Beneath the Satin Gloves – Now Available!

Several years of my adult life have passed; thousands of words have joined forces; blood, sweat, and tears (and, many more tears) have stained my laptop. Everything I have to offer—passion, commitment, relentlessness–have come to life in this little book.

To me, this is surreal and bittersweet.

I have neatly packaged up a piece of my soul in the form of an intangible e-book, so I could share a story with you, so I could entertain you, so I could hopefully whisk you away.

I am humbly proud to say my first attempt at a novel, Beneath the Satin Gloves, is now available.

A modern day woman, torn by her illusive dreams, awakens to a strange life in 1943, hurdled against the throes of destruction in wartime Berlin. Following a haphazard trail of clues, she discovers her new identity as Alina Feuer, code-named Sparrow, a famous entertainer, seducing a high-ranking SS officer to gather vital information for the Allies.

But, Alina is an amateur in these incessant spy games, relying solely on her wit and instinct to make her next move while frantically hiding her erratic behavior from the watchful eyes of her suspicious liaison/love interest and her pestering socialite gal pal along the way. A reluctant heroine, she must use charismatic glamour as her weapon of choice to fulfill her deadly mission before the week is through.

Discover Beneath the Satin Gloves on Amazon and Smashwords for $3.99.

I would like to thank ALL of you out there for your support! I would especially like to thank my husband, who I dedicated my book to…My beautiful paper weight. You kept me from blowing away. You loved me when I needed it most. Thank you.

Related blog posts…

Berlin: My Scarred Muse

Jiving in Another Time

The Clues in the Vintage Handbag

When I was a little girl, I idolized Nancy Drew. She was clever, stylish and feisty…my kind of heroine. She made elegance and intellect look easy, showing us that women were not only beautiful creatures, but forces to be reckoned with.

Several of my core interests stemmed from my childhood obsession with Nancy Drew: a nerdy love affair with history, writing strong female characters, and a vintage clothing addiction.

Yesterday, I unearthed a treasure, hidden in the folds of my new vintage handbag. No, the treasure did not have any monetary value, but in my eyes—it was a priceless discovery.

Awestruck, I found myself staring at artifacts in the palm of my hand: baseball tickets and a voting certificate with a list on the back. The year was 1954, a time of I Love Lucy, the Communist Control Act, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and of course…baseball.

Almost sixty years later, I find these clues from the past, offering a tiny glimpse into another woman’s life.

Looks like I get to be a sleuth after all.

Clue #1:  Baseball Tickets
During the 1954 season, Milwaukee Braves player Hank Aaron was making his permanent mark on the world of baseball. One of the first five African Americans to play in the league, he is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

When: Sunday, August 22, 1954
Who: Milwaukee Braves vs. Chicago Cubs
Where: Wrigley Stadium
Winner: Milwaukee Braves 12-6

When: Wednesday, August 25, 1954
Who: Milwaukee Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Where: County Stadium
Winner: Milwaukee Braves 4-3

Clue #2:  Voting Certificate and List
Unfortunately, I didn’t have much luck gathering solid information about the voting certificate, and if you have any insights out there, please feel free to comment down below. On the flip side of the certificate was a list, the most revealing lead…

Chocolate
Fly Swatter
Shoes
Film
Loan

So, who was she?
Based on the clues, I have created three different profiles of women, who may have owned the handbag…

  1. FILM  The baseball player’s girlfriend, unconventional and middle class. She enjoyed cheering him on, and never missed a single game. She integrated her love of photography with his love of baseball, documenting every tidbit of their lives together.
  2. SHOES & CHOCOLATE   The baseball fan’s wife, unfaithful and rich. Her husband’s idea of a romantic date always involved a sweaty baseball field. Bored out of her mind, she daydreamed about shoes and her younger lover while eating the chocolate she had stashed in her handbag.
  3. LOAN & FLY SWATTER  The baseball-loving son’s mother, devoted and poor. A struggling feminist, she always voted, hoping for better rights. She yearned to make adequate money to support her son, who wanted to be a baseball player. After the game she went to apply for a loan to avoid losing their home, which had recently been taken over by flies, escaping the summer heat.

If someone were to discover hidden artifacts in my handbag sixty years from now, they would probably find writing/dancing notes and a receipt for dessert.

What about you? Name two clues that might be discovered in your handbag or wallet.

Or, if you care to share…who do YOU think the woman with the handbag was?

Let’s Get Physical

“Let’s get physical” is a very thought-provoking expression in my humble opinion. Automatically I think of Olivia Newton-John with her sweatband and leotard, because that’s the kind of silly, random thought that takes precedence in my head more often than not.

Physical is vague, yet meaningful, encompassing the body, the senses, activity, material things, and science. So, what is this blog, a physical perspective, going to cover anyway?

You might be asking yourself if you need to be good at math or wear slouchy legwarmers. Well, I’m terrible at math, so you can forget that. And, if you want to wear legwarmers while you read…go right ahead! As a dancer, I’ve spent most of my life wearing them and I think they’re great.

I’m Britt Skrabanek…I write, I dance, I live.

I am a life enthusiast, meaning I am a stalker fan of the breathtaking world we are privileged to have and I simply don’t have an off switch, because I don’t want one. I like to experience and share, sometimes in the physicality of words, sometimes in the physicality of movement.

My blog, a physical perspective, will be a bouquet of sporadic thoughts including:

  • tips on loving life
  • healthy ways to get through the day
  • how movement keeps you alive
  • why your bike should never have any cobwebs on it
  • and a bit about my new adventure as an indie author, trying to make it in the impossible field of writing.
  • And much, much, more!

I hope you’ll consider following this crazy little blog each week, so we can use it as a quaint, virtual cafe to share a delicious, steaming cup of life together. I would love to hear what’s on your mind in the form of comments and questions at any time, so feel free to speak up and speak often.

Lastly, I’ll leave you all with a little treat for your physical senses.

Even though I’ve heard the song “Let’s Get Physical” a million times, I just discovered the music video today and couldn’t resist adding it to this post. I am personally stamping this with a speedo alert, so be warned and enjoy!