Temptation Rag: A Novel by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard
Publication Date: December 3, 2018
Belle Epoque Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 308 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Seventeen-year-old May Convery, unhappy with her privileged life in turn-of-the-century New York City, dreams of becoming a poet. When she meets the talented young Mike Bernard, an aspiring concert pianist, she immediately falls in love. But after their secret liaison is discovered, neither is prepared for the far-reaching consequences that will haunt them for decades. As Mike abandons serious music to ruthlessly defend his hard-won title, Ragtime King of the World, May struggles to find her voice as an artist and a woman. It is not until years after their youthful romance, when they cross paths again, that they must finally confront the truth about themselves and each other. But is it too late? The world of ragtime is the backdrop for a remarkable story about the price of freedom, the longing for immortality, and the human need to find forgiveness. From vaudeville’s greatest stars to the geniuses of early African American musical theater, an unforgettable cast of real-life characters populates this richly-fictionalized historical saga.
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Praise for Temptation Rag
"Fascinating real-life characters make Temptation Rag an emotional and page-turning story of passion, ambition, and desire." - Megan Chance, bestselling author of Bone River and Inamorata "Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard captures the style of the ragtime era. Music, art and culture spring from every page of this delightfully artistic work." - Readers' Favorite Book Review, 5 stars "Terrific historical research and deft writing provide a striking portrait of racial and gender inequality in the ragtime era. An unforgettable and deeply human story." - Frederic Tulsky, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist "Ms. Bernard weaves her knowledge of music with true historical characters and fictionalized ones into a syncopated symphony of human drama." -Kathryn Wood, author of Sea Snow: the gentle haunting of a 19th century lighthouse "A gripping page-turner that has romance, history and music. A smart retelling of history through multiple points of view." - SA Examiner Book ReviewRead an Excerpt
She was trembling as she opened her purse, pulled out the wad of cash, and handed it to him. He counted it quickly and then stuffed it into a long pocket in the front of his butcher’s apron. He turned, opened the top drawer of the cabinet, and removed a white cotton gown.
“Everything off. Put this on with the opening in the front.”
Meekly, she took it from him. Her eyes on the floor, she waited.
“Miss Smith? Did you hear me? Disrobe and put on the gown.”
“I—I thought I’d have some privacy.”
“Please, young lady, let’s not be silly. We haven’t much time. There are others besides you needing to be seen.”
All of a sudden, the door opened. An elderly woman—the same one who had admitted May through the anonymous-looking locked door in front—poked her head around the corner.
“There’s a gentleman outside. Says he needs to see her”—she nodded toward May—“and right away. He’s very insistent.”
The man in the apron eyed May threateningly. “Young lady, I thought we made it clear that you were to come alone and tell no one. The last thing we need around here is trouble.”
“But I did come alone. And I didn’t tell a soul.”
“Well, obviously someone knows you’re here.” He turned back to the deliverer of this unwelcome news. “Did he give his name?”
“No, he was too busy swearing at me,” she replied indignantly. “I’ll try to find out. But he’s causing an awful commotion. We’ve got to get rid of him.” She ducked out, closing the door behind her.
“You understand, Miss Smith, that I will deny having had any intention of performing a procedure today.”
May barely heard him. She was too busy retracing every step she’d taken that morning. She had told Mrs. Eagleton that she was visiting with a friend for the day. She had the coachman drop her off in front of Rebecca Simmons’s house, and then, once he’d disappeared, she took a hansom cab directly here. There would have been no reason for anyone to suspect a thing.
Then it occurred to her—what if it was him? But no, he would be the unlikeliest of all. It had been more than a month since that awful morning in his apartment, the last time she’d seen him. They’d not communicated since. He surely had no interest in her comings and goings. And there was no way he could have figured out the situation she was in—even if he cared to know, which he clearly did not.
The woman appeared again. “He says he’s George Cornelius Convery, he owns half of Manhattan, and if I don’t take him to his daughter he’s going to have all of us thrown in jail.”
Oh, God! How had he known?
“The George Convery? He’s your father?” The man grabbed the file from on top of the cabinet and extracted a sheet of paper, which he tore into small pieces and discarded in a nearby trash bucket. He retrieved the cash he’d stuffed in his pocket and threw it into May’s lap. “Put it back in your purse. And hurry up about it.”
He turned to the woman still hovering anxiously in the doorway. “Go tell him that we haven’t touched his daughter. We never had any intention of doing so. As a matter of fact, we were about to send her away and contact the family.”
But there was no time to deliver his hurriedly contrived message. The next moment, George Convery burst into the room, wielding his ebony cane like a weapon, spewing more expletives than May ever could have imagined strung together in one sentence. There was no reasoning with him, nothing to do but allow herself to be dragged from the tiny room into the hall and out to the waiting carriage. Nothing to say but I’m sorry, Father. No one to offer a single word or gesture of comfort as they rode along in silence, headed back to the Converys’ Fifth Avenue mansion.
About the Author
Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard is an award-winning author of historical fiction. Her novel The Beauty Doctor is a suspenseful tale that takes place in the early days of cosmetic surgery—when the world of medicine was a bit like the Wild West and beauty doctors were the newest breed of outlaw. Temptation Rag: A Novel immerses readers in the bawdy atmosphere of vaudeville and early twentieth-century African American musical theater in a story about the price of freedom, the longing for immortality, and the human need to find forgiveness. Elizabeth currently lives in Arizona with her husband and their much-loved and very spoiled black Lab.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, February 18
Review at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, February 19
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Wednesday, February 20
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads
Excerpt at What Is That Book About
Friday, February 22
Excerpt at Maiden of the Pages
Saturday, February 23
Guest Post at The Chocolate Lady’s Book Reviews
Monday, February 25
Review at Peppermint Ph.D.
Tuesday, February 26
Excerpt at CelticLady’s Reviews
Wednesday, February 27
Interview at Passages to the Past
Friday, March 1
Review at View from the Birdhouse
Monday, March 4
Review at Macsbooks
Wednesday, March 6
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Friday, March 8
Excerpt at Broken Teepee
Tuesday, March 12
Review at Reader then Blogger
Friday, March 15
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at Passages to the Past
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads
Excerpt at What Is That Book About
Excerpt at Maiden of the Pages
Guest Post at The Chocolate Lady’s Book Reviews
Review at Peppermint Ph.D.
Excerpt at CelticLady’s Reviews
Interview at Passages to the Past
Review at View from the Birdhouse
Review at Macsbooks
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Excerpt at Broken Teepee
Review at Reader then Blogger
Review at Coffee and Ink
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away copies of Bernard's other novel, The Beauty Doctor. One paperback and two eBooks are up for grabs. To enter, please use the Gleam form below.Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open to US only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
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