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Juliana #2
Olympus Nights On The Square
What if your love was illegal? What would you do?
It’s 1945. Juliana wants to be a star and she has the singing voice to do it.
Alice (Al) is determined to make Juliana into the star she wants to be.
The worst thing that could happen to Juliana is to be discovered as gay.
The worst thing that could happen to Al is to lose Juliana.
Al must guard their secret at all costs.
Will the gossip columnists and the new laws destroy them?
If you like stories about 1950s Manhattan and behind the scenes drama in theater and nightclubs you’ll love, Olympus Nights on the Square: Book 3 of the Juliana Series. You can enter the season at any point. It’s sexy, funny and deadly serious; it’s full of mobsters, the FBI, McCarthyism, gay bashing, lesbian pulp, a beginning awareness of transgender persons and “cures” for homosexuality. A lot like now.
Get your copy today!
It’s 1945. Juliana wants to be a star and she has the singing voice to do it.
Alice (Al) is determined to make Juliana into the star she wants to be.
The worst thing that could happen to Juliana is to be discovered as gay.
The worst thing that could happen to Al is to lose Juliana.
Al must guard their secret at all costs.
Will the gossip columnists and the new laws destroy them?
If you like stories about 1950s Manhattan and behind the scenes drama in theater and nightclubs you’ll love, Olympus Nights on the Square: Book 3 of the Juliana Series. You can enter the season at any point. It’s sexy, funny and deadly serious; it’s full of mobsters, the FBI, McCarthyism, gay bashing, lesbian pulp, a beginning awareness of transgender persons and “cures” for homosexuality. A lot like now.
Get your copy today!
382 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2017
57 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
Vanda
9 books384 followersI was born and raised in Huntington Station, Long Island, but my mother would never let us call it that. She said we came from South Huntington. Saying we were from Huntington Station, according to my mother, made it sound like we came from the other side of the tracks. And, well, Mom, we did and that fact has greatly influenced my writing.
I wrote my first novel in eighth grade, with encouragement from my teacher, Mr. James Evers, who said, "My children will read your words." (They did) I went on to win an Edward Albee Fellowship among other awards for playwriting. One of my plays, VILE AFFECTIONS, was a finalist for the National Lambda Literary Award.
I am currently writing a series of novels about LGBT modern history that is NOT for LGBT folks only. These are books about people surviving and rising through some very difficult and dark days. However, these are not gloomy books. The characters are filled with spirit and lots of humor. The series begins in 1941, shortly before WW2. So far I have completed through 1956. There is a core romance that begins in the first book and continues through each book that follows. The same characters mature and change throughout each book. The latest book in the series to be published is Do You Know Dorothy? Book 5, Part 1.
I wrote my first novel in eighth grade, with encouragement from my teacher, Mr. James Evers, who said, "My children will read your words." (They did) I went on to win an Edward Albee Fellowship among other awards for playwriting. One of my plays, VILE AFFECTIONS, was a finalist for the National Lambda Literary Award.
I am currently writing a series of novels about LGBT modern history that is NOT for LGBT folks only. These are books about people surviving and rising through some very difficult and dark days. However, these are not gloomy books. The characters are filled with spirit and lots of humor. The series begins in 1941, shortly before WW2. So far I have completed through 1956. There is a core romance that begins in the first book and continues through each book that follows. The same characters mature and change throughout each book. The latest book in the series to be published is Do You Know Dorothy? Book 5, Part 1.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 13, 2018
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"The plot, the writing and character development are excellent."
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"The plot, the writing and character development are excellent."
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September 12, 2018Sept 12th - Free at the mo https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
August 21, 2021
Extremely well written and difficult to put down. In this second of books in the series, Vanda continues the story of the lives of Al, Juliana, Max, Shirl, and others that began in the late 30s (Book 1) and now continues beginning in the '50s, during the height of the McCarthy era. The book describes the hatred and shame placed on anyone suspected of being gay, and the hardships the LGBT community faced, including loss of livelihoods, incarceration, beatings, ostracisation, and 'curing treatment' at the hands of mental institutions.
Set within that framework, we see Al's growth, development, and maturation, which started in Book 1 when she was a timid late teen, as a young woman in her twenties and early thirties. She slowly comes to the recognition and acceptance of her sexuality as a lesbian, amidst her increasing love and admiration for Juliana. We see Al continue to be disturbed by the press's and society's constant villainizing of the homosexual community--a community Al has found to be her 'home' and family. The book has many twists and turns as we watch Al skillfully learning the tricks of running a nightclub, being a talent scout, and using her abilities to help Juliana launch a professional career.
Al is the polar opposite of the enigmatic Juliana, who is so push-pull and self-centered. Everything revolves around her and her career, and she often treats Al as if she is her personal love toy that she can use at her bidding. In reality, she does admire Al for her keen abilities as a talent scout and does seem drawn to her. While I get Juliana's over-cautiousness, I find Juliana's character super unappealing and outright abusive of Al, and don't understand why she continues to be abused and hurt. I think the answer lies in the fact that she truly loves Juliana, despite Juliana's mostly unrequited love.
