Why I Wrote RAG DOLL, the fifth Jana Lane mystery,
published by The Wild Rose Press
by Joe Cosentino
As a young actor playing opposite stars like Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Jason Robards, Holland Taylor, and many others, I was incredibly fortunate to find out first-hand what goes on behind the scenes (no pun intended) of a theatre stage, movie set, and television studio. As a child I loved child stars like Shirley Temple, Hayley Mills, and Patty Duke, seeing their movies over and over. So I used my admiration for those child stars along with my show business experiences to create a heroine who was the biggest child star ever until she was attacked on the studio lot at eighteen years old.
In PAPER DOLL Jana at thirty-eight lives with her family in a mansion in picturesque Hudson Valley, New York. Her flashbacks from the past become murder attempts in her future. Jana ventures back to Hollywood and uncovers a web of secrets about everyone she loves. In PORCELAIN DOLL, Jana makes a comeback film and discovers who is being murdered on the set and why. In SATIN DOLL, Jana and family head to Washington, DC, where Jana plays a US senator in a new film, and becomes embroiled in murder and corruption at the senate chamber. In CHINA DOLL, Jana heads to New York City to star in a Broadway play, faced with murder on stage and off. In each case Jana also encounters romance with a different leading man. As I come from a funny Italian family and am a huge mystery buff, Jana also experiences many comical situations, plot twists and turns, and a shocking ending in each book.
Now in RAG DOLL with Miami Vice and Murder She Wrote being all the rage of television, Jana stars in a new television mystery series, The Detective’s Wife, opposite Chris Bove, the hunky detective who got away in SATIN DOLL. Guest starring on the show is young ingénue Christa Bianca, a rags to riches story who has flooded the press. Life imitates television as Christa’s loved ones are murdered, and Christa and Jana could be next. Once again it’s up to Jana to use her knowledge from her days as America’s most famous child star and save the day before the lights fade to black. Jana’s amazingly resilient, old world Hollywood, incredibly funny, and loyal agent, Simon Huckby, is back. The other suspects include Jason, the young prop man with a secret; bit players Karen and makeup girl Cindi who have their eyes on Christa’s guest starring role; two couples in supporting roles who have a conflict with Christa and Christa’s husband/manager, the domineering Andrew Bianca; Christa’s calculating agent Stu, and her Uncle Nick, trying to stay in show business on Christa’s coattails. So settle back on the sofa, get the remote and popcorn, and turn on the television for the next Jana Lane mystery! BTW, I want to play Simon Huckby in the TV series! I love to hear from readers. Please contact me via my web site at:
http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com
RAG DOLL, a Jana Lane mystery
by Joe Cosentino
published by The Wild Rose Press
http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4671-rag-doll.html
http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4671-rag-doll.html
http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/4753-rag-doll-paperback.html
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ragdoll-2126977-367.html
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rag-doll-joe-cosentino/1124742578?ean=2940156928002
Murder, romance, and scandal on and off the set of Jana Lane’s new murder mystery television show. America’s most famous ex-child star Jana Lane is starring in The Detective’s Wife, a murder mystery television show in 1985. Guest starring on the show is Christa Bianca, a rags-to-riches ingénue who has flooded the entertainment press. Life imitates television as cast members are murdered, and once again it’s up to Jana, along with sexy ex-detective Chris Bove, to save the day before the lights fade to black.
