Combining Women's Fiction with Romance, Cozy Noir Mystery and Suspense.
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The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven is now available
“Braun continues to engage her readers with The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven. With memorable characters who have their own stories to tell, she successfully brings them all together.”
-Susan Denley, Former Associate Features Editor, Los Angeles Times
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Return to picturesque 1980s Lake Arrowhead, California where another cozy cabin sheltered amongst the sweeping pine-lined vistas holds a long-buried secret, waiting to be divulged.
In this third installment of The Guest Book Trilogy, a young Annie Parker is struggling to overcome her grief over the recent loss of her sister, when a childhood friend unexpectedly turns up seeking refuge from an ill-fated marriage. It would have been easy for Annie to sink deeper into sadness, but when she learns her newest design client, Hudson Fisher, is the son of the late film actress Celeste Williams, her curiosity is peaked. As it turns out, the Roaring 20s starlet was no stranger to the Lake Arrowhead cabins—and this revelation sparks the unraveling of a scandalous story from Hollywood’s bygone era. Did an illicit romance between this leading lady and her dashing costar take place in Cabin No. 7? What really went on behind-the-scenes during the filming of that silent picture? Will discovering a piece of the past bring closure to Annie’s present?
A heartwarming tale of friendships, forgiveness, and a touch of old Hollywood glamour, The Starlet in Cabin Number Sevenwill have readers captivated from beginning to end.
Book Reviews
“I love your writing! It reminds me of when I read Sue Grafton’s 1st book in the alphabet series. I thought, ‘How is she going to top this?’ And she did! Every. Single. Time. So are you!”
—F. Knauss
“Chrysteen Braun does it again with The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven. We meet her childhood friend Sarah, and a new design client whose mother was the Starlet who stayed in the cabins during the filming of her first picture. Braun’s unique storytelling style successfully blends her character’s personalities and their stories.”
—Kate Osborn, formerly with the Mountain News, Lake Arrowhead
"Author Chrysteen Braun has crafted a novel that pieces together a delicate and intriguing tapestry of past and present, combining elements of mystery, romance, and old Hollywood glamour for maximum atmospheric charm."
—Readers’ Favorite
"I would not hesitate to recommend it to those wanting to playfully explore small-town life, the magic of unexpected discoveries, and the healing power of connecting with the past."
—Readers’ Favorite
“Braun continues to engage her readers with The Starlet in Cabin umber Seven. With memorable characters who have their own stories to tell, she successfully brings them all together.”
-Susan Denley, Former Associate Features Editor, Los Angeles Times
“What a surprise to discover “The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven” on NetGalley. I loved it. I enjoyed each book in the trilogy more than the one that came before. Now, I am even more excited to read the prequel and then Books 4 & 5 to see what you pen next!”
-F. Knauss
"[Braun's] storytelling skill and pacing are engaging and evocative, making this book a delightful read for fans of cozy mysteries and those who appreciate stories of hope, redemption, and the enduring bonds of friendship. Overall, reading The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven was a heartwarming experience, like revisiting a beloved place and old friends."
—Readers’ Favorite
“Chrysteen Braun does it again with The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven. We meet her childhood friend Sarah, and a new design client whose mother was the Starlet who stayed in the cabins during the filming of her first picture. Braun’s unique storytelling style successfully blends her character’s personalities and their stories.”
-Kate Osborn, formerly with the Mountain News, Lake Arrowhead
“The intrigue behind the starlet from the 1920s captured my imagination. I wanted to know everything, and I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Each cabin’s story is masterfully written. I enjoy this subplot because it doesn’t overtake the story. Each storyline interplays with the rest to create an unforgettable read.”
-My Rating: 5+ stars—N.N. Light, N.N.Lights Bookhaven
Wonderful Writing and Storytelling
This is number 3 in The Guestbook Trilogy. I have enjoyed all three. I use to live in Lake Arrowhead and I relate to all the places Chrysteen describes in her stories.
- Toni Pahl, via Amazon
Guest Book Trilogy
This is the third in the Trilogy and I have enjoyed all three- she is a great storyteller and I’ve come to love the characters that are in all three books plus the introduction of new ones in each book. There are twists and turns that kept me interested from the beginning of the book until the end. My Book Club discussed the first book in the trilogy and we all enjoyed it. I look forward to discussing the other two-
- Nancy Vanderpool, via Amazon
Good story
I like this series. Annie is telling her life story but you also get caught up in the life of the person that stayed in the cabin. The town and it's inhabitants are another part of the story. For a small town there is a nice group of stories to be told. Ginny's is the gathering place and favorite dining spot. Several romances are included. I liked the book.
- Nicki, via Amazon
"Chrysteen Braun weaves a story filled with friendship, grief, love, romance, and mystery. The narration and characters captivated me, and I couldn’t stop reading. The setting, though, is the best part and becomes a character in its own right."
-N.N.Light, N.N.Lights Book Haven
The glamour of Celeste’s life as a popular Hollywood actress is imbued with realism through Braun’s inclusion of real-life actors and directors, including the famed Cecil B. Demille.”
-BookLife Review
“Richly-drawn story of the secrets harbored in rustic California cabins.”
-Booklife Review
"If you like Elizabeth Bromke’s House on the Harbor, Kimberly Thomas’s The Willberry Inn, you’ll like reading Chrysteen Braun.”
-BookLife Review
Richly-drawn story of the secrets harbored in rustic California cabins.
"Braun concludes her Guest Book trilogy (after The Girls in Cabin Number Three) with a picturesque look at Lake Arrowhead, Cali-fornia, as a woman makes some unusual discoveries about the cabins she owns. In 1980, Annie Parker purchases cabins in the California mountains as a fresh start following her divorce from David. While there, Annie meets Noah and eventually moves in with him.
Though Annie’s older sister Loni died recently, Annie feels somewhat guilty that she isn’t particularly sad about the loss, blaming her lack of emotion on their broken relationship. But Annie is pleasantly surprised when her childhood friend Sarah Jones comes for a visit and ends up staying on, becoming romantically involved with Noah’s friend Josh.
Annie discovers the fascinating history behind the cabins, a key component of the series, when Hudson Fisher and his wife Constance visit Annie’s recently acquired flooring store, and Hudson reveals that his mother, Celeste Williams, a now-deceased movie star, once stayed in the nearby cabins. Braun alternates between these characters’ richly drawn perspectives, revealing, in fast-paced and surprising pas-sages, how Annie reinvented herself following her divorce and how Sarah survived a traumatic childhood amid her mother’s epi-sodic religious fervor and volatile relationship with Sarah’s alcoholic father.
Braun also journeys back in time to Depression-era Chicago, which Celeste leaves to go to Los Angeles, later meeting and marrying Joseph Keller, a film producer with whom she has Hudson, and later divorces when he is arrested as an alleged pro-Nazi sympathizer. The glamor of Celeste’s life as a popular Hollywood actress is imbued with realism through Braun’s inclusion of real-life actors and directors, including the famed Cecil B. DeMille. As the 1920s and 1980s collide, Noah makes a startling discovery while remodeling one of the cabins, leading Annie eager to learn more—and readers turning the pages.
Great for fans of Elizabeth Bromke’s House on the Harbor, Kimberly Thomas’s The Willberry Inn."
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
"The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven is a work of fiction in the suspense, women’s fiction, and interpersonal drama subgenres, and it forms the final episode of The Guest Book Trilogy.
Penned by author Chrysteen Braun, the work is best suited to the general adult reading audience. Set in the area of the picturesque Lake Arrowhead, California, in the 1980s, a cozy cabin, nestled among the pine-lined landscapes, holds a long-buried secret that gradually unfolds in this heartwarming tale. Annie Parker, grappling with the loss of her sister, finds herself drawn into a captivating mystery when her childhood friend seeks refuge from a troubled marriage. Meanwhile, as Annie takes on Hudson Fisher as a design client, she learns that he is the son of the late film actress Celeste Williams, who once frequented the Lake Arrowhead cabins. This revelation sets the stage for the unraveling of a scandalous story from Hollywood's golden era.
Author Chrysteen Braun has crafted a novel that pieces together a delicate and intriguing tapestry of past and present, combining elements of mystery, romance, and old Hollywood glamour for maximum atmospheric charm. The characters are endearing, and the narrative is filled with charm and nostalgia but it is also penned with close attention to the emotional state of the characters, telling us everything we need to know without ever spoon-feeding us what’s on their minds. Braun's storytelling skill and pacing are engaging and evocative, making this book a delightful read for fans of cozy mysteries and those who appreciate stories of hope, redemption, and the enduring bonds of friendship.
Overall, reading The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven was a heartwarming experience, like revisiting a beloved place and old friends. I would not hesitate to recommend it to those wanting to playfully explore small-town life, the magic of unexpected discoveries, and the healing power of connecting with the past."
From Amazon Reviews
"Annie Parker is intrigued learning that her newest design client, Hudson Fisher, is the son of the Roaring ‘20s Hollywood starlet, Celeste Williams. Thankfully, Sam has kept the old guest books, and the entry that Annie locates leads to a family secret that surprises everyone. As Annie is never one to sit still, she’s delighted that Sarah, a friend since childhood, has finally accepted her invitation to visit.
The story is told from 3 POVs, Annie, Hudson, and Sarah. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and the clarity of each narrative by chapter presentation and font format. As the secrets of the cabins have come to light, there are fascinating pieces of history tucked into the storyline. Favorites during Cabin Seven’s reveal are interesting highlights of stamps, the U.S. Forest Service, stories of dogwood trees, John Muir, and The Blackstone Hotel and Marshall Field and Company in Chicago. Socks and Jezebel’s feline pawprints are not as frequent on the pages of Book 3, but their companionship and cuddle time add sweetness when they appear.
I’ve loved the beautiful pen and ink drawings included in each book. In Book 3, drawings include The Cabins, Hudson and Constance’s Living Room and Family Room, and Celeste’s Duesenberg. The "Author’s Note" is a combination of her inspiration, acknowledgments, news of upcoming novels, movies filmed at Lake Arrowhead, and a list of favorite places to visit in Lake Arrowhead."
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