Flamingo Café
by Jackie Kang

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GENRE: Women's Fiction

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BOOK BLURB:

A storm is brewing off the coast of Florida, but chaos has already made landfall for four women of Palm Beach society. Abigail, a self-appointed Cuban princess and queen of the WAGs, suddenly finds herself penniless and on the streets. Claudia, a Greek entrepreneur and CEO of a prestigious international clothing line, is entering her golden years only to realize secrets can weigh you down. Cassy, a barista and owner of the Flamingo Cafe, is doing her best to recover from a tragic past. Meanwhile her best friend, Bri, also harbors a secret: a romantic tet-a-tet with Cassy's brother Nick. Each woman has played her part in a society obsessed with appearances and secrecy for years. So, when Hurricane Odette blows through town, exposing those secrets, it's no surprise their lives collide like a clap of thunder. Only one thing is certain: if they don't work together, Mother Nature will teach them the hardest lessons of their lives.

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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

Today's air feels like a knife slicing through a meringue pie. Thick and sticky, it attaches itself to every surface of my body. It only takes a minute before sweat drips down my spine and pools in that mysterious space between my hips and backside. I pull at my pale-pink t- shirt, already showing signs of sweat spots, and silently curse the South Florida humidity.

Raising a hand to shade my eyes from the glare, I try to locate Officer Jackson. I glance to the right and find him standing next to his patrol car. As he turns my way, the sun glints off his sunglasses, momentarily blinding me. As I wait for the spots to leave my vision, an image from ten years ago—when my childhood home was crawling with police officers—flashes through my mind. Memories of endless questions leading to no solid answers fill my head.

Bo, able to sense a change in my demeanor, nudges me with his wet nose, leaving a damp mark on the side of my leg. It's enough of a distraction to break the spell. I inhale a few deep breaths and try to clear my head as I stroke Bo’s body. His strong muscles ripple under his shiny white coat, covered with black spots, as he allows me to continually run my hands over his body, waiting for the memories to pass.

Officer Jackson catches sight of Bo and me and walks over to greet us. He stands close, as though we are old friends and comfortable in each other's presence. Stretching his hand out for Bo to sniff, he says, “I love Dalmatians. I keep suggesting we get one down at the station, but they say a K-9 isn’t in the budget.” He laughs and pats Bo on the head. “Can you believe it? Not in the budget of the Palm Beach police precinct. Anyways...” He stops himself before expanding on his comment and stands back up, glancing toward the café before returning his gaze to Bo. “I’m not sure having a dog in a café meets code.”

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AUTHOR BIO:

When not spending her time creating make-believe people and places, Jackie Kang lives in Kirkland, WA with her very real family of 1 husband, 2 dogs, and 3 children. In her past life, Jackie has held jobs as a personal trainer, a spa manager, a dental assistant, and an office manager, but her true love is writing and sharing a well-crafted story. Jackie is a member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association.

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