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An excerpt to celebrate National Tattoo Day

La Bella Rosita, the Painted Lady

From Chapter 4: Sodom by the Sea

Piper steered the group to the next stage where her roommate Rosita was performing. Like Tharda, the Painted Lady was dressed in a provocative outfit.

“Where else can a man justify dropping a dime to gawk at a near-naked female body?” Rosita had once told her. “Tattooed men just aren’t that appealing. Nobody cares if a man was…

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#ConeyIsland #NationalTattooDay #piper_houdini #PiperHoudini #1920s

An excerpt in celebration of International Bat Appreciation Day

While Orlok the Arctic Snow Bat is pure fiction, white bats and flying foxes do exist.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Like a Phoenix

Suddenly, a handful of bruisers from the Fourth Brigade charged up the West 10th Street entrance hauling ladders and lugging hoses over their broad shoulders. Wielding their hefty axes like medieval warriors, the grim-faced volunteers burst through the door leading to the…

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An excerpt in honor of #walktoschoolday

Piper Houdini: Apprentice of Coney Island Chapter 6—The Zombie’s Brother

The first thing that Sal noticed was the girl’s hair. It looked like it belonged on a Raggedy Ann doll. She wore a brand-new houndstooth jacket and a black panne velvet skirt that gathered at her knees. Sal could tell by the way the girl fidgeted that she was as comfortable in her clothes as a baby in burlap. But at least…

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#walktoschoolday

An excerpt in honor of National Custodial Worker’s Recognition Day

Piper Houdini: Apprentice of Coney Island Chapter 7—Detention Public School 90 (a.k.a. the Flatbush School) as it looked in the 1920s.

Piper had always gotten good grades in vocabulary, but she had no idea what “thaumaturgy” meant. She continued to study the notice as she blindly followed the other students into the hallway.

The detention was scheduled for the next day. But she wanted to speak…

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#cloakroom #ConeyIsland #CustodialWorkersRecognitionDay #detention #thaumaturgy #1920s

Domino’s “Paving for Pizza” is an engaging campaign for all audiences. But where’s the Noid?

Several weeks ago, Domino’s Pizza rolled out (pun intended) its “Paving for Pizza” initiative. The TV spotfeatures a man racing home, intently anticipating the taste of the hot, fresh Domino’s pizza perched precariously on the seat beside him. Suddenly the man swerves to avoid a crater in the road—but he’s too slow. The red, white, and blue box topples to the floor, and though you don’t see it,…

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An excerpt from Piper Houdini: Nightmare on Esopus Island

This scene takes place the morning after Piper and Sal overcome the reanimated corpse of the recently deceased film icon, Rudolph Valentino, and have concocted a gruesome plan to dispose of it . . .

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The Whole Ball of Wax

Lillie Santangelo stepped out of her apartment building and plodded down the sidewalk. Despite her twenty-five years, the spring in her step had vanished weeks…

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An excerpt in celebration of Easter

CHAPTER NINETEEN There’s a Trick to It

As usual, Piper was up before the sun. And as usual, she climbed the stairs to her uncle’s library where she could explore his vast collection of books without disturbing Aunt Bess.

She and Bess had grown even closer since Houdini had left to dazzle Chicago with his feats of daring and wonder. On Easter Sunday, Bess had taken her into Manhattan where she…

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#beardedlady #Easter #Houdini #magic #piper_houdini #PiperHoudini #1920s #bearded woman #john kissee #piper houdini #sal gamache #salvador gamache

International Women’s Day Celebrates Jean Conan Doyle

Jean Conan Doyle, a.k.a. Lady Bromet, Air Commandant, DBE, AE, WRAF, ADC

There are many strong historical female figures in the Piper Houdininovels. But in Celebration of International Women’s Day, I wanted to recognize a pioneer who paved the way for other women to follow. I am speaking of Jean Conan Doyle, the daughter of Sherlock Holmes’ creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Though she is only 13…

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An excerpt in honor of National Ferris Wheel Day

The author descending into the tunnel that leads to Coney Island’s magnificent Wonder Wheel.