Praise for CHINA DOLL, a Jana Lane mystery:
“Set on Broadway in 1984, “China Doll”…combines plenty of drama with a mystery complex enough to keep the reader guessing. Every member of the cast has not only some depth but intertwining romance and quirk to spare. The romance surrounding Jana as she struggles between remaining faithful to her husband and the feelings that stir around Peter will leave the reader torn until the end. With a smooth pace, intriguing mystery, and plenty of danger…An excellent read for lovers of mystery and drama!” Ind’Tale Magazine
“Joe Cosentino never disappoints…his novels are superb. I find myself addicted to each story that he writes, and once he writes a new book the characters end up being added to my all-time favorite lists. There’s plenty of action, intrigue, and murder to go around. A talented writer whose words constantly draw me in every time. I look forward to the next masterfully woven story in this series. Jana Lane is definitely a new female sleuth that should be on everyone’s reading list. I highly recommend China Doll to readers worldwide.” Urban Book Reviews
Praise for SATIN DOLL, a Jana Lane mystery:
“A book that will captivate any reader! A page turner that won’t let you go! This is one author you can always depend on to publish a good read!!” Stormy Nights Reviewing
“Joe Cosentino is a brilliant mastermind when creating the perfect mystery series. In each novel in this intriguing series of his, Jana Lane Mysteries, readers are blown away by his writing. The instant readers jump into Joe Cosentino’s fictional world, the danger feels real, the suspense is killing, and the plot moves so fast. Action, lights, camera!” “A fast-paced murder mystery that readers will easily fall in love with…and one they can’t live without. Overall, I highly recommend this new title in the Jana Lane Mysteries and look forward to the next best adventure from Joe Cosentino.” Urban Book Reviews
Praise for PORCELAIN DOLL, a Jana Lane mystery:
“Porcelain Doll is Joe Cosentino at his finest. We are drawn back to the fashions and attitudes of the 1980’s in a character-driven story full of intrigue and passion.” Kirsty Vizard, Divine Magazine
“Beautifully written and intensely detailed, Porcelain Doll is one not to be missed. Flirtatiously decadent with a strong moral undertone, set in a decade of extraordinary social change this is a story of its period that is as poignant today as it was then. Joe Cosentino controlled the emotions that the book encouraged with a deft but delicate touch. Suspenseful and mysterious, Porcelain Doll is a masterful creation, one that was impossible not to be affected by.” Carol Fenton, BooksLaidBare Reviews
“Murder, mystery, and suspense are high inside of this brilliant masterpiece by Joe Cosentino.” “Every page fills the readers with intrigue.” “Edge of your seat mystery that lures readers instantly.” “Once you read it, you can’t put it down.” Urban Book Reviews
“Porcelain Doll hooks from the start with characters behaving badly, all of whom have life-changing secrets.” “The story includes a nice arc, well-developed characters, and a few unexpected surprises.” InD’tale Magazine
Praises for PAPER DOLL, the first Jana Lane mystery:
“Paper Doll is a superbly crafted mystery with an eclectic cast of characters that will engage you and elicit some very emotional responses as you are completely caught up in the events that unfold in these pages. Everyone has secrets and the people in Paper Doll have them in spades!” Fresh Fiction
“If you like novels that are filled with new and old Hollywood, and a range of sub-plots, you are going to love this!” Saguaro Moon Reviews
“I liked that there was enough evidence for each of the suspects to keep me guessing until the very end.” Molly Lolly Reviews
“Joe Cosentino knows how to keep his readers’ interest with every page.” Urban Book Reviews
“Mr. Cosentino has produced a masterpiece of mystery” “The story gripped me from the start and there were enough twists and turns, with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, to keep hold of me until the end of the book.” “Great book, can’t wait for book 2.” Readers’ Favorite
Print ISBN 978-1-5092-
Digital ISBN 978-1-5092- 29
Released: November 16, 2016
Pages: 260
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor
Bestselling author Joe Cosentino won Divine Magazine’s awards for best mystery novel, best humorous novel, and best contemporary novel of 2015. He is the author of the Jana Lane mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll (The Wild Rose Press); the Nicky and Noah mysteries: Drama Queen, Drama Muscle, and the upcoming Drama Cruise and Drama Luau (Lethe Press); the Cozzi Cove beach series: Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, and the upcoming Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out (NineStar Press); and the romance novellas: In My Heart anthology (An Infatuation & A Shooting Star), A Home for the Holidays, and The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland (Dreamspinner Press); and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (Eldridge Plays and Musicals). As an actor, he has appeared in principal roles in film, television, and theatre opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. Joe is currently head of the department/professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married. http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com
Web site: http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com
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Amazon: Author.to/JoeCosentino
An excerpt of RAG DOLL by Joe Cosentino, published by The Wild Rose Press:
Jana and Bove did the scene again with a thin piece of gauze over the camera lens aimed at Jana.
Ah, the plight of a middle-aged actress.
Jana felt even better about that take. Their relationship worked, and the energy bounced back and forth between them almost effortlessly. Again Jana wondered what it would be like sharing her days with Bove and kissing Bove in bed before sleep each night.
Herm’s call for action brought Jana back to the scene. Bove’s close-up was even better than the first two takes. It was as if they had been married for years with an easygoing yet emotional rapport.
“Cut!”
“Good job, partner.”
Bove smiled at Jana. “Right back at you.”
As she started to rise from the bed, Jana spotted Christa in the distance with a look of horror on her face.
The young woman screamed as a lighting screen headed straight for her. Stu Silverman, standing next to Christa, noticed and pushed Christa out of the way in
the nick of time. The screen crashed to the floor inches away from Christa’s feet. Standing on the other side of her, Andrew Bianca took his wife in his arms, and she
wept on his shoulder.
Bove whispered to Jana, “Here we go again.”
Please welcome my guest, Linda Carroll-Bradd
BIO
Barbara Edwards Comments 