WHERE THE NIGHT NEVER ENDS & Giveaway

WHERE THE NIGHT NEVER ENDS

by Annette Oppenlander

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Genre: Historical Fiction

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BLURB:

A chance encounter between a penniless young woman in search of her missing brother and a hobo burdened with a big secret takes both on a journey to Chicago's glamorous yet crime-ridden 1920s, where prostitution, bootlegging, and corruption rule. Separated by fate and reunited by chance, WHERE THE NIGHT NEVER ENDS is an unforgettable tale of courage and perseverance, a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds.

When feisty and headstrong Samantha Bruno loses her mother in a freak accident, she decides to search for her brother, Angelo, who didn't return from a business trip to Chicago seven months earlier. It is the year 1924, the height of prohibition, and the city of Cincinnati is in the midst of a deep recession. Narrowly escaping a band of thugs, Sam meets Paul, a mysterious hobo with a big secret. Together they embark on a harrowing journey to Chicago, where Al Capone is building an empire.

Just when it seems their friendship is blossoming into something more, a raid tears Sam and Paul apart. Sam is sold into a brothel while Paul is arrested. Trapped without money and desperate to escape her new profession, Sam realizes she is on her own. Not only to free herself and search for her brother among Chicago's three million residents, but also to do the impossible--find Paul.

During his hearing, Paul learns that his father, a wealthy Chicago inventor, is on his deathbed. The judge, an old family friend, gives Paul an ultimatum. See your father or go to jail. Reluctantly, Paul returns home, where he finds that his decision to run away seven years earlier was based on a terrible mistake.

Narrated in alternating chapters by Sam and Paul, with rich historical detail, complex characters, and stunning prose, award-winning author Annette Oppenlander once again delivers a touching novel that lets us imagine what it was like to live and love during the roaring 1920s.

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Excerpt

Paul

“You sure you want to go through with that?”            I asked as we made our way toward downtown.

“I’m here now, so you can leave.”

“No chance.”

Sam stopped abruptly and faced me. The way she straightened her shoulders made me smile. “Why?” she said before I could answer. “All you did is blame me for losing your reputation as a hobo. You did your job. You got me to Chicago. Now go back and live your life. Maybe you can explain you fell for the lies of a woman.” Without waiting for an answer she charged ahead, getting honked at by a passing automobile.

“You can’t even cross the street without putting yourself in danger.” I was back by her side. The girl was nothing but a nuisance, but I couldn’t just let her loose in Chicago on her own. Just another day and I’d go away. But this is your home, the voice in my head murmured. So what, I wanted to say. So what if I’d lived here until seven years ago? When things had fallen apart and the life I’d known had evaporated.

Sam shot me a look. “Gosh, thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“All right. Tell me what you plan to do.”

“I’m going to see Mr. Capone.”

I stopped abruptly. “What? You’re nuts. He’s a mob boss who kills people. He and Torrio run brothels, gambling parlors and saloons. He’s a bootlegger. For all I know, he runs Chicago.”

Sam pushed out her lower lip. “All I want to do is ask him about Angelo.”

I was tempted to touch Sam’s mouth and tell her how silly she looked when she was pouting. I could tell she was not nearly as certain as when we’d started in Cincinnati. She’d likely expected things would fall into place once she reached Chicago.

Like me.

It was obvious, that now that she was here, the town scared her.

Unlike me.

Cincinnati wasn’t tiny, but Chicago was enormous. Skyscrapers towered above streets buzzing with automobiles and trams. Men in fedoras and suits ran this way and that. Women dressed in elegant coats with fur-trimmed collars and matching hats stalked on high heels, carrying wrapped packages. No, the size was fine—the screeching streetcars, the honking automobiles, the grimy air filled with the chatter of people welcomed me home.

But it was different than before. Sam and I looked like a tramps. The girl’s coat was encrusted with filth, her shoes scuffed. My pants had holes in the knees and stains on the seat. Nobody would trust us, not even talk to us, certainly not a man like Al Capone who wore fancy suits and surrounded himself with luxury and a horde of guards with tommy guns.

“And you think he’ll see you?” I asked.

Sam’s eyes were wide with anxiety. Around us, the evening crowd split and melded back together, all of them assured of going home to their families, to comfortable houses, fancy dinners and presents under the tree.

A lump formed in my throat. It felt raw and scratchy as if chafed with a cheese grater. All of a sudden I wanted to pull her close and tell her not to worry. I’d take care of her. Somehow.

You could go home. At least tell her about your past.

Review: 

Historical time frames really have to catch my attention for me to be interested in reading.  And this book done that and much more!  Every twist you will turn the pages, with every turn you find yourself intrigued with each page.  The characters are so real like, the plot even more so.  

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Annette Oppenlander is an award-winning writer, literary coach and educator. As a bestselling historical novelist, Oppenlander is known for her authentic characters and stories based on true events, coming alive in well-researched settings. Having lived in Germany the first half of her life and the second half in various parts in the U.S., Oppenlander inspires readers by illuminating story questions as relevant today as they were in the past.

Oppenlander’s bestselling true WWII story, Surviving the Fatherland, won multiple awards, including the 2017 U.S. National Indie Excellence Award. Her historical time-travel trilogy, Escape from the Past, takes readers to the German Middle Ages and the Wild West. Uniquely, Oppenlander weaves actual historical figures and events into her plots, giving readers a flavor of true history while enjoying a good story. Oppenlander shares her knowledge through writing workshops at colleges, libraries, festivals and schools. She also offers vivid presentations and author visits. The mother of fraternal twins and a son, she recently returned to her home, Solingen, Germany where she lives with her husband and old mutt, Mocha.

Contact

Website: http://www.annetteoppenlander.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annetteoppenlanderauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aoppenlander

Pinterest: annoppenlander

Blog: http://www.annetteoppenlander.com/blog/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Annette-Oppenlander/e/B00W8QRTJ4/

Email: annette.oppenlander@yahoo.com

Buy Links WHERE THE NIGHT NEVER ENDS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MNRHBVP/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-splendor-in-the-heart-annette-oppenlander/1130533160

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/de/en/ebook/where-the-night-never-ends

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