An Air Force veteran and avocational archaeologist, M.A. Monnin enjoys traveling and makes a point to visit archaeological sites wherever she goes. Her short crime fiction has also been published in Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible. Look for her next short story in an upcoming issue of Black Cat Mystery Magazine. Learn more about her and her stories at her website where you can also find links to her other social media sites.
Notes From the Gimlet Lounge
In my short story “Siren Song”, Hawk Hathaway spends his evenings in the Gimlet Lounge, a current dive bar and former speakeasy. Like most of the patrons, he goes there to lose himself in the music and to forget the hard facts of life.
Greta, the bar owner’s daughter and bartender extraordinaire, claims to make the best cocktails in the city—Kansas City, Missouri. And who am I to argue with a sassy woman in a plaid miniskirt and biker boots? She takes care of her customers, and has certainly caught Hawk Hathaway’s eye.
Cocktails and mocktails are her specialty. Here’s one that’s popular on hot summer nights, a sure-to-please Mojito, followed by a non-alcoholic version. Because sometimes you can’t, shouldn’t, or simply don’t want to drink alcohol.
Mojito
One tall serving.
2-3 sprigs mint (12-15 mint leaves)
Frozen limeade concentrate, partially thawed, 2 heaping tablespoons
Bacardi Superior rum—3 oz. or two shots
Ice cubes
Perrier- plain or lime flavored.
In a pint glass, muddle mint sprigs or just mint leaves with limeade concentrate and rum. Mix well. Top with desired amount of ice, then fill glass with Perrier. To preserve the Perrier carbonation, stir gently with a swizzle stick.
Mockito
Follow the above directions, simply leaving out the rum. Still delicious and refreshing. And family friendly, too!
Greta says the cool mint and limeade are particularly satisfying when enjoyed in the evening with the sultry sounds of jazz playing in the background. If you, like the patrons of the Gimlet Lounge, want to lose yourself in the world of nightclubs, music, and mystery, check out All That Weird Jazz.
All That Weird Jazz
Jazz. A music of improvisation, of passion, of its very own kind of magic. Considered by many to be the only truly original American form of music, it has, since its birth in a smoky room somewhere, also been tied to the strange, wrapped up in the supernatural, associated with the occult, at least in hints and shadows. In All That Weird Jazz several of the most innovative writers in genre fiction today tell tales of the unusual between the notes, the magic behind the music. From straight up pulp action to ghostly noir to a dragon who digs jazz more than anyone else, All That Weird Jazz takes love for this unique musical styling to an all new level, complete with adventure, thrills, and even a chill or two.
Stories include:
“Siren Song”
by M. A. Monnin
Hawk Hathaway is a man in need of redemption. Righting a 90-year-old wrong will either save his soul or cost him his life. To live with himself, he has to try.
“Trane Blue—A Cornelius Dex Story”
By Kimberly Richardson
One man’s life changes in the course of a night, thanks to good jazz and a surly dragon.
“Ghost in the Jazz”
By E. W. Farnsworth
‘Gone’ and ‘Lost’ jazz performers Max and Sixie continue their musical partnership after Max’s murder to solve the crime and exact revenge.
“Django in Paris”
By Davide Mana
In occupied Paris, Django Reinhardt moves like a ghost, and his music is an inspiration for those that oppose the Nazis. Now, people in Berlin and Wewelsburg want to learn his secret. And stop him.
“Jazz Juice”
By McCallum Morgan
The discovery of a rare record with a supernatural secret will send Nyle on a search for the soul of music. Retracing the footsteps of his favorite trumpet player from the 1920s, he will encounter voodoo and discover just how much he’s willing to give for music.
“Sounds and Sweet Airs”
By Sharae Allen
Headstrong psychic Dorothy Baxter must save her jazz club haven from human and supernatural forces during Prohibition. As she grows into her powers under the watchful eye of a ruthless club owner and conjure woman, she learns that even though she can see the future, there is no way to escape it.
“Midnight Fugue”
By Mark Barnard
1930s New Orleans—a city of hot jazz, good times and voodoo. It started with a broken reed, a severed head and a strangely glowing tarot card, and ended with something far worse.
“Dark Magus”
By James Hopwood
When an ancient being that feeds on sound escapes from a confinement facility in Africa and threatens the very fabric of society, there’s only one man who can save us all—the coolest hepcat on the planet, Miles Davis.
“Starshine in Storyville”
By Ernest Russell
Can music save us all? As long as the Guardians of Storyville are here to defend us, yes.
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