This series is very insightful, poignant, and a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the struggles of the LGBTQ community in 20th century America, and the forced hiding the LGBTQ community faced then is still seen today in so many places in the U.S. and world, where homophobia is very much alive.
Set within that framework, we see Al's growth, development, and maturation, which started in Book 1 when she was a timid late teen, as a young woman in her twenties and early thirties. She slowly comes to the recognition and acceptance of her sexuality as a lesbian, amidst her increasing love and admiration for Juliana. We see Al continue to be disturbed by the press's and society's constant villainizing of the homosexual community--a community Al has found to be her 'home' and family. The book has many twists and turns as we watch Al skillfully learning the tricks of running a nightclub, being a talent scout, and using her abilities to help Juliana launch a professional career.
Al is the polar opposite of the enigmatic Juliana, who is so push-pull and self-centered. Everything revolves around her and her career, and she often treats Al as if she is her personal love toy that she can use at her bidding. In reality, she does admire Al for her keen abilities as a talent scout and does seem drawn to her. While I get Juliana's over-cautiousness, I find Juliana's character super unappealing and outright abusive of Al, and don't understand why she continues to be abused and hurt. I think the answer lies in the fact that she truly loves Juliana, despite Juliana's mostly unrequited love.
This series is very insightful, poignant, and a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the struggles of the LGBTQ community in 20th century America, and the forced hiding the LGBTQ community faced then is still seen today in so many places in the U.S. and world, where homophobia is very much alive.
October 19, 2017
I received an advance ARC from the author for my honest review and I purchased it from amazon.com.
Something I like to do to support my favorite Indy Authors.
Olympus Nights on the Square is historic read, that expertly researched, an educational read even as much of what Vanda writes about telling lesbian/gay history, how they were lumped as Communist's or thought that they be criminals, drunks or that lesbians would be killers. I wasn't a ware of it and it makes the read all that more important to read.
I liked Vanda's writing style, she writes an engaging story, she puts the reader right in the pages, has unforgettable characters, your at the Copa drinking a martini, watching Juliana singing on the stage, sitting at the bar drinking a beer at the Olympus and reads like a play or a movie even.
Even if your not into the reading LBGT books, but like reading post World War 2 books, the author keeps it relatively clean, scenes change before they get to graphic and think you like this one.
She writes it for the time period of post War World 2, the late 40's, early 50's, the racial wordings are done in a way that to me wasn't offensive and found the psychology used in the institutions to be more brutal to read.
The method they used to try to cure Scott's being attracted to men, was pretty scary reading, can't believe even at that time that a Psychologist or anyone in the Mental Health profession would think that it would actually work.
I liked that it's set in New York City, like how Vanda took actually history regarding the celebrities from that time period, added real places, and expertly blended it with her fictional characters.
My favorite character is Alice 'Al' Huffman, she's grownup into a tough, strong women for that time period, found her place in the City and the opposite was what you usually read about women characters from that era.
Definitely give this one a try, you might just end up liking it.
Something I like to do to support my favorite Indy Authors.
Olympus Nights on the Square is historic read, that expertly researched, an educational read even as much of what Vanda writes about telling lesbian/gay history, how they were lumped as Communist's or thought that they be criminals, drunks or that lesbians would be killers. I wasn't a ware of it and it makes the read all that more important to read.
I liked Vanda's writing style, she writes an engaging story, she puts the reader right in the pages, has unforgettable characters, your at the Copa drinking a martini, watching Juliana singing on the stage, sitting at the bar drinking a beer at the Olympus and reads like a play or a movie even.
Even if your not into the reading LBGT books, but like reading post World War 2 books, the author keeps it relatively clean, scenes change before they get to graphic and think you like this one.
She writes it for the time period of post War World 2, the late 40's, early 50's, the racial wordings are done in a way that to me wasn't offensive and found the psychology used in the institutions to be more brutal to read.
The method they used to try to cure Scott's being attracted to men, was pretty scary reading, can't believe even at that time that a Psychologist or anyone in the Mental Health profession would think that it would actually work.
I liked that it's set in New York City, like how Vanda took actually history regarding the celebrities from that time period, added real places, and expertly blended it with her fictional characters.
My favorite character is Alice 'Al' Huffman, she's grownup into a tough, strong women for that time period, found her place in the City and the opposite was what you usually read about women characters from that era.
Definitely give this one a try, you might just end up liking it.
October 29, 2017
In the post-war years, Al (Alice) becomes a career girl, first working for her friend, Max, helping him manage a new nightclub and then as the manager of the second club they open. But these years also see repression. It was never easy to be gay, but the late 40s and 1950s make it even more difficult, with government and Hollywood purges and increased awareness of what is called "perversion." Throughout it all, Al harbors her ongoing love for the singer, Juliana, and even begins to manage her career in the background, with Juliana's husband, Richard, being the visible manager.
I loved the original two book volume, Juliana, which spans the pre-war and WWII years, introducing us to Al, Max, Juliana and the other major characters. This book is also wonderful, but it feels more like a bridge to the next era or possibly a later one. There's just not that much plot, though many fascinating incidents and again great historical detail. I learned a lot but there just wasn't much of a story beyond watching Al's career blossom, the set-backs others experienced because of the Red and Lavender Scares and standing by as Al still can't make things work with Juliana. Still, this is worth reading and I'm looking forward to the next installment.
