by Ferris H. Craig &
Charlene Keel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Romantic Comedy
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BLURB:
Grinders Corner explores the world of taxi dance halls in the
1960s in all its raw hilarity. Saucy, sassy and sexy, but not the least
bit erotic, it follows the adventures of three young women trying to survive in
the glitter palaces of Los Angeles.
Like lambs led to the slaughter, Uptown, a newly divorced English major with panic anxiety disorder and no job skills, Voluptua, an out of work actress, and Mouse, a former child star trying to make a comeback all struggle to make enough tickets to pay the bills. Things get complicated when Uptown falls in love with a customer who happens to be a priest.
In Grinders Corner it was a simpler time, long before gentlemen’s clubs and pole dancers, and it happened in a place where shy, lonely men could talk to women, even dance with them, with no fear of rejection—for about fifteen cents a minute.
Like lambs led to the slaughter, Uptown, a newly divorced English major with panic anxiety disorder and no job skills, Voluptua, an out of work actress, and Mouse, a former child star trying to make a comeback all struggle to make enough tickets to pay the bills. Things get complicated when Uptown falls in love with a customer who happens to be a priest.
In Grinders Corner it was a simpler time, long before gentlemen’s clubs and pole dancers, and it happened in a place where shy, lonely men could talk to women, even dance with them, with no fear of rejection—for about fifteen cents a minute.
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Excerpt:
Downtown
Los Angeles
Romanceland,
1969
“Hey,
baby, you wanna make a quick twentyfive bucks?
Let’s go to a motel.”
Oh
God, I thought, as I looked at the clock.
One more hour to go. I’m going to
have to put up with this clown for sixty more minutes unless he runs out of
money. Maybe I can get him to sit down
and have a Coke. Then I won’t have to
endure this tortuous ritual known as dancing.
If we get a Coke, I’ll have to make conversation with him and that might
be worse than dancing.
The
only good thing about dancing is that I don’t have to talk to him. I only have to hear about the motel.
He
was staring at me as if waiting for a reply, so I asked, “What did you say?”
Okay,
that isn’t particularly original but it used up a couple of seconds. Then he had to repeat it all. That took a few more minutes.
I
started to think maybe I could make it to the two o’clock finishing line, but I
was wrong. He wasn’t slobbering on my
ear anymore. Now it was my bare
shoulder.
“Hey,
I’m kind of thirsty,” I said. “Why don’t
we sit down and have a Coke?”
“Baby,
I don’t want a Coke.”
“Oh,
hell,” I said as I deftly stepped out of his reach. “Let’s go to the desk so you can check out.”
He
retorted with, “How about fifty bucks?
I’ll buy you a steak besides.”
I
smiled, thinking how delicious that can of beans at home was going to
taste. “I’m sorry. I’m not in that line of business.”
“Whaddya
wanna do—get married?” he yelled.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Charlene Keel has written over a dozen novels and how-to books. Shadow Train, the final
Keel has also worked as
editor for international magazines, including Playgirl, For the Brideand
Black Elegance. She says the most
fun she’s had as an editor (so far) was at Spice, a fanzine featuring
rap, R&B, soul and gospel music. During her time there, she enjoyed going
to parties for such notables as Puff Daddy, having lunch with Gloria Gaynor and
attending a pasta dinner where Mariah Carey did the cooking.
Keel’s editorial
assignments include The Health of Nations, a book on political
philosophy, and That Nation Might Live, a moving tribute to Sarah Bush
Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s stepmother. Her TV credits include Fantasy Island
and Days of Our Lives, and her book, Rituals, was the basis for
the first made-for-syndication soap opera. She also produced (for Romantic
Times) the first annual Mr. Romance Cover Model Pageant.
Buy link:
https://www.amazon.com/Grinders-Corner-Saucy-Occasionally-Romantic-ebook/dp/B0725ZQ243/https://www.amazon.com/Grinders-Corner-Saucy-Occasionally-Romantic-ebook/dp/B0725ZQ243
The book is on sale for
only $0.99.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:
Ferris H. Craig & Charlene Keel will be awarding two winners, a free copy of Grinders Corner (print or ebook). (U.S. only for print, International for ebook) to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.a Rafflecopter giveaway
REVIEW:
I have to say, I loved this book! The blurb says it all - three young women, Uptown, Voluptua, and Mouse, are working in a dance hall to pay their bills. Each woman has a story to tell in a unique, captivating voice. The story is told mainly from the point of view of Uptown; however, it is based on the life of author Ferris Craig (Mouse!). That added a lot of depth to the already incredible story.
Most of the tale revolves around the men that come to the dance hall. Some of the men are just lonely for conversation, others are looking for love. Still others are only interested in a quickie with no strings attached - but that's not what's supposed to happen. The dances are timed, and the man pays per minute (15 cents!). I never knew this sort of thing existed, so it was a real eye-opener. In a time where women were not expected to work and were often under-educated and ill-prepared for life - what could they do to earn a living? It's hard to set a time period on the book - it's supposed to be the late sixties, but it feels both older and more modern. And the title of the book, "Grinder's Corner"? Well - the men were supposed to just dance and act like gentlemen, but some of them had other things in mind. The far, out-of-sight corner in the dance hall was nicknamed "Grinder's Corner" and you can imagine why! Saucy and sexy, Grinder's Corner is a fun, interesting read!
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting us, and for the marvelous review. We're so glad you enjoyed the book and had a few laughs. We're also giving away a free gift bag from Karma, a new company with cruelty-free (no animal testing) skin care products. See them at https://mykarmagifts.com/signature. Then come back here for a chance to win!
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