FALLING FROM THE NEST
Bobbie Candas
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Historical Fiction
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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.
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EXCERPT
The last of the audition line moved forward and I was suddenly thrust up on the stage of the Imperial Theater. There were three lines of ten on stage, filled with nervous male and female hopefuls auditioning for chorus line spots for a new Irving Berlin musical, Annie Get Your Gun. I could smell my fear as it branched out within me in tingling connections from my frozen face down to my feet. Feet that now felt like dead weights attached to heeled dance shoes whose soles were glued to the floor. I’d arrived late and was in the last group of an open-call audition and purposely nudged myself into the center of the middle line, hoping for a hiding spot. But hiding is hard when you’re a leggy, five-foot-nine, pale blonde female in a string of short, muscular dancers. Kinda like a spotted giraffe among the lions.
After lining up, our executioner and choreographer took about sixty seconds to show us a dozen linking steps to an opening dance sequence. His arrogant face, slim body, and searching eyes leaned back appraising the lines. “OK, boys and girls, this one’s simple. Think you got it?” Everyone around me anxiously nodded yes.
No, I wanted to shout. Repeat please!
The orchestra in the pit began cranking out a tune, as the choreographer yelled out…”And a one, and a two--knee up, kick left, circle back, hop, hop, knee up, kick right…” Then he motioned for the music to stop.
An exasperated expression covered his face. “Ladies and gentlemen, these are the basics, the easy connections. Let’s start again on three. And a one, and a two--knee up, kick left, circle back, hop, hop…” He stuck his arm out, motioning again for the music to stop.
“Alright, first cuts.” His long arm and dismissive finger pointed to the guilty dancers. “Tall blonde, center middle row, thank you. You…guy on the end, first row, that will be all. Back row, green sweater, left side, you may leave.”
He sighed deeply, clapped his hands, and said. “Let’s go again, cue music…repeat.”
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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
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbiecandas
Website: http://www.bobbiecandas@gmail.com
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GIVEAWAY
The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
Thank you so much for featuring FALLING FROM THE NEST today.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you featuring my latest historical fiction novel, Falling From The Nest, on your terrific blog. I'll check back later in the day to answer any questions or comments
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a fantastic read. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Michael! I appreciate your encouraging comment. Hope you enjoy it.
DeleteI would enjoy reading this one. Sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.
ReplyDelete