Excerpt Tour: Flamingo Café

I’m happy to welcome author Jackie Kang. Today, Jackie shares her new release, Flamingo Café.

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.

Excerpt

I close my eyes and savor the calm moment, counting to ten and listening for the sound of the espresso machine whirling to life before opening my eyes and sprinkling my hands with the flour needed for the cutting board.

Looking for a distraction from my thoughts, and before getting started, I reach over and switch on the small television we keep in the back, quickly setting the channel to WESH 2 news. Then, with the soft hum of the reporters in the background, I prepare to get back to the work of baking pastries. Ignoring the oven scars taking up entirely too much real estate across my knuckles and wrists, I begin rolling the dough for the mini mango-Key lime pie tarts.

The simple act of kneading the dough is enough to lift my spirits, and it’s not long before I lose myself in the rhythm of the baking. Measuring ingredients, setting the mixer, sliding the pans into the oven—each task completed working ten times better than any therapy session. The stress of the morning melts off me like the butter in the pan as the routine unfolds.

My forearms are burning as I roll the dough with more force than is necessary, flattening it repeatedly against the counter when there is a buzzing in my back pocket. Without wiping my hands on the towel, I snatch the phone from my jeans.

Nick.

I have to swipe my floury finger across the screen two times before the phone finally accepts the call.

“Nick, what took you so long?” I practically shout into the phone, now on speaker.

“Dude, Cassy…” Nick drags the words out, like he’s just woken up, checked his missed calls, and decided to call back even though he’s still half asleep. “Why so early?”

Author Bio and Links

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.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon Buy Link

Giveaway

Jackie Kang will be awarding a $20 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

Follow Jackie on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

8 responses to “Excerpt Tour: Flamingo Café

  1. Thank you so much for hosting Flamingo Cafe! I’m excited to be here and happy to answer an questions readers might have for me! -Jackie Kang

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