Release Date: November 14, 2023
About The Book:
POSTER GIRL–In a 1942 Liberty Shipyard, cynical gossip columnist Jane Benjamin joins FDR’s Office of War Information propaganda unit, aiming to replace big league gossip queen Hedda Hopper. Jane scours the shipyard for a picture perfect Wendy-the-Welder poster girl to boost ship production by coaxing women into the workforce. When two top candidates die on the job, Jane’s got to choose between personal ambition and service, before the murderer kills another woman welder and America’s best chance of winning the war.
POSTER GIRL is the third in the JANE BENJAMIN TRILOGY, following Jane from a 17 year old, tomato-picking, cross-dressing San Francisco wannabe reporter (COPY BOY), to an RMS Queen Mary stowaway aiming to land a gossip columnist gig (TOMBOY) before putting her morals and ambition to the test in the final book of the trilogy, POSTER GIRL.
About The Author:
Shelley grew up in California’s Central Valley, the daughter of Dust Bowl immigrants who made good on their ambition to get out of the field. She recently retired from teaching writing at Sacramento State University and still consults with writers in the energy industry. She serves as President of the Board of 916 Ink, an arts-based creative writing nonprofit for children, and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies at Claremont McKenna College. She recently stepped down from co-directing Stories on Stage Sacramento, where actors perform the stories of established and emerging authors. The Jane Benjamin novels are a trilogy, each of which can be read as a standalone. Copy Boy is her first, Tomboy is her second, and Poster Girl is her third (She Writes Press).
Her writing has won a gold medal in the Readers’ Favorite Awards for historical mystery and has been a finalist in the Sarton Book Awards, IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards, Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion Award, the American Fiction Awards, and the National Indie Excellence Awards. She and her husband live in Sacramento, California, surrounded by photos of their sons, their partners, and their nearly perfect grandchild.
Shelley is a member of Pen America, The Authors’ Guild, The Historical Novel Society, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. https://shelleyblantonstroud.com/
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blantonstroudauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blantonstroud
Book Blurbs:
“Lively prose, enjoyably edgy dialogue, and a delightful, unconventional, feminist heroine add up to a captivating page-turner.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Fans of Tracy Chevalier and Kate Atkinson will love being immersed in the detail-driven historical atmosphere, while hard-boiled mystery fans will thoroughly enjoy being led by our whip-smart and street-savvy heroine through the maze of clues leading to a shocking final plot twist.”—Chicago Book Review, 5 stars
“Aficionados of historical fiction and the Jane Benjamin series will be delighted . . . The novel is an excellent read, with sympathetic characters and set in a place and time that leaps off the page.”—San Francisco Book Review, 5 stars
“Mirroring ongoing misogyny, racial discrimination, and economic challenges women continue to face today, Poster Girl takes readers behind the scenes to experience the toll exacted on women who dared to break molds in the 1940s. A five-star read. Highly recommended.”—Ashley E. Sweeney, author of Hardland, Answer Creek, and Eliza Waite
“A cracking plot, exquisite detail, and grand cast of characters.”—Catriona McPherson, author of In Place of Fear
“Jane Benjamin has come into her own in this third book of the series. A fast-paced story that had me turning pages long into the night. Highly recommend!”—Michelle Cox, author of The Henrietta and Inspector Howard series
“A can’t-put-it-down kind of book . . . every moment perfectly crafted to keep the reader turning pages to the gripping end.”—Laurie Buchanan, author of The Sean McPherson Series
“A high-wire, ripped-from-vintage-headlines series-ender.”—Gretchen Cherington, author of The Butcher, the Embezzler, and the Fall Guy
“A historically accurate, action-packed adventure, making WWII era intrigue and sexual and racial discrimination feel contemporary.”—Maren Cooper, author of Behind the Lies
“Casts an observant eye on the misogyny, racism, and classism of the time, allowing the reader to witness that not much has changed.”—Mary Camarillo, author of The Lockhart Women
“A page-turner that delivers a strong message for our time: we must take care of each other. I absolutely loved this novel.”—Debra Thomas, author of Luz
“Weaves challenging and timeless social issues into a story about people we grow to care about while maintaining tension and suspense—you won’t put this one down.”—Anastasia Zeidek, author of Blurred Fates
Bloggers On Tour:
May 17th- Dani Reads https://instagram.com/dani.reads.1225
May 18th- Pat Fayo Reviews https://instagram.com/patfayoreviews
May 23rd- Tiffany Vt4 https://instagram.com/tiffanyvt4
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June 8th- CMT Loves Wine and Books https://instagram.com/cmtloveswineandbooks
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June 21st- David L Morgan https://instagram.com/david_l_morgan
June 21st- Reading Is My Remedy https://instagram.com/reading_is_my_remedy
June 22nd- Novels and Latte Book Club –https://www.facebook.com/groups/357651988042629
June 23rd- Plains Reading https://instagram.com/plains_reading
June 27th – Nurse Bookie https://instagram.com/nurse_bookie
July 5th- Reading With Mere-https://instagram.com/readingwithmere
July 8th- Christina Luvs 2 Read https://instagram.com/christinaluvs2read
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