Moonlightaholics

oh red,

You really ARE the queen of historical fiction. That was breathtaking!

Frankie they also showed a man raised in poverty, in dirt and fight and blood, desperate to present a veneer of class and success, success worthy of respect and admiration.

It's these little tidbits that I love so much, that makes your work so rich.

And I, too didn't know it was Josef until the end. Brava!

<waves to Fleur; I lived in Chicago--around the corner from where Dillinger was shot--for seven years and have such fond memories . . .>

Aw, thank you, sbj .

It seems I've got the thumbs up from the Chicago/ex-Chicago community - and that makes me very happy indeed.

Red

Utterly captivating, Red. Brava.

Phoenix wrote:Utterly captivating, Red. Brava.

Thanks, honey. Glad you enjoyed it .

Red

Yes red, if one didn't know any better, they would think you were a Chicago gal.

sbj~*waves back* Really? That is so cool. It is a great town, isn't it?

Thanks Lisa

Because I know how irritating it is to read/watch something about your home town and be distracted by things that just aren't quite right.

Red

Josef as a former mobster ...
Yeeessss... it could be thruth ...

Exelent story.
Thank you, Red

Thanks, Albra.

Creating a past for Josef is such fun...

Red

Read this before and enjoyed it again in Champaign Challenges.

Yet another sliver of information in the rich, varied past of Josef Kostan. Another name. Another identity.

Stunning detail and richness in your description of Chicago of that era.

Thank you!

Thanks, jen - this was a really fun little story to write.

Red

Holy mackeral -- this Valentine's Day Massacre gave birth to multiple Champagne Challenges. Red, you did such a good job with this and this discovery of betrayal was utterly chilling:

redwinter101 wrote:They raked along the line in a matter of seconds. Just as Frankie half-turned to greet them, he felt the bullet tear though his flank. Then another three hit him in the chest as he spun. This was all wrong. This wasn't how it was supposed to go down. The betrayer betrayed. Pain, blood, shock, a cloud surrounding him as he fell.

"Damn you, Capone," his last, whispered words.

Yet through it all, I could totally see Josef as a former gangster! And a baby-faced one at that. It would suit his personality for the most part, but he's definitely a gangster we all can love. But ultimately his eventual failed quest for wealth and power led him to become Charles Fitzgerald and to finding Sarah, so all's well that (kinda) ends well....

Thanks, Moonlighter - this was a really fun piece to write and it's SO lovely to see it getting a read. There are so many possibilities for Josef's backstory - bootlegging Chicago was too good an opportunity to pass up.



Red

I'm making my way through old challenges and I loved reading about Josef in Chicago in it's underworld heyday. You do have a gift for setting a visual stage with your writing. Ironically The Untouchables arrived in my Netflix mailing today so I was in the perfect mood for Capone.

Nicely done, Red!

I love your description of Josef as "Babyface."

Small-time hoods weren't going to prevent him building the biggest business empire in America. Nothing was going to prevent that.

Foreshadowing Josef's future... I like it!

Thank you!

Red

Read this again when it popped up on Active Topics.

What a wonderful grasp you have on the genre of that era! You capture the sights, sounds, and ambiance--or I should say, I think you capture the sights, sounds and ambiance of that era brilliantly--don't know much about it and it is my country we're talking about.

And what a splended reveal at the end when we learn that 'Frankie' was 'Charles/Josef'!

Sometimes, we learn more from the painful losses than successes, and this one must have stung, but Josef would not enjoy his successes nearly as much if there weren't a few hard knocks to contrast them with.

This was fabulous!

Thank you!

Jenna