Florida Girls

A war bond tour full of eager young women. A sunny town with a seedy underbelly. When the Florida Girls start shooting back, will anyone survive? 

St. Petersburg, Florida, 1944. Thelma Miles can’t stomach injustice. Broke and orphaned near the close of WWII, the 18-year-old joins a troupe of touring swimsuit models, only to find she's stepped into the mafia's lair.

Kathleen Young has a one-track mind, often missing the obvious. Determined to get her emporium out of debt and take her sick husband to California’s healing climate, organizing the tour is the first in a series of increasingly drastic measures.

Diving into the chaotic world of late WWII America, L.L. Kirchner’s twisty story carefully explores organized crime, Hollywood spotlights, and the growing pains of a nation. Peppered with real-life characters and in-depth research, this intricate weave of perspectives offers a fascinating glimpse into how some women coped when they were told to gratefully step aside and let the men take over again. 

If you like suspenseful narratives, coming-of-age adventures, and incredible period details, then you’ll love Kirchner’s gritty tale. Florida Girls is the first book in the series, The Queenpin Chronicles, which follows Thelma's journey as rapid changes were overtaking the U.S. Driven to succeed, the women of The Queenpin Chronicles discover strength and brutality and love they didn’t know they were capable of.

Available in papberback and ebook starting May 28, 2024.

ADVANCE PRAISE:

“FLORIDA GIRLS is a rollicking historical novel brimming with colorful characters including gangsters, hucksters, family members and, at its heart, a troupe of women who, despite their different backgrounds, form an unbreakable bond. A well-crafted entertainment full of twists and turns.

—JANE HELLER, New York Times bestselling author