The Pursuit of Lucy Banning: The Big Reveal

Book One in the “Avenue of Dreams” series 

Prairie Avenue Novel Cover Revealed
On October 6, 2011, I announced a new book series set on Prairie Ave. during the late 19th century. The first book in the “Avenue of Dreams” series, The Pursuit of Lucy Banning will be released in May 2012. Author Olivia Newport has crafted a three-book series that takes place during a five-year span, 1892 – 1896, during the glory days of Prairie Ave.

A Daughter of Prairie Ave.
The publisher, Fleming H. Revell, just recently added it to their online catalog with the book cover illustration. Pictured on the cover is heroine, Lucy Banning, a daughter of Prairie Ave. who yearns for more than a life of ease and the obligatory marriage joining family fortunes.

Publisher Has Chicago Roots
Fleming H. Revell is now a division of Baker Publishing Group out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Revell has Chicago roots. It was co-founded by D. L. Moody and his brother-in-law Fleming H. Revell in 1870. At a recent “behind the scenes tour” of the Glessner House Museum, I discovered several Revell titles on the shelves in the Glessner family library. At least one of the books discovered would have been on their shelves during the time period that The Pursuit of Lucy Banning takes place.

More Novels To Come!
Books two and three have been accepted and contracted for publication, but have yet to be scheduled or titled. If you’re a fan of Prairie Ave. and Chicago history, I think you’ll enjoy these historical novels.

Everyone Should Have An Aunt Violet
Full disclosure: The author of this blog, Stephen Reginald (that would be me), conceived this series with author Newport. I did the principle research, but Newport did all the writing; the characters, in their fullness, are out of her very creative mind. If I can take any writing credit—and this is stretching it, it is my advocacy for the full character development of Lucy Banning’s Aunt Violet. Aunt Violet was a wonderful character Newport created that I thought could play a bigger role in the novel.

Newport and I have worked together at various publishing houses since the 1990s. I was usually working in the role of acquisitions editor, so we got to know each other rather well, even though we’ve only met in person twice. Newport is a gifted writer who can handle fiction and nonfiction projects with equal success. I always thought given the chance, she could be a bestselling fiction author. With the publication of the “Avenue of Dreams” book series, she is well on her way.