Mob Wives: Suzanne Corso's “Hello Hollywood”

Suzanne Corso

I’ve written about author, Suzanne Corso, on the blog before. I was intrigued by the first book in her trilogy, “Brooklyn Story,” after reading a short summary. “Brooklyn Story was followed by “The Suite Life.” The story is captivating and so is the fact that it is loosely based on the real events of the author’s life. In her youth, Suzanne dated mobsters and was off on the wrong track. It was difficult for her to get out of that way of life, surround herself with different people and become a writer. When she was 19, her boyfriend at the time had a strong hold on her. It seemed her fate was sealed. But one day he was arrested and convicted on some serious charges, and the judge in his case had a little heart to heart with Suzanne that put her back on the right track . . . to college and a successful career as a writer. Oh, and did I mention Renee Graziano was the maid of honor at her wedding and they are still close friends? Suzanne might have ended up a mob wife, but destiny had another plan for her.

On May 18th, 2015, Suzanne’s “Hello Hollywood” hits book stores. It is the last of this successful triology. I know many of you will be looking for some interesting reading this summer and I wanted to bring this to your attention. I am going to post summaries of all three books for you to get a glimpse of what to expect.

Book One

Summary: Samantha Bonti is fifteen years old, half Jewish and half Italian, and hesitantly edging toward pure Brooklyn. She lives in Bensonhurst with her mother, Joan, a woman poisoned with cynicism and shackled by addictions; and with her Grandma Ruth, Samantha’s loudest and most opinionated source of encouragement. As flawed as they are, they are family. And this is home—a tight-knit community of ancestors and traditions, of controlling mobsters, compliant wives, and charismatic young guys willing to engage in anything illegal to get a shot at playing with the big boys. Yet Samantha has something that even her most simpatico girlfriend, Janice Caputo, doesn’t share—a desire to become a writer and to escape their insular, overcrowded little world and the destiny that is assumed for all of them. 

Then comes Tony Kroon. He’s a gorgeous mobster wannabe, a Bensonhurst Adonis whose seductive charms Samantha finds irresistible—even when she knows she’s too smart to fall this deep . . . but Samantha soon finds herself swallowed up by dangerous circumstances that threaten to jeopardize more than her dreams. Grandma Ruth’s advice: Samantha had better write herself out of this story and into a new one, fast. - Courtesy of Simon & Schuster, Publishers

Suzanne's Video Brooklyn Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZtSNdtJQ84    Excellent

Book Two

Summary: IT WAS THE DECADE OF BIG MONEY, BIG RISKS, BIG HAIR, AND BIG DREAMS . . . AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE BIG CITY WHERE IT COULD ALL HAPPEN 

Growing up in Brooklyn, Samantha Bonti knew the writer’s life she was meant to live waited across the bridge in Manhattan. Summoning the courage to break free from an abusive mobster boyfriend, Sam finally leaves Bensonhurst and begins her new life, working as a temp in a Wall Street brokerage firm. Quickly, she’s swept off her feet by Wall Street player Alec DeMarco, a man of boundless energy, appetites, desires, and the wealth to indulge it all. In a whirlwind courtship, Alec showers Sam with exquisite gifts, the city’s finest cuisine, spontaneous weekend getaways, and, most of all, the love and security a girl from an unstable Brooklyn upbringing craves. But when the party’s over—when Alec’s high-flying career turns litigious and the big money is left on the table—will love be enough to sustain them? With her dream of publishing her novel still very much alive, Sam can’t back down now; she must choose the life that’s most true to who she really is inside. - Courtsey of Simon & Schuster, Publishers

Suzanne's Video Interview: http://huff.lv/16kx35M

Book Three

Released May 18th, 2015

Summary: Samantha Bonti came from a humble background in Brooklyn and listened to her beloved grandmother’s advice: she wrote herself out of her story as a poor girl and into an affluent one as the wife of a Wall Street banker. Her glitzy life took a turn, though, when her husband spent the money faster than it came in and grew abusive and angry. After his sudden and unexpected heart attack, it turns out fate has dealt Sam another hand in her husband’s $15 million life insurance policy.

Now independent, Sam moves to Hollywood with her daughter to oversee the film production of her bestselling novel, based on her childhood. She thinks she has it all, but life has a lot more in store for her. The producer of her film (and her now-boyfriend) reveals a dark underside to all this Hollywood glamour—and soon, people from her past in Brooklyn that she thought long gone start showing up where they are very unwelcome. Amidst it all, a mysterious man named John has designs on Sam—and she’s not sure if this could be a new romance or another romantic misstep. Now she must ask herself: Is her turn in the spotlight worth all the real-life drama? - Courtsey of Simon & Schuster, Publishers

Suzanne Talks about Hello Hollywood: http://t.co/fTUMD8QoLQ

Happy Reading!