I loved the original two book volume, Juliana, which spans the pre-war and WWII years, introducing us to Al, Max, Juliana and the other major characters. This book is also wonderful, but it feels more like a bridge to the next era or possibly a later one. There's just not that much plot, though many fascinating incidents and again great historical detail. I learned a lot but there just wasn't much of a story beyond watching Al's career blossom, the set-backs others experienced because of the Red and Lavender Scares and standing by as Al still can't make things work with Juliana. Still, this is worth reading and I'm looking forward to the next installment.
April 19, 2021
Loved this book! Given all that happened to Al in the first book, this one really showed Al’s growth from her “country girl” persona. She quotes magazines less and instead starts to rely on her experiences. It’s really fun to read her confronting what she thought she knew about the world versus what she’s actually experiencing. And then her internal struggle to unlearn really ignorant things about the very people she spends all her time with really grounds the book. You really feel like you’re watching her grow in a positive way and soon she starts making her own decisions instead of constantly relying on others to do that for her. Also, her foray into club management keeps you on your toes. My word! You’re never really sure what to expect but man, you are NEVER disappointed!
February 14, 2018
To read my full review of Volume 2: https://natachabooksreview.wordpress.... Don't miss also my full review of Juliana (Volume 1) which can be found on my blog by going to the category Vanda.
I absolutely loved reading volume 2, i already cannot wait for volume 3 and others to come if there are any after that. I was happy to welcome back Alice and Juliana into my reading life, two beautifully written LGBT characters. While there are some sexual and sensual passages, what i appreciate the most is that the book doesn’t need to be an erotica to allow LGBT characters to be taken seriously.
For the excellent penmanship that Vanda proves by her experience as a writer and for the wonderful story, giving a 5 stars rating is very easy to do.
I absolutely loved reading volume 2, i already cannot wait for volume 3 and others to come if there are any after that. I was happy to welcome back Alice and Juliana into my reading life, two beautifully written LGBT characters. While there are some sexual and sensual passages, what i appreciate the most is that the book doesn’t need to be an erotica to allow LGBT characters to be taken seriously.
For the excellent penmanship that Vanda proves by her experience as a writer and for the wonderful story, giving a 5 stars rating is very easy to do.
November 10, 2017
Olympus is the kind of book that I begin when I know I have time to read it through to the end. I looked forward to this continuation of the stories of Juliana (Vol.1) and her friends as they moved into the 1950’s with its post-war constrictions on social norms. Vanda expertly captures the time and place. The risks and dangers these LGBT people faced as they navigated through Greenwich Village provides the kind of suspense that keeps me up all night as I kept them company on their journeys. I look forward with excitement to Vol.3.
October 20, 2017
I read Juliana (Books 1 & 2) and couldn't resist finding out what happens to Al so I bought Book 3. I was not disappointed. Olympus Nights introduced me to post war time in the United States and painted a realistic picture of what it meant to be a homosexual during the time of the McCarthy witch-hunt for communists and the dangers of being lumped together with other undesirables.
I cannot wait for Book 4 to find out where this journey with Alice takes us.
I cannot wait for Book 4 to find out where this journey with Alice takes us.
January 8, 2018
Great follow-up book to Juliana! It's more anxiety-inducing with the red scare going on, and Alice is a bit less of a sympathetic character than she is in the first book, making the story seem even more realistic and engaging. As with the first book, all of these characters seem like real people! I keep forgetting that this isn't a true story and that all of these people came from one person's imagination. I can't wait for next installment!
October 23, 2017
The book is too mired down in being a history lesson to move along at a decent pace. Very little of the story has to do with Al and Juliana. Instead it focuses too much on rehashing history and the other characters. Would have been nice to see Al actually evolve and develop a bit but that was lacking as well.
May 15, 2018
Another great novel!!!
It deserves five stars because the novel is well written. I am certain the research to create the era took long long hours. I felt the period, the music, and the dress code for men and women. Yet, I like the first book of the series a bit more. Nevertheless, this is another great novel that will make you crave for more.
It deserves five stars because the novel is well written. I am certain the research to create the era took long long hours. I felt the period, the music, and the dress code for men and women. Yet, I like the first book of the series a bit more. Nevertheless, this is another great novel that will make you crave for more.
November 25, 2017
Fantastic
This book and it's predecessors are absolutely fantastic. I spent most of the book mad at Juliana, but I want them together so bad. Other times, I just want her to move on. I want to know more, I need the next book!
This book and it's predecessors are absolutely fantastic. I spent most of the book mad at Juliana, but I want them together so bad. Other times, I just want her to move on. I want to know more, I need the next book!
August 17, 2021
I’m really enjoying this series! On to book three!
November 8, 2021
Excellent
I love all the characters but some of the things that happened to them, just because they are LGBT, was absolutely awful
I love all the characters but some of the things that happened to them, just because they are LGBT, was absolutely awful
August 17, 2020
Yeah I definitely love these characters. Great writing.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews