It’s my pleasure today to be participating in the iReadBook Tour for author Barbara Casey’s KATHRYN
KELLY: The Moll Behind “Machine Gun” Kelly.
As part of the tour the author has
graciously answered some questions, I’ll share my thoughts on the book and
there’s a tour-wide giveaway. I was fascinated by the topic of this book and to
learn that the author is not only a Georgia author, but now lives in the county
where I was born and raised.
For those of you who are lovers of true crime biographies, KATHRYN KELLY: The Moll Behind “Machine Gun”
Kelly is the first book ever written about a woman who chose to follow
a life of crime during the Prohibition era. Although much has been
written about Machine Gun Kelly, there is very little known about Kathryn,
until now.
Book Title: KATHRYN KELLY: The
Moll Behind "Machine Gun" Kelly by Barbara Casey
Category: Adult non-fiction, 196 pages
Genre: Biography / true crime
Publisher: Strategic Media Books
Release date: February 2016
Content Rating: PG-13 (There are some expletives and descriptions of crimes, although nothing gory or too graphic)
Category: Adult non-fiction, 196 pages
Genre: Biography / true crime
Publisher: Strategic Media Books
Release date: February 2016
Content Rating: PG-13 (There are some expletives and descriptions of crimes, although nothing gory or too graphic)
Here’s a description of the book …..
KATHRYN
KELLY: The Moll Behind “Machine Gun” Kelly
is a biography of the woman who made a career of crime. With a lust for danger,
she masterminded the crimes that took her and her husband, and others who
included her own mother and stepfather, on a spree across Minnesota, Tennessee,
Oklahoma, and Texas. Starting with smaller crimes that included bootlegging,
smuggling liquor onto an Oklahoma Indian reservation, and other petty crimes,
she encouraged her husband, George Barnes aka George Kelly, toward a life of
more serious criminal activity that eventually escalated into bank robberies,
kidnapping and extortion.
Many
believe that it was Kathryn, after giving him a machine gun, who developed
George's feared persona and the name of Machine Gun Kelly. FBI Director J.
Edgar Hoover was even convinced that the two were somehow connected in the
Lindbergh kidnapping. Kathryn and Machine Gun Kelly were eventually captured
after kidnapping Charles Urschel, a wealthy Oklahoma City oilman, and
collecting a $200,000 ransom the largest ransom ever paid at that time.
Eventually,
the two were captured in Memphis, where Kelly had grown up as a boy. During
their trial in Oklahoma City, movie cameras were allowed into the courtroom for
the first time as curious spectators across the nation watched. Kathryn, while
claiming to be an innocent victim in a bad marriage, remained unrepentant,
smiling and primping for the cameras, and writing threatening letters to the
judge and attorneys assigned to the case as well as her victims.
Convicted
in 1933, Kathryn served twenty-five years of her life sentence at FPC Alderson,
West Virginia, when in 1958 she was finally released into obscurity. Although
much has been written about Machine Gun Kelly, there is very little known about
Kathryn.
Through
narrative, FBI files, rare quotes from George Kelly's son and other relatives
and associates, extensive research, and several photographs, KATHRYN KELLY:
The Moll Behind “Machine Gun” Kelly is the first book ever written about a
woman who chose to follow a life of crime during the Prohibition era.
Please join me now in giving a warm welcome to Barbara Casey
as she talks about this fascinating book. Welcome, Barbara.
How did
you do research for your book?
Barbara:
Gathering information on Kathryn Kelly was challenging since
no other books have been written about her. She is mentioned incidentally in
all of the material that has been written about her husband, “Machine Gun”
George Kelly, which gave me some perspective. I was also able to locate
newspapers that covered the story of their crimes, I interviewed people who
were familiar with her and her family, and I was given permission to access the
FBI Vault that had a vast amount of information concerning the “trial of the
century” where Kathryn and her husband were found guilty for kidnapping Charles
Urschel and sentenced to life in prison. Of course, back then, there were no computers,
so many of the documents were hand-written with notes from J. Edgar Hoover. I
also discovered Kathryn’s autobiography that she wrote while in prison. It was
a fascinating glimpse into her innermost thoughts and what motivated her.
What made
you write a book about true crime, and specifically about Kathryn Kelly?
Barbara:
I was doing some research for another project I am working on
and kept stumbling onto references to Kathryn. As I started digging, I became
fascinated about this woman, born during the Prohibition Era and Depression,
who was so determined to “have it all” no matter how she accomplished it. She
was the driving force behind her husband’s illegal escapades – she actually
gave him his first machine gun – and loved living a life of danger and excitement.
Today she would be considered a “marketer” for the way she promoted her
husband.
Where do
you get inspiration for your stories?
Barbara:
Most of my books are novels written for adults. In this case,
however, Kathryn was my inspiration, and my publisher encouraged me to write
about her. There is so much mystery about her story. For one thing, she and her
husband received a ransom of $200,000 – the largest ransom ever paid. Only part
of that money was ever recovered, so about $45,000 is still buried somewhere.
There were things about the trial itself that were unusual, and only years
later was the truth revealed. There is also a wonderful story about her only
child – a daughter – that I uncovered in the FBI files. I have written about
all of it in my book.
There are
many books out there about the Mob Era. What makes yours different?
Barbara:
This is the only book written about Kathryn Kelly. She was
certainly a contender with the other mobsters during that period, and was able
to hold her own. She was attractive and able to use that to her advantage.
Do you
have another profession besides writing?
Barbara:
I am
president and owner of the Barbara Casey Agency, representing authors
throughout the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Canada. I am also a
partner with Strategic Media Books, an independent publisher that focuses on
quality nonfiction. I have a passion for writing, however, and always have a
project in mind to work on. Right now, I am under contract for two more books:
One will be another nonfiction; the other is the third book in a mystery series
I am writing for young adults.
Barbara, thanks for joining us and sharing this insight into
how your book came about. Kathryn is definitely an interesting lady.
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR:
 |
| Author Barbara Casey |
Her award-winning novels have received national recognition,
including the Independent Publishers Book Award. Her novel, The House of Kane,
was considered for a Pulitzer nomination, and The Gospel According to Prissy,
also a contemporary adult novel received several awards including the
prestigious IPPY Award for Best Regional Fiction. Her most recent young adult
novel, The Cadence of Gypsies, received the Independent Publishers Living Now
Award and was reviewed by the Smithsonian for its list of Best Books.
Barbara makes her home on the top of a mountain in northwest
Georgia with her husband and three dogs who adopted her: Benton, a hound-mix,
Fitz, a miniature dachshund, and Gert, a Jack Russel terrier of sorts.
My thoughts on KATHRYN KELLY: The Moll Behind “Machine Gun” Kelly …
The Prohibition era is filled with gangsters and their exploits,
but little is known about most of the women in their lives. Author Barbara
Casey changes that for George “Machine Gun” Kelly by telling the story of his
last wife, Kathryn (Cleo Lera Mae Brooks) Kelly.
The story tells of Kathryn’s marriages and daughter before she
and George Kelly got together. From there it follows her travels and activities
with Kelly until their capture and conviction. It also describes her incarceration
and a bit about her life after prison.
The author shares the various
accounts of Kathryn’s actions during the numerous crimes, as well as her
persona during the trial. The author takes readers on the road with the couple
through her detailed descriptions. Readers learn Kathryn gave Kelly his first
machine gun and built him up to be the notorious gangster people came to fear.
Easy to follow, the story is well
balanced with an epilogue and notes of interest to round out all those
involved. KATHRYN KELLY is a
must read for history buffs and fans of true crime.
Kathryn Kelly: The Moll Behind “Machine
Gun” Kelly by Barbara Casey, Gangland Mysteries, Strategic Media
Books, @2016, ISBN: 978-1939521491, Paperback, 196 Pages
FTC
Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the author as part of her blog tour in hopes I would review it.
However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The
thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
Tour Schedule:
You can learn more about this
tantalizing story and author by visiting any or all of the following blogs
participating in Barbara’stour:
May 2 - #redhead.with.book -
review / guest post / giveaway
May 2 - Library of Clean
Reads - book spotlight / author interview/ giveaway
May 3 - History from a
Woman's Perspective - review
May 4 - Working Mommy Journal
- review / giveaway
May 5 - Tragically Dull
Adventures of An Almost Librarian - review / giveaway
May 5 - Life as Leels - review
May 6 - Olio by Marilyn -
review / author interview
May 6 - Book and Ink - review
/ giveaway
May 9 - Thoughts on This
'n That - review / giveaway
May 9 - Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine -
review
May 10 - JBronder Book Reviews
- review / guest post
May 10 - Books
Reviews, Nature Photos, and Everything in Between - review
May 11 - She Treads Softly
- review
May 11 - Bound 4 Escape - review
/ giveaway
May 12 - Seasons of
Opportunities - review / giveaway
May 12 - Mystery Suspense
Reviews - book spotlight / guest post
May 13 - The World As
I See It - review / giveaway
May 13 - Deal Sharing
Aunt – review
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
This is a tour-wide giveaway and
participants can win one (1) of five (5) print / one (1) of five (5) eBooks of KATHRYN KELLY (international). One
winner will also receive a $25 Amazon gift card.
To enter just click on the
Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a
few seconds to load so please be patient.
Thanks so much for stopping by today
during Barbara’s visit. Did you know very much about Kathryn Kelly before this
post?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
