Distilling Lies

Carolyn Dennis-Willingham

Seventeen-year-old Emma June believed her mother’s new friend, the citified Betty Bedford, breathed life into their small town of Holly Gap, Texas, with her flapper dresses, fancy flasks, and progressive ideas. But when her mother goes missing after fighting with Betty on carnival night, Emma June fears that all of Betty’s words were filled with lies.

Trying to piece together the events of that dreadful night, Emma June sets out to find her mother and warily accepts the help of the town’s mysterious newcomer named Frank, whose sudden appearance in Holly Gap raises her suspicions. Yet behind his easygoing attitude and passion for jazz, Frank conceals many secrets of his own.

Teaming up in their investigation, Emma June and Frank uncover the presence of a wanted mobster who threatens the stability of their community and may be the key to finding Emma June’s mother. Even as their search leads to danger and Betty’s life-shattering lies come to light, Emma June will stop at nothing to bring her mother home.

A thrilling mystery set in the social tumult of the Prohibition era, Distilling Lies reveals what real crimes occur beyond the moonshine thicket.

Carolyn Dennis-Willingham is the author of two previous novels, No Hill for a Stepper and The Last Bordello, and numerous children’s books. She is currently a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

A former early childhood specialist, she taught bias-free education to teachers at the local, state, and national levels and applies this fundamental principle in her writing.

Whether writing for adults or children, her stories revolve around empowering the readers (and listeners) to believe in their potential, to appreciate diversity, and to believe in the power of imagination.

When not on her laptop, she willingly serves as the lap-top for her five young grandchildren. In addition to writing, she enjoys boxing, hiking, dancing, strength training, and traveling.

Occasionally, she pulls out the oil paints to see what emerges on a blank canvas.

Dennis-Willingham lives in her hometown of Austin, Texas.