Author J. R. LaGreca, Historical Fiction/Mystery, Modern Fiction With Intrigue!

A Saga of Forbidden Love, the Culture of High Society and Their Irony
Author J.R. LaGreca pens an engaging tale set in a fascinating era wrought with emotion and intrigue

Long Island, NY – June 9, 2008 – High society of the Victorian Age was as fraught with hypocrisy as modern times. Enter this fascinating era in New England and witness a saga of forbidden love, the standards of high society and their paradox unfold in Afternoon Tea, an engaging tale written by J.R. LaGreca. Get a glimpse of a glittering, yet cruel world where image and status are everything.

With a bundle of roses in one hand and a walking cane in the other, Lawrence Gray, an elderly gentleman, braves the cold Northeastern winter as he makes his way to Saint James Cemetery. There, he offers the flowers to his wife who passed away forty years ago. Lawrence’s devotion to his long-dead wife elicits curiosity from Meg Bailey, a neighbor who spies on him from her kitchen window every morning. Meg’s curiosity hits a peak when town historian, Fanny Brund, invites her for afternoon tea and reveals the mystery surrounding the Grays. In a bid to uncover the truth behind Lawrence Gray’s guilt over his wife’s untimely death, Fanny warps back to the year 1895 — only to unravel a secret that will change Meg’s life forever. . .

How will Meg handle the harbingers of the past? Can she convince Lawrence he is not to blame for his wife’s death with a clear conscience? Will Lawrence ever let go of his guilty burden and live the rest of his days in peace? Discover the answers as you take a refreshing break to indulge in a delightful Afternoon Tea.

Having proven her mastery in the field of poetry, award-winning poet J.R. LaGreca dips her eloquent pen in the fiction genre and crafts a relentlessly riveting novel; one that paints a live, breathing portrait about high society of the Victorian Age, the Gilded Age, Roaring Twenties and beyond, and the irony of it all. Afternoon Tea is one unforgettably engrossing read; a masterful work by one of fiction’s most promising new talents.

About the Author
Jody Riva LaGreca was born in Sea Gate, Brooklyn the first gated community outside Coney Island, and moved to Long Island as a young child. She has a BA in Writing/English from Queens College, and graduated Phi Theta Kappa Magna Cum Laude in Fashion Apparel Design. She is a freelance writer, award-winning poet, and a member of Madison Who’s Who. Her work has been internationally published in magazines and anthologies. She was a featured poet at Borders Books & Music. One of her poems is included in a 50 year time capsule at Rock Hall Museum, a historical site for their 50th Anniversary. After graduating college she worked in a family business with her mother and sister named Dreams, and designed and manufactured couture dresses and accessories which have been in magazines, on the covers of trade journals, and sold nationwide. Designing has been a family passion; her first cousin, the late Costume Designer, Wayne Finkelman, renowned for his contribution to the Motion Picture Industry has been an inspiration for her. You may visit her website at www.jrlagreca.com
Afternoon Tea * by J.R. LaGreca
Publication Date: June 4, 2008
Trade Paperback; $19.99; 271 pages; 978-1-4257-9098-1
Cloth Hardback; $29.00; 271 pages; 978-1-4257-9112-4

To purchase copies of the book please call (888) 795-4274 x.7876 or order online at www.xlibris.com, www.amazon.com, www.bn.com, www.borders.com, or visit your local bookstore.