Today I have the fabulous author Téa Cooper on the blog taking us through the inspiration for her latest book Jazz Baby which releases 22nd October. She's given us a lovely excerpt to tempt us with too. Take it away Téa...
Inspiration comes from the strangest places. I work in the local museum and more often than not it is some snippet or artifact that sends my muse into overload. JAZZ BABY was different. She was born in a tiny wine bar in Sydney one wet and rainy evening. Love Tilly Devine nestles a tiny back alley where Tilly once ruled the underbelly of Sydney.
Tilly Devine, known as the Queen of Woolloomooloo (that truly is the name of a Sydney suburb!) ran a series of brothels. She and another madam, named Kate Leigh fought for supremacy of the illegal grog and prostitution trade. Their battles became known as the Razor Gang Wars.
I couldn’t resist the setting and wondered if there were ever any happy ever after endings …
I couldn’t resist the setting and wondered if there were ever any happy ever after endings …
Blurb: In the gritty underbelly of 1920s Sydney, a fresh-faced country girl is about to arrive in the big, dark city – and risk everything in the pursuit of her dreams.
Sydney is no place for the fainthearted—five shillings for a twist of snow, a woman for not much more, and a bullet if you look sideways at the wrong person.
Dolly Bowman is ready and willing to take on all the brash, bustling city has to offer. After all it is the 1920s, a time for a girl to become a woman and fulfil her dreams. Turning her back on her childhood, she takes up a position working as a housemaid while she searches for her future.
World War I flying ace Jack Dalton knows he’s luckier than most. He’s survived the war with barely a scratch, a couple of astute business decisions have paid off, and he’s set for the high life. But a glimpse of a girl that he had forgotten, from a place he’s tried to escape suddenly sets all his plans awry. Try as he might he can’t shake the past, and money isn’t enough to pay the debts he’s incurred.
ISBN: 9780857991928
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2014
Sydney is no place for the fainthearted—five shillings for a twist of snow, a woman for not much more, and a bullet if you look sideways at the wrong person.
Dolly Bowman is ready and willing to take on all the brash, bustling city has to offer. After all it is the 1920s, a time for a girl to become a woman and fulfil her dreams. Turning her back on her childhood, she takes up a position working as a housemaid while she searches for her future.
World War I flying ace Jack Dalton knows he’s luckier than most. He’s survived the war with barely a scratch, a couple of astute business decisions have paid off, and he’s set for the high life. But a glimpse of a girl that he had forgotten, from a place he’s tried to escape suddenly sets all his plans awry. Try as he might he can’t shake the past, and money isn’t enough to pay the debts he’s incurred.
ISBN: 9780857991928
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2014
Buy Links:
Harlequin Escape http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/author/téa-cooper
Amazon.com: http://ow.ly/B4ybQ
iTunes: http://ow.ly/B4ym3
Amazon.Aus: http://ow.ly/B4ytq
Kobo: http://ow.ly/B6SJM
For reviewers: NetGalley https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/show/id/52901
Harlequin Escape http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/author/téa-cooper
Amazon.com: http://ow.ly/B4ybQ
iTunes: http://ow.ly/B4ym3
Amazon.Aus: http://ow.ly/B4ytq
Kobo: http://ow.ly/B6SJM
For reviewers: NetGalley https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/show/id/52901
Excerpt:
Heeled shoes tip-tapped on the black and white floor tiles and she gaped at the vision framed in the narrow hallway. A shiny black, beaded dress, fringed and tasseled, stopped almost at the woman’s knees and her long slim legs, encased in the sheerest silk stockings, led to the most elegant ankle strapped shoes ever seen. Smoothing her hands down her brown worsted coat, Dolly blinked and peered at the woman. Her bobbed hair lay like a waved helmet on her head and the ribbon holding it all in place looked like a fine bandage.
The woman stopped halfway down the hall and gave a little shimmy. “Well hello! What have we here?”
“I’m here to see Mrs Mack, about the job.” Dolly screwed up her face cringing at the squeaky sound of her voice.
“Oh! A new girl. How exciting!” Lifting her hand to her mouth the woman dragged on a cigarette in an ivory holder, then exhaled a cloud of perfect smoke rings making Dolly’s eyes water.
“Darling!” The woman called down the hallway, “Come and meet the new girl.”
Heeled shoes tip-tapped on the black and white floor tiles and she gaped at the vision framed in the narrow hallway. A shiny black, beaded dress, fringed and tasseled, stopped almost at the woman’s knees and her long slim legs, encased in the sheerest silk stockings, led to the most elegant ankle strapped shoes ever seen. Smoothing her hands down her brown worsted coat, Dolly blinked and peered at the woman. Her bobbed hair lay like a waved helmet on her head and the ribbon holding it all in place looked like a fine bandage.
The woman stopped halfway down the hall and gave a little shimmy. “Well hello! What have we here?”
“I’m here to see Mrs Mack, about the job.” Dolly screwed up her face cringing at the squeaky sound of her voice.
“Oh! A new girl. How exciting!” Lifting her hand to her mouth the woman dragged on a cigarette in an ivory holder, then exhaled a cloud of perfect smoke rings making Dolly’s eyes water.
“Darling!” The woman called down the hallway, “Come and meet the new girl.”
Biography:
Téa Cooper divides her time between Sydney and the nineteenth century village of Wollombi, in the Hunter Valley of NSW Australia. When she isn't writing, Téa can be found haunting museums or chatting to the locals, who offer a never-ending source of inspiration. Her first two rural historical romances, Lily’s Leap and Matilda’s Freedom are set in and around Wollombi and Jazz Baby involves both Sydney and Wollombi.
In February 2015 Forgotten Fragrance the first book in a family saga entitled From the Ocean to the Outback, is due for release and there is a sequel to Jazz Baby entitled The Wages of Sin in the pipeline. At the moment Téa is working on a parallel time-line series entitled The Adventures of Miss Abigail Wynter and an Australian Regency – The Great Platypus Hoax. She has also written three contemporary romances.
Find out more about her here:
Website: www.teacooperauthor.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeaCooper
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeaCooper1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/teacooperauthor
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/teacooperauthor/
Téa Cooper divides her time between Sydney and the nineteenth century village of Wollombi, in the Hunter Valley of NSW Australia. When she isn't writing, Téa can be found haunting museums or chatting to the locals, who offer a never-ending source of inspiration. Her first two rural historical romances, Lily’s Leap and Matilda’s Freedom are set in and around Wollombi and Jazz Baby involves both Sydney and Wollombi.
In February 2015 Forgotten Fragrance the first book in a family saga entitled From the Ocean to the Outback, is due for release and there is a sequel to Jazz Baby entitled The Wages of Sin in the pipeline. At the moment Téa is working on a parallel time-line series entitled The Adventures of Miss Abigail Wynter and an Australian Regency – The Great Platypus Hoax. She has also written three contemporary romances.
Find out more about her here:
Website: www.teacooperauthor.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeaCooper
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeaCooper1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/teacooperauthor
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/teacooperauthor/
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