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The Broken Shade
An old Denver home holds the shade of a haunted past. It's 1986 and waitress Freja O'Connell is remodeling a century-old house in a seedy part of Denver known as Five Points. Dead broke and needing money to restore the old Victorian charmer, she elects to take a job slinging cocktails at a local men's club, marking the beginning of her other-worldly adventures. "Back in the sixties, when I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a successful interior designer, hosting fabulous cocktail parties, and having lots of boyfriends. If I could go back and have a conversation with my eight-year old self, I'd tell her to be a whole lot more specific..." "...I get my long legs, ample rack, and blond hair from my Swedish mother, and my dark eyes, hot temper, and propensity to shoot whisky from my Irish father. He also passed on to me a bit of the gambling gene, which explains why I'm usually in over my head..." Freja Hedvig O'Connell
422 pages, Paperback
Published March 13, 2020
About the author
Michele Poague
7 books15 followersMy parents lived in Denver in 1956 and often went home for the holidays. My uncle Jim was totally freaked out driving 800 miles, in the dead of winter, through Nebraska farm land, with a woman who could go into labor at any minute, so I was born Michele Rae Jeffryes in Newman Grove, Nebraska.
I grew up in southwest Denver with 5 sisters and a brother. Of course in the 1960's, that meant somewhere near 1st and Federal. Now southwest Denver is closer to Chatfield Reservoir. I was fifteen when I was spirited away by my mother and stepfather to the strange land of Sioux Falls, SD, where I wrote my first short story. It was a paranormal romance about the ghost of a man's first wife trying to kill his second wife. Like so many things teenagers write, it was never meant for publication.
After college, when I was twenty-one, I moved to Las Vegas for six years where I worked in the Bar & Night Club business, and then returned to Denver in 1984. I like the weather here.
I had read the Dragonriders of Pern, and Anne McCaffrey made writing look easy. It wasn't. In the 80's and 90's I didn't have the time to write because I had a house to remodel, a career I had to invent, and a world to change through politics. As a fundraising director I wrote and designed convention brochures, and while working for Shotgun Willies, I wrote training manuals and ad copy. I'm still employed with Shotgun Willies, but my work leans more toward management and accounting now.
I grew up in southwest Denver with 5 sisters and a brother. Of course in the 1960's, that meant somewhere near 1st and Federal. Now southwest Denver is closer to Chatfield Reservoir. I was fifteen when I was spirited away by my mother and stepfather to the strange land of Sioux Falls, SD, where I wrote my first short story. It was a paranormal romance about the ghost of a man's first wife trying to kill his second wife. Like so many things teenagers write, it was never meant for publication.
After college, when I was twenty-one, I moved to Las Vegas for six years where I worked in the Bar & Night Club business, and then returned to Denver in 1984. I like the weather here.
I had read the Dragonriders of Pern, and Anne McCaffrey made writing look easy. It wasn't. In the 80's and 90's I didn't have the time to write because I had a house to remodel, a career I had to invent, and a world to change through politics. As a fundraising director I wrote and designed convention brochures, and while working for Shotgun Willies, I wrote training manuals and ad copy. I'm still employed with Shotgun Willies, but my work leans more toward management and accounting now.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 1, 2020
In 1986, Freja O’Connell moves home to Denver from Las Vegas after her current relationship ends—the latest in a long line of drunken, cheating men. Determined to start over, Freja buys from her father a rundown home in a bad neighborhood and decides to fix it up on her own using money earned as a waitress at Shotgun Willie’s Gentleman’s Cabaret. Aside from meeting a crowd of colorful characters at work, she also befriends (and lusts after) the cashier at the local home improvement store, which she frequents as part of her home remodeling project. On top of that, she also finds that the house comes with a roommate—the ghost of a woman who died there over sixty years ago. Juggling between her job, her home repairs, frequent break-ins, the series of men who pursue her, and solving the mystery of her new ghost friend, Freja has her hands full. Full of twists and turns and myriad nostalgic '80s references, The Broken Shade is part romance novel, part ghost story, and part history lesson.
The author gracefully balances a number of seemingly disconnected story lines and side plots in The Broken Shade. Between Freja’s family life, personal life, professional scene, and unique hobbies, she’s a well-rounded character who, despite some shallowness and tendencies to make wrong decisions when it comes to men, is admirable in her drive and thoughtfulness. Such a packed plot leaves little room for the narrative to drag, making this story a real page turner. Homeowners will appreciate the detailed process of Freja’s remodeling project, which comes with its many frustrating and sometimes comical setbacks. The ghost story will appeal to mystery lovers and history buffs. Between all of that is the voice of reason the reader gets to play as Freja encounters one man after another, knowing full well who she should end up with but enjoying the ride as men come and go over the years. Overall, The Broken Shade is a high-energy, tightly packed story with a likable protagonist who has a unique and compelling story to tell. I hope to see this novel adapted for the big screen one day.
The author gracefully balances a number of seemingly disconnected story lines and side plots in The Broken Shade. Between Freja’s family life, personal life, professional scene, and unique hobbies, she’s a well-rounded character who, despite some shallowness and tendencies to make wrong decisions when it comes to men, is admirable in her drive and thoughtfulness. Such a packed plot leaves little room for the narrative to drag, making this story a real page turner. Homeowners will appreciate the detailed process of Freja’s remodeling project, which comes with its many frustrating and sometimes comical setbacks. The ghost story will appeal to mystery lovers and history buffs. Between all of that is the voice of reason the reader gets to play as Freja encounters one man after another, knowing full well who she should end up with but enjoying the ride as men come and go over the years. Overall, The Broken Shade is a high-energy, tightly packed story with a likable protagonist who has a unique and compelling story to tell. I hope to see this novel adapted for the big screen one day.
April 1, 2020
It’s 1986, and Freja O’Connell has moved to Denver from Las Vegas. She’s rid herself of unwanted baggage and is looking to start life anew. Part of her rebuilding involves reconnecting with her family, some new love interests, and an old Victorian home given to her by her father. Although it’s not in an excellent living area, Freja is immediately captivated by this home and decides to restore it as best she can to showcase all the beauty and immaculate curb appeal it has to offer. As she goes to work on this fixer-upper, she’ll discover that there’s more to this house than meets the eye, including a story of love, heartbreak, forgiveness, and an intriguing house guest—one who winds up changing the course of Freja’s life forever.
Opinion:
Historical fiction isn’t something I’d necessarily gravitate toward, but in this case, I am glad I did. Instantly, I was enthralled with this book from its beginning to its end. I appreciated the plot, the dialogue, the characters, and the imagery. Each of these components accentuates the other to create a fantastic read. The bits of historical information and the idea of the situations within this story being real, according to the author, make me appreciate this novel. The author has drafted some engaging and well-written content.
Opinion:
Historical fiction isn’t something I’d necessarily gravitate toward, but in this case, I am glad I did. Instantly, I was enthralled with this book from its beginning to its end. I appreciated the plot, the dialogue, the characters, and the imagery. Each of these components accentuates the other to create a fantastic read. The bits of historical information and the idea of the situations within this story being real, according to the author, make me appreciate this novel. The author has drafted some engaging and well-written content.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews