history – Page 3 – Britt Skrabanek

The Bra Game Gets a Description

I don’t think I’ve ever come across anything more thrilling and terrifying than writing a book description.

You create a fictitious world from the ground up, live and breathe it for years, painstakingly edit until you’re sick of looking at it, then you have to sum it all up with efficient charisma.

So, last week I finally sat my procrastinating ass down to write The Bra Game’s description and made a sweet little home for my baby on the blog.

After some careful consideration, I have decided that my original—ahem, impatient—spring release date is a no-go. Our cross-country move to Portland was a bit of an obstacle for the project. Though I trucked on with edits, I still have some buttoning up to do.

I want to deliver a quality piece of work to you all, and that takes time. With that being said, I am pushing the release to early summer. Since The Bra Game (new title…NOLA FRAN EVIE) boasts a retro summertime feel, it should fit in swell with summer reads.

The cover is currently in the shop, so I am using this temporary 1950s-esque selfie until then.

Without further ado, I present to you the description. Ta-da!

They were unladylike rebels, abandoning rolling pins for baseball bats to join the All-American Girls Baseball League. They changed history, and that changed them. After the league disintegrates in 1954 Nola, Fran, and Evie accidentally reunite on a popcorn-scented summer day where it all began, on Wrigley Field. Nearly forty years later Jacks Demonte makes a startling discovery…a trail of clues tucked away in a vintage handbag. Forever fated to the bra game, the extraordinary lives of these women intersect with her own as she falls deeper into a heroic past.

Inside these bra players lies a fierce beauty, an unconventional destiny beyond the kitchen. The American dream of sparkling cars and pastel suburbia is mocked by the turbulent reality of nuclear threats and civil rights. Nola, Fran, and Evie team up once again, connecting in truth to fight for a pivotal cause these brave dames can only win together.

So, what do we think?

Author Interview: Britt Skrabanek

Hey, lovely humans!

Just wanted to share my very first author interview with you all!!! (Can you tell I’m super stoked?) Sheila Hurst is a real gem for taking some time to sit down with me and my cat editing team. It was a surreal and awesome experience.

Stop by Sheila’s to check it out…

Sheila Hurst

I’m excited to introduce Britt Skrabanek, author of Beneath the Satin Gloves and Everything’s Not Bigger. Thank you for trudging through the snow to visit and for bringing Aphrodite and Hazel, your cat editing team. I’m sure they’ll help keep us warm while we talk.

I loved your descriptions of Berlin in Beneath the Satin Gloves. Have you lived there?

One summer in college I studied abroad in a sleepy town near Stuttgart, then my husband and I traveled to Berlin a few years after that. People were surprised we were only going to Berlin for ten days and blatantly encouraged us to do the usual tourist fail. You know the one – trying to squeeze in the entire continent of Europe, never stopping to absorb the experience. That’s not our thing at all, so we scooped up an apartment in former East Berlin and lived there for a…

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Beneath the Satin Gloves – FREE on Smashwords!

That’s right, loves! For the rest of October my debut indie book is totally FREE on Smashwords.

For those unfamiliar with Smashwords, know that they are a very pro-indie author distributor, offering any e-book format in existence. Instructions are right here so you know what to do after you download the format you need. With my Kindle Fire, I just email the mobi file right to my Kindle email address.

To get the free goods, use the coupon code down below.

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.

Click here to buy on Smashwords

(just copy and paste coupon code MS89Y at check-out)

In true indie fashion, I interviewed myself. Check it out…

Montreal suggestions, s’il vous plaît

So at the end of August, Mr. H and I are taking a road trip. Not just any road trip, because naturally…it’s going to be super awesome!

Milwaukee to Montreal.

Originally, we were looking at a European excursion, but let’s face it – plane ticket prices are a bit of a buzz kill. And while we’ve been to Europe before, we’ve never visited our upstairs neighbor…Canada.

The closest thing we have to Europe in North America is unarguably Montreal. The runner-up to Paris, it is the second largest French-speaking city in the world.

I imagine a land of crepes where the air is scented with savory and sweet tones. Mmm, crepes. Delicious crepes. Mouth-watering…I apologize. I keep falling into this crepe trance lately.

(Britt slaps her face twice and continues with her blog post.)

Instead of flying, we decided to enjoy the summer drive. All fifteen hours of it.

As cheesy as it is, we are definitely stopping at Niagara Falls on the way. Don’t judge me…I’m a big sap.

We rented a kick ass apartment for our five-night stay through Airbnb, complete with a ginormous terrace and fancy furniture. You can check out our digs right here.

Obviously with Montreal being one of the culinary capitals of the world, we plan to eat. And, we shall eat like there is no tomorrow.

One adventure on our radar is Piknic Electronik, which is one of those outdoorsy shindigs where we listen to rad tunes and get a little silly.

Other than that, we don’t have any plans. Here’s where you come in.

Calling all Montreal natives or previous visitors…what should we do? Any tips or recommendations for restaurants, sights, etc. would be splendid.

Also, give us the tough love. Are there any tourist traps we should avoid?

Chicago in 7.5 Hours

That’s a bunch of BS, really. There’s no way to experience this skyscraper wonderland in less than eight hours.

What we commonly call Chicago comes from the Native American Chicagoua, a word often debated as meaning either garlic or onion. (And, you thought you’d never learn anything on this blog. Shame on you.)

Either way, it’s the stinky veggie we all tend to love.

Normally, I’m the non-tourist type. Mr H. and I blend in with the locals, keep a low profile, and leave the fanny packs at home. Kidding, kidding. We do not own fanny packs.

So, last Saturday I gave Chicago in a day the old college try.

My super awesome sister was visiting from North Carolina, and it was her first adventure in the mid-West. We braved the back and forth trip to the city via Amtrak from Milwaukee.

And, we got down with our tourista selves.

In fact, we may have gone a bit overboard with our tourista selves…

Tourist Trap #1 – Navy Pier (The Unapologetic Bastard)

The Navy Pier is one of those places you’ve got to go to once…and, probably only once. This picture was taken first thing in the morning just before the salivating mobs invaded. There may be other things to see there, but I couldn’t tell you. My sister grabbed some goofy souvenirs and we freaking ran.

Tourist Trap #2 – Chicago River Cruise (The Hopeless Romantic)

Ah, the Chicago River cruise. That fleeting adventure I could never embark upon during my previous trips, because the damn river was either frozen or green. You’ll drop a handful of bucks to take an architecture tour, but as you can see from the pictures, it’s lovely. Absolutely lovely.

Tourist Trap #3 – Chicago History Museum (The Kooky Nerd)

The Chicago History Museum is pretty low on the totem pole as far as museum popularity is concerned in the Windy City. I’m more of a history gal, so this was my kind of place. The coolest thing was the L train from 1893, where you can actually go inside, have a seat, and hang out. I took the interactive option a little bit too far throughout the joint as you can see.

Tourist Trap #4 – Millennium Park (The Shiny Exhibitionist)

Millennium Park is Chicago’s very own Central Park. As this was our last stop on our tourist assault, it was refreshing to see both natives and rubberneckers alike kicking back, enjoying the space, and playing with the Cloud Gate sculpture. (I called it the shiny turd. But, that’s just me.)

Britt’s Chicago Summer Tips

Don’t even think about driving. Walk it, cab it, or ride the “L”. All three will likely give you monster bruises, but you’ll keep your sanity.
Don’t assume the crosswalk is a safe haven. That part about not driving in the city also applies to who’s driving…the natives. They will mow your tourist butt down, so move it along.
Don’t look up while you’re walking. Yes, the buildings are incredible and they soar right into the heavens. Just don’t become a permanent member up there when you wander off the curb with a silly grin on your upturned face.
Don’t wear anything that chafes. Midwest summers are humid as hell! Wear something loose that you won’t regret later, if you know what I mean (wink, wink).

How about you guys? Have you ever tried squeezing every damn thing you can think of in one day of travel?