Title: The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven (The Guest Book Trilogy 3)
Author: Chrysteen Braun
Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery
Book Blurb:
Return to picturesque 1980s Lake Arrowhead, California where another cozy cabin sheltered amongst the sweeping pine-lined vistas holds a long-buried secret, waiting to be divulged.
In this third installment of The Guest Book Trilogy, a young Annie Parker is struggling to overcome her grief over the recent loss of her sister, when a childhood friend unexpectedly turns up seeking refuge from an ill-fated marriage. It would have been easy for Annie to sink deeper into sadness, but when she learns her newest design client, Hudson Fisher, is the son of the late film actress Celeste Williams, her curiosity is peaked. As it turns out, the Roaring 20s starlet was no stranger to the Lake Arrowhead cabins—and this revelation sparks the unraveling of a scandalous story from Hollywood’s bygone era. Did an illicit romance between this leading lady and her dashing costar take place in Cabin No. 7? What really went on behind-the-scenes during the filming of that silent picture? Will discovering a piece of the past bring closure to Annie’s present?
A heartwarming tale of friendships, forgiveness, and a touch of old Hollywood glamour, The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven will have readers captivated from beginning to end.
Excerpt:
I looked up my mother’s address in my map book and then found a place to stop for lunch at a small coffee shop on main street. It turned out to be on the original Route 66, and not too far from her place. She’d been living in Barstow for several years now, and even though it was only about two hours out of Las Vegas, it was the first time I’d driven out to see her.
When I pulled onto a badly paved road, misgivings about seeing her only got worse and then I ended up on a dirt road that stopped right in front of her house trailer. I waited a few seconds to let the dust settle around me before I got out of the car.
The moment she came to the door, I knew I’d made a mistake. She was dressed in an old housecoat and her bare feet were dirty. I was taken by surprise, and it threw me off balance.
“Well, you came to see me after all,” she said, taking a drag off her cigarette.
Once inside, I could see the carpet looked like it hadn’t been cleaned, ever, and the fabric on the recliner chairs and sofa had darkened where body oils had discolored the arms and backs. I could hardly bear to be in the house, much less sit when she motioned me to one of the dinette chairs.
I hadn’t spoken with her in about a year, which she quickly brought up.
“I don’t hear from anyone much anymore,” she said.
I knew why. I wanted to say, ‘have you ever thought about the way you treated us when we were growing up?’ But I didn’t. She looked old for her fifty-four years. She’d done nothing to disguise about two inches of her gray roots, and I noticed she had dandruff. Her eyes were puffy, and her skin was pale, which was unusual, especially since she lived in Barstow where the sun was so hot.
“When was the last time you heard from the girls?” I was referring to my sisters, Jess, Beth and Ruby. They all knew where I lived, and we’d kept in touch, but I was curious if my mother had heard anything from them recently.
“It’s been a while, but I think they’re all okay. I did my best, you know...” she said, and then asked if I wanted some ice water. She didn’t wait for my answer, but brought out a water stained glass with cold water in it. It was cold and wet, which was appreciated.
“So...I got married...” she mumbled.
I thought I was going to choke on my water.
“You have?”
“Yes, and he’s a very nice man. Name’s Charlie...he lives here with me...” She fidgeted with her housecoat, trying to cover her knobby knees.
“Where’d you meet him?” I asked.
“Well...he works at the diner as a cook. I work there too. And we got to know each other and, well, here we are.”
“How long?”
“About six months.”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHL5KKXJ
Amazon eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Z5HS
Google Play eBook: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=_8jVEAAAQBAJ
iTunes eBook: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6464678795
What’s your favorite thing about autumn:
Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the colors, the leaves on the ground and the cool crisp fall air.
What inspired you to write this story:
I wanted to write about a woman who starts over, and makes a new life for herself. Along the way, she makes some bad choices, but it’s the journey she takes and the people she meets that fill the pages. And the bonus for those who enjoy my writing, the trilogy has now turned in to a five book series!
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon gift card
Open internationally.
Runs September 1 – 30
Drawing will be held on October 2.
Author Biography:
Chrysteen Braun is a California native, born and raised in Long Beach.
The Lake Arrowhead mountains, where she and her husband had a second home, were the inspiration for her first three books, The Guestbook Trilogy. These fictional restored cabins from the late 1920s all had their own stories to tell. Through their children, readers get their first glimpse of who stayed in the cabins, but not why.
Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret and Linda Holmes's Evvie Drake Starts Over.
"A touching novel charting two women’s parallel lives, tied together by mysteries, transformation, and a cabin." —Booklife
"Braun delivers a moving portrayal of a young woman searching for herself amid personal upheaval." —Booklife
"Masterfully written, intriguing, mystifying, and spooky are how I would classify The Man in Cabin Number Five by Chrysteen Braun. As a great background, Braun uses the mountainous area and cabins to her advantage in telling the stories of Annie and Alyce. This is an exceptional plot, never leading the reader too far from the original storyline. Her character development is outstanding. I was able to feel everything Annie felt." Teresa Syms for Readers' Favorite Book Reviews and Awards.
"In The Man in Cabin Number Five, Chrysteen Braun narrates a deeply compelling, inspiring, and adorable narrative about the mountainside cabins of Lake Arrowhead, shocking secrets, and two women that are linked to the cabins in different ways—one by a buried past and the other by optimistic plans for the future.
"Chrysteen Braun does a mind-blowing job of building the characters and making them lifelike and easy to relate to. The first-person narrative is done to perfection as it reads like the narrators are speaking to friends—natural, lively, and jovial. I laughed out loud when I read the part where Anne claims that a bag of chips and a soda are "just what the doctor ordered.
"The Man in Cabin Number Five inspires anyone recovering from betrayal and infidelity to keep living and working towards a better future. The picturesque descriptions of the scenes and characters will appeal to readers who wish to get completely immersed in and escape into a fictional world. Chrysteen Braun creates a masterpiece with smooth storytelling that juxtaposes the serenity of the mountains with the eruptive chaos of dangerous secrets and ends with a bang. What a terrific story! What a talented writer!" Foluso Falaye, for the San Francisco Book Review.
Her writing crosses genres with Women's Fiction with relationships, and a little mystery and intrigue. She's published articles about her field of interior design and remodeling, both for trade publications and her local newspaper and has just received a Book Excellence Award for The Man in Cabin Number Five.
Braun lives in Coto de Caza, California (southern Orange County) with her husband Larry and two Siamese cats.
Social Media Links:
Website https://chrysteenbraun.com/
Find her everywhere https://linktr.ee/chrysteenbraunauthor