Why I wrote Angel of the L Train
I
was responsible for emptying out my parents’ house. It hurt to empty the house
and sell it. I grew up there and cherished the happy memories of my young life
and my loving parents. But after my mother died and my father became gravely
ill, I felt the pressure of watching the dwindling case flow and wondering if
financial help would be available when the money was all gone.
So, I put Thea, the heroine of Angel of the L Train, in a similar
quandary. She sold her childhood home to pay for her mother’s care in a nursing
home. Thea snatches at an offer for a job that would be an obviously poor
choice for her, she takes it anyway since she is desperate for a steady income.
She believes she can hide the past and move on with her life, but the secret
she promised never to reveal is soon out in the open and wreaks havoc on her
life.
This is the blurb for the book:
Thea Ahern desperately needs a job, so when she
lands a job at LetSlip, a New York City gossip magazine, she takes it even
though it will mean hiding her heritage. When she helps a man who is attacked
on the subway, she's hailed as the Angel of the L Train, and people notice her
striking resemblance to a once famous actress. This sparks a renewed interest in
Paris Hulette and her whereabouts. What happened to the award-winning actress
after her husband shot her? And is Thea Ahern really the actress's daughter?
Thea's coworker, John, understands what it means
to hide from your past, and so he shields Thea from the ensuing media frenzy.
She falls for him, and he falls for her, but LetSlip's CEO orders John to
investigate Thea. Now he has to choose between protecting Thea or losing his
job.
When LetSlip's CEO is murdered while John is in
the building, John is thrust into the public spotlight along with Thea, and his
past is revealed. Can Thea ever trust him again? And can he ever be forgiven
for what he's done?
Bio:
Penelope Marzec grew up along the Jersey
shore. She started reading romances at a young age and fell hopelessly in love
with happy endings. Two of her inspirational romances won EPIC’s eBook Award
and another was a finalist in that contest. Her paranormal, Irons in the
Fire, was a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award. Her
Christian historical, Patriot’s Courage, placed First in the Inspirational category of the 2021
National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest.
Visit her website at
penelopemarzec.com for more information.
Excerpt (or Extract):
Thea Ahern twisted her hands in her lap
as she sat in front of the huge polished desk of LetSlip’s CEO. The
receptionist in the notorious gossip magazine’s human resources office took one
look at Thea and sent her directly to this office, which seemed odd. Still,
this interview was the first one she’d managed to get, and while LetSlip’s
reputation might be unsavory, it was a job—and she needed money.
As the petite CEO studied Thea’s
portfolio, Thea glanced at the huge, abstract painting covering the wall on her
left. She clamped her jaw together in an effort to prevent displaying any trace
of emotion. Her mother created that work of art ten years ago or so. Sorrow
pierced Thea as she remembered her mother’s joy in splashing the canvas with
the vivid colors. It spanned the entire wall, brightening up the otherwise drab
office.
“I’m impressed with your work.” The
woman stated from across the other side of the massive desk.
“Thank you, Ms. Capello,” Thea gave a
tentative smile as a sense of relief flowed through her.
“Please, call me Salbatora. We use first
names only at LetSlip. We’re all family here.” The woman shoved aside Thea’s
portfolio. “You haven’t lived in Brooklyn for long. I can tell by your accent.
Where did you grow up?”
“In south Jersey,” Thea answered.
“Down the shore?‛”The woman tapped her
well-manicured fingers on the shiny desk.
“Sort of, actually in the Pine Barrens.”
“I’ve never been there.” The woman
turned her head to stare at the painting on the wall.
A strange chill slid up Thea’s spine.
The woman returned her attention to
Thea. “How do you like New York?”
Thea faltered. It’s too
noisy—especially at night. “It’s lively.”
A flash of humor crossed Salbatora’s
face. “Yes, that it is.‛”The CEO folded her hands on the desk, her eyes seemed
suddenly remote. “Can you tell me about a time when you were faced with a
stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills?”
Thea’s heart pounded. When it came to
dealing with stress and managing to cope, Thea considered herself the reigning
champion. She believed she deserved a trophy. But she must not tell her
problems to Salbatora. Not now. Not ever.
A minute ticked by. Thea stared at her
hands as perspiration beaded on her brow. She needed to say something. She
closed her eyes and remembered...a scary incident.
Thank you, Lord.
“When I went to college, pets weren’t
allowed in the dorm, but one of the guys kept a lizard in his room, using a
heat lamp for warmth. Word went out about a room inspection, and the lizard
owner threw a blanket over the terrarium before he went to eat dinner.”
“I see...”The words were a bare whisper.
Thea drew in a breath and continued the
story. “The blanket caught on fire and smoke filled the hallway. The sprinklers
went on, but the situation was chaotic for several minutes. Some of the
students became hysterical about leaving their stuff, but I stayed calm and led
them out of the building.
“The lizard?”
“He passed away, but none of the
students were injured.” Thea did not consider herself a heroine, but the event
remained a traumatic memory. No doubt, it wasn’t the sort of stress workers
withstood putting together a gossip magazine. “At any rate, the campus police
arrived quickly. Still, most things in the dorm were ruined by water damage.”
“What did you lose?”
“My laptop, books, clothes, and
bedding—like everyone else in the building.” Thea shrugged. “But folks in my
hometown helped me out afterward.”
“How fortunate for you.”
“Yes. The people in the town where I
grew up are the best.” Thea sighed. She missed her home.
“What town is that?”
“Woods End. It’s very small. Out in the
Pine Barrens, as I said.”
“I guess that’s why I never heard of
it.” Salbatora stood.
Thea swallowed hard and rose. Was she
being dismissed? Did she fail the interview? Maybe the example she gave didn’t
measure up to the CEO’s standards.
Salbatora pressed a button on her phone.
“Liz, please come in and show Thea where she’ll be working.”
“Right away.” Came a reply.
Thea swayed and held onto the edge of
the desk. I
got the job?
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy working at
LetSlip. You’ll be assigned a mentor for a few weeks.”
Thea nodded. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure. And don’t ever hesitate to
come to me with any questions.”
A knock came at the door and Liz entered
with a clipboard. “Follow me, Thea. I’ll get you situated right away.”
Thea reached for her portfolio. “Bye.”
She waved to Salbatora, but the CEO of LetSlip stood next to the painting on
the wall and stared at it in utter fascination with a bemused smile lighting up
her face.
An icy shiver slid down Thea’s spine,
but she ignored it attributing the sensation to the Arctic temperature of the
room.
Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Angel-L-Train-Penelope-Marzec-ebook/dp/B09VRRGSTR/
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/angel-of-the-l-train
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/angel-of-the-l-train-penelope-marzec/1141235956?ean=9781522399087
Google: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Angel_of_the_L_Train/ButkEAAAQBAJ?hl=en
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/angel-of-the-l-train/id1614935301
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