'To feed and dance, always to be moving, that is the thing.
We daren’t risk more than an hour or two in sleep, in case something happens
while we aren’t there.’ ~ Author Unknown
The Twenties were considered the decade of social discovery,
a time when women fought for and won their independence and their right to do
and say far more than any previous time in history.
Hemlines rose and, even more of a shock, dresses became
backless, blatantly risqué. The standard long, coiffed hair of the Victorian
era gave way to short bob haircuts. Women who previously touted their
voluptuousness now bound their breasts for a waifish look.
‘We were like nuns who had never seen over the convent wall
until now. Everything was unexpected, fascinating, thrilling, unusual.’ ~
Romance novelist Barbara Cartland
Women found a new freedom of sexual expression. Young girls
no longer felt the constraints of a chaperone; married women freely took part
in extra-marital affairs. As the decade progressed, so did the outlandish
behavior. Even the somberness of the 1st World War couldn’t dampen the effects
of too much, too quickly.
In my award-winning novella, The Mysterious Mrs. Pennybaker, I wrote an extremely independent heroine, a
composite of all that was happening during the Roaring Twenties.
About the Book
In the Roaring Twenties…
A former Hello Girl during WWI, widowed Ariel Pennybaker
served her country proudly. She now carries on her late husband’s legacy…a home
for the many returning, injured soldiers.
With her year of mourning nearly at an end, she’s had enough
of her self-imposed celibacy. It’s time to get back in the game.
A chance meeting with a handsome WWI aviator has her
imagining thoroughly naughty thoughts. When a second man walks into her life,
her naughty thoughts turn downright decadent. What better way to fulfil her
fantasies than by sharing both men’s beds.
As tempting as the idea is, Ariel has a huge secret, one she
must protect at all costs. And, it’s possible one or both of her lovers is not
what he seems.
A Sneak Peek
“Retired or not, I see you still possess that infamous
flyboy charm.”
He shrugged, the lift of his shoulders drawing her attention
to their width and the way he held himself.
“Charming beautiful women was part of basic training,” he
quipped. “Right up there with learning how to fly an airplane.”
His cheeky answer set her senses on alert. “I would think
the flight instruction to be far more important than lessons on charm and
seduction.”
“When you get right down to it, they’re very similar. It
takes finesse to handle the throttle of a plane. You have to know exactly how
much pressure to put on the stick, how to maneuver the knobs, and when to let
the plane go on its own.”
The smooth tenor of his voice ratcheted her heart rate up
yet another notch. “Really?” she said, her breath catching in her throat.
“There’s that one moment…when the plane is hanging there in
the sky. You’ve given her all the encouragement she can take, urged her as far
as she can go without breaking. Then, at just the right moment, she bursts
forth with a second wind, lurches forward, and bounds unfettered across the
bright blue sky.”
The sudden urge to fan herself had her clenching her hands
into fists and pressing them to her sides. “It must be exciting…the flying, I
mean.”
“As I said, not that different from seducing a woman. Both
take a light touch at first—a gentle stroke until they’re primed. Followed by a
more commanding hold, just before they reach the pinnacle of their endurance.”
A low groan escaped her throat, drawing his outright laugh.
“You make flying sound a lot like copulation, Major. Surely,
when you were up in the air defeating our enemies, your attention was on
something other than carnal activities.”
He leaned forward until his mouth hovered scant millimeters
from her ear. His warm breath fanned over her cheek. “It’s all about a
successful ending, Mrs. Pennybaker. Nothing prepares you for the climax of a
good dogfight or the climax of a purely sexual encounter. They should both take
your breath away.”
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Listen to an Audio clip
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Until next month, stay healthy, happy, and well read!
Nancy
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