Harlem’s Last Dance (March 2023) – Book 2 of 3

Available on Amazon, Spaceboy Books and wherever you order books.

Synopsis:

It’s 1945, and eighteen-year-old Harlem Markeson is still imprisoned in Lady Magdalena’s brothel, withering beneath the masquerade of sultry stage lights, jazz, and beautiful dancing girls. Caught in a tangled web of glamorous greed and sex, she has no one to trust, and no way to escape. As Lady Magdalena’s carefully woven tapestry begins to fray, and lascivious flames lap at the binds that keep Harlem, the Brown Betties, and other girls captive, young Miss Markeson must embrace the fire within her to start anew, losing the last of her family’s fortune in the process. To change her life, Harlem must turn away from the spotlight and dive headlong into darkness. But first… one last dance.

Harlem’s Awakening (2013) – Book 1 of 3

Available on Amazon (2nd edition, 2022)  Amazon.com (1st edition), Spaceboy Books and wherever you order books.

Synopsis:

At eighteen, Harlem Markeson sets out to start a new life in the city for which she’s named. Propelled by the violent deaths of her wealthy parents, Harlem takes the first bus out of Grensboro, North Carolina and heads to New York City. There, she’s thrown into the clandestine world of an underground speakeasy. Lured by Sisters Ruth and Mary into Lady Magdalena’s Manor, a brothel for beautiful dancing girls, Harlem must learn to trust: but who? Harlem’s Awakening is a compelling story set in the 1940’s about a young woman who must journey through hell to become the strong person she is meant to be.

“Author Peppur Chambers brings to life 1940’s America with her debut novel, Harlem’s Awakening, following the unsettling journey of eighteen-year-old Harlem Markeson as she desperately tries to reinvent herself in New York. With believable characters such as the conniving Sisters Ruth and Mary, the ruthless Lady Magdalena, and the mysterious Brown Betties, Peppur has created a seedy underworld where each character fights to unburden their deepest secrets. Harlem’s Awakening marks a strong debut and an irresistible read.”

–Lilliam Rivera, Editor

One-woman show based upon the book: