Razzle Dazzle
Razzle Dazzle is part two of the Gin & Jazz series which is set in Hollywood during the1920’s. Razzle Dazzle is when the glitz and glamour takes hold and Jack finds all his movie star dreams coming true. The first four books of the series follows the innocent nineteen year-old Jack as he journeys from orphan to film star to finding his true love. Along the way there are gin joints, jazz babies and loads of heartbreak.
This is book two in the Gin and Jazz series so what can you tell us about the first?
In Hollywood Bound, we first meet Jack and his best-friend, Nick. The street-wise Nick has looked out for Jack ever since he arrived in New York when he was only sixteen years-old. He’d been tossed out of the orphanage he grew up in because he was caught with one of the boys there. Now that he’s older, he’s fallen in love with Nick – but Nick is engaged to a gal back in Philly. Oh, the angst. Tired of building sets at the run-down Vaudeville theatre they work at, they decide to head west to make their fortune. Things take a serious turn for the worse after that – and poor Jack’s heart is on the line.
The books are set in 1920s so tell us about your research process into this time.
Oh my goodness. The first couple of books were so all-encompassing in making sure that every single detail was correct. I don’t know if I got everything right, but the feedback so far has been positive in that regards. Speech patterns, expressions, cost of items, locations, food, drink, clothing, transportation – I felt I had to stop every other sentence to verify a fact. And that was despite all of the pre-research I did before I ever even wrote the first word! Finally, I became so engrossed in the era, I was able to keep the writing flowing and only verify now and then.
Why did you decide on this era for your book?
I absolutely love it. I’m a huge art deco fan, love The Great Gatsby, silent films and film stars. I’m also originally from Los Angeles and love the history of the area.
What can you tell us about the character of Jack?
He is such a sweetie. So open hearted and loving. But incredibly naïve. He has some spunk to him though that keeps him from becoming too cute. He has been everyone’s favourite character by far.
What is next for you?
More Gin & Jazz, including the individual stories of side characters from Jack’s story. At a certain point, I felt bad that I was leaving them without their own HEA and some readers had asked if these men would find love too. I couldn’t leave my boys all alone. The first pairing will be in Studio Orders, which is a BDSM story. I don’t want to give the pair away, since it is a potential spoiler. *wink* Then there will be some more Uniform Encounters. Guarded Desires, Uniform Encounters 4 will be out on 7th March through Totally Bound. That installment features a teddy bear of a DEA agent, and a young National Guardsman.
You can purchase Razzle Dazzle from Totally Bound Publishing.