True Crime Week - Jenni L Walsh Guest Post

True Crime Week continues with a guest post from Jenni L Walsh. Her novel, Becoming Bonnie, is inspired by the infamous Bonnie and Clyde. It's a must read for fans of novels inspired by true crime and offers up a grounded, humanizing look at the women who would become one half of the most infamous crime duo in history.

It also happens that Becoming Bonnie is on sale. It is currently on sale at many ebook retails for $2.99! That's less than your daily coffee order, and such a steal for this amazing book. You can read the first half of Bonnie's story before the companion novel, Side by Side, released on June 5th.

Limited Time! #BecomingBonnie—story of Bonnie before Clyde—is $2.99

"Rollicking narrative will have readers rooting for Bonnelyn-turned-Bonnie every (dance) step of the way."-Shelf Awareness

Amazon https://t.co/oAK9Ia7A9F
BN https://t.co/WsmS8fN2iK
Kobo https://t.co/T4FoxJVHee pic.twitter.com/JqZ834IOni

— Jenni L. Walsh (@jennilwalsh) March 21, 2018

The sale ends April 16th! Be sure to snag your copy from your favourite ebook retailer and have an amazing beach read for the upcoming summer season!

Amazon // Barnes and Noble // Kobo

Jenni is also offering up a special pre-order incentive for Side By Side. If you pre-order and follow the instructions on her website you can get a package of goodies that includes temporary tattoos, bookmarks and  a signed book plate.

Amazing right? I definitely need to submit my own pre-order to snag these goodies. However, there is also the chance to win an amazing prize pack when you submit your pre-order. One lucky winner will receive  a tee shirt, Bonnie and Clyde wine glasses, custom Bonnie and Clyde magnetic bookmarks , and an amazing mug. 

I am personally keeping my fingers crossed that I get selected for this amazing prize pack. Those wine glasses are amazing. I love them!

Be sure to pre-order your copy from the retailer of your choice and take advantage of this incentive!

Amazon // Chapters // Barnes and Noble 

Jenni was kind enough to share a guest post with me about the allure of Bonnie and Clyde that exists even after all of these years. It's a fantastic read and I am so thrilled to be sharing it with you. A huge thank you to Jenni for taking the time to write it. 

Bonnie and Clyde: America’s Outlaws

Often when thinking about criminals or outlaws, Bonnie and Clyde come to mind. While the duo found themselves in various headlines throughout their twenty-seven month crime spree, it wasn’t until their deaths in May of 1934 that “Bonnie and Clyde” became fixtures in American history.

To this day, Bonnie and Clyde remain polarizing figures, their names frequently in the media. The phrase “modern-day Bonnie and Clyde” is often given to male/female criminal partnerships, especially when the couple is romantic. Two capybaras—quickly given the names Bonnie and Clyde—made headlines after the rodents escaped a Canadian zoo. Like it or not, Bonnie and Clyde are infamous.

I asked a group of individuals what the names “Bonnie and Clyde” were synonymous with for them. As expected, their answers varied.

Some reiterated history’s portrayal: criminal duo, bank robbers, gangsters, outlaws, doomed lovers.

Others attributed nouns, such as guns, death, dangerous, violence.

A few individuals responded with how Bonnie and Clyde exhibited sociopathic or psychotic behaviors and how their relationship was toxic. This answer didn’t come as a surprise; hybristophilia—when a female is attracted to a person who has committed an outrage or a gruesome crime—is called the “Bonnie and Clyde Syndrome.”

Adversely, a responder said, “I’ve always wondered what the love connection must’ve felt like between them… Bonnie entered a life of crime because she loved him so fiercely.” Another said, “I think of their close relationship first.” A third said, “dangerously in love.” These responders are not alone in their reactions. A quick scan of #BonnieandClyde on Twitter is littered with phrases of solidarity between couples, such as “I got your back gurl” and “partner in crime.” Sometimes the hashtag is accompanied by additional sentiments like #MyBestFriend #LoveHim

I’ll admit my own interest in Bonnie and Clyde was originally sparked by their loyalty and devotion to one another. I had been brainstorming a historical topic for my novel, when “Bonnie and Clyde” surfaced. I had seen the film, but over a decade prior, and it was their partnership I recalled the strongest in that moment. Curiosity filled me and I began to dig into their story. Bonnie was a church-going, straight-A girl with big dreams for herself. Clyde made multiple attempts at an honest life, before turning to violence. These interesting tidbits strengthened my desire to understand who they were at the core. So I set out to tell their tale, in Bonnie Parker’s voice, beginning before she ever met Clyde Barrow, before their crime spree, before any victims.

In my novel, Becoming Bonnie, I gave her a fictional name—Bonnelyn—and sought to show her evolution from a wholesome young woman to a gun-wielding gal—Bonnie—who was willing to risk it all for a fella named Clyde. In the companion novel, Side by Side, releasing on June 5, 2018, I explore their ultimate fate: death, danger, and violence. Ultimately, there’s much more than expected behind the infamous Bonnie and Clyde.

Begin Bonnie’s story with Becoming Bonnie, which is on sale for $2.99 until April 16th!