“Connections” by Jackie Wein is now available for purchase
“She prayed nobody would wonder what he was doing with a shovel in the middle of the spring and arrest him. She could see the headline of the Daily News: SPADE SLAYER SEDUCED SEXY OLD BROAD. Which was why Rosa decided it was better to keep the brown paper bag over the bottom of the shovel and carry it herself, like a newly bought broom.”
– an excerpt from the book
AR Press is honored to publish “Connections” by Jackie Wein. Get a copy of the book that is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the ARPress website.
Jackie Wein enjoyed a long and hectic career at a New York City advertising agency and its several incarnations. She edited copy, served as a proofreader and unassailable office grammarian, organized forums for professional organizations, and edited two business books for their authors. Outside the office, she wrote a book of her own, Roommate, a suspense novel published by Crown.
Now retired, Jackie has written a story about another kind of roommate: the animals who share our lives, bond with us in intense, intimate ways, and nudge us into relationships. The beloved dog who took her into the streets, shops, and sidewalk gossip exchanges of her Manhattan neighborhood many years ago gave her some background for this book. She now splits her time between New York City and Florida, accompanied by her beautiful cat, Asia.
Contrary to the dazzling wealth, glitz, and glamour portrayed in the media, the Upper East Side of Manhattan is not only glass penthouses, hedge fund managers, and $500 dinners. There are also ordinary side streets where hard-working singles rent, where roommates split expenses, and where elderly women live orderly lives. For many of them, home means a loving animal—the steadfast presence that shares a life, hears a secret, heals a hurt, and claims the heart.
That’s how it is for long-term resident Rosa Bassetti. There is no better friend than Princess, her arthritic poodle. Rosa’s neighbor, Eileen Hargan, feels the same about Fiber McGee, her little Boston Terrier. Strangers at first, the two senior citizens become friends as they meet while walking their dogs, come sun, rain, or snow. Their peaceful routine is shattered when Eileen receives an anonymous note demanding money, threatening to kidnap or hurt her dog if she doesn’t pay. A dangerous criminal? Cruel prankster? Rosa is determined to find out.
Played out against Manhattan’s aging brownstones, tree-lined streets, and pre-war buildings, CONNECTIONS brings together an intriguing cast of New Yorkers—a same-sex couple, a tough social worker finding love, a troubled boy, a lonely office manager—who all come together through their love for animals and join forces against a terrifying menace.
Author Jackie Wein writes with warmth, subtle wit, and intimate knowledge of the powerful bonds we share with our four-legged families. Sometimes, it is our beloved pets that help us get through life’s difficult experiences. But, as “CONNECTIONS” never lets us forget, the ultimate connection is with each other.
“Connections” by Jackie Wein is now available for purchase via ARPress Bookstore: https://authorreputationpress.com/bookstore/connections/.