In addition to being Valentine’s Day, February 14 is also National Ferris Wheel Day. This unofficial national holiday is held on this day to honor the birth of the inventor of the Ferris Wheel, George Washington Gale Ferris, who debuted his attraction at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

In this excerpt, the…

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An excerpt in honor of National Bootlegger's Day

An excerpt in honor of National #BootleggersDay

From Piper Houdini: Nightmare on Esopus Island Chapter Three: Monsters and Mobsters

Prohibition outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcohol on January 17, 1920, which was also the 21st birthday of legendary bootlegger Al Capone.

Piper took one step and almost twisted her ankle. She wasn’t used to walking in heels and stumbled twice more crossing the street to the Adonis Club.

It was Saturday…

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#alcapone #BootleggersDay #booze #flappers prohibition #speakeasy #TempletonRye #1920s #al capone #Bootlegger’s Society

Jim Zeigler and Aleister Crowley share the same pretext

Zeigler and Crowley–cut from the same cloth?

In Chapter 6 of Piper Houdini: Nightmare on Esopus Island, the 51-year-old Aleister Crowley reveals his intention to seduce 13-year-old Piper so they can create a new race of gods. Even his personal vampire assistant Flapper is grossed out by the prospect. Crowley, referred to here as “the Beast,” replies with the same rationale that Alabama State…

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Madam Gamache’s Recipe for Big Easy Gumbo with Crispy Okra

To celebrate National Gumbo Day, here is a recipe for Sal’s mom’s gumbo, on which he blames his “stocky” waistline in Chapter 6 of Piper Houdini: Apprentice of Coney Island.

Ingredients

¼ cup canola oil

1/2 cup peanut oil

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup chopped sweet onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 pound okra, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

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An excerpt in honor of National Stop Bullying Day

National Stop Bullying Day, which is referred to by some as “Unity Day,” is observed annually on the second Wednesday in October. This annual designation is intended to bring awareness of the need to stand up against and put an end to bullying.

In this excerpt from Piper Houdini: Apprentice of Coney Island, Piper helps Sal Gamache against a bully who is trying to steal an amulet that has great…

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An excerpt to celebrate National Rhode Island Day

National Rhode Island Day is one of those obscure national days that no one has ever heard of, including people from Rhode Island. Celebrated on October 5, it recognizes Rhode Island as the last colony to join the Union.

My son attends college near Providence, RI, where a pivotal scene with Houdini, his wife, and H. P. Lovecraft occurs in Piper Houdini: Nightmare on Esopus Island (excerpted…

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An excerpt to celebrate Piper's birthday!

An excerpt to celebrate Piper’s birthday!

CHAPTER FIVE

A Freak among Freaks

The mercury soared to ninety-seven on Saturday, making it the hottest July 24th on record. And though the sun was like a woolly blanket over the boardwalk, Coney Island was the coolest option for three hundred thousand New Yorkers.

Piper sat outside the tent, fanning herself with her top hat. The bathhouses were overflowing and the police had granted special…

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An excerpt in celebration of National Hot Dog Day

CHAPTER 12 A Symphony of Horror

Sal loved the flickers. He said it was like seeing your dreams in the middle of the day. But for Piper, it was the only way to see a dream. So when the time came to meet Sal at the theater, she ran the whole way so she wouldn’t miss a thing.

She had told Houdini that she’d be going to the movies with Sal and he had asked, “Isn’t that the boy you were with the…

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Piper celebrates Memorial Day

An excerpt from Piper Houdini: Nightmare on Esopus Island Chapter 4: Sodom by the Sea

The Bobs / Tornado roller coaster with the Harum Scarum attraction inside its Amusement Department Store. – 1926

By the time Memorial Day weekend rolled around, the performers were ready to perform and the amusements were ready to amuse. There had been no word from Piper’s father and she feared the worst. The…

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