor

Good Reads author link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8292457.Bobbie.Candas

Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bobbie-Candas/author/B00MNS6KV0

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbiecandas

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