The Train Jumper

In 1958, 19-year-old Kat Caswell loses her best friend in a brutal accident. In an attempt to flee from her past, she hops a freight train, leaving rural Indiana behind. Kat soon discovers that the extreme danger of train jumping is a welcome distraction from her pain.While aboard the grand Southern Belle Railway, she meets Hilda, an eccentric, larger-than-life woman who offers her employment at a gentlemen's club in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Kat quickly adapts to the exotic atmosphere of the Vieux Carre. During her stay in New Orleans, Kat forms a close bond with a charming young immigrant worker named Leni, who has a mischievous personality and a mysterious past.Each girl thrives in the lively environment full of colorful patrons. But when immigration comes to take Leni into custody, their lives become inextricably linked as Kat attempts to protect her friend. Once again, the railway becomes an escape route leading them on a journey of survival that requires life-changing choices.Gwen Banta's 'The Train Jumper' is "edge of your seat" with thrilling moments - a grand adventure full of laughter and pathos. The lives of the characters are woven together by railroads and the exotic places the rails connect, eventually leading Kat and Leni to their individual destinies. Born in NY, Gwen Banta received B.A. and M.S. degrees from Butler University and a language certification from The Defense Language Institute. Her first novel, published in 2016, is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of racial and social unrest in rural Indiana in 1960. Filled with humor as well as pathos, "The Fly Strip," received the Opus Magnum Discovery Award for New Literature-Honorable Mention. Her second novel, "Inside Sam Lerner," is a chilling crime thriller set in New Orleans. It was published by Creativia in 2018 and has received great critical acclaim. Her newest novel, "With Wanton Disregard," was just released and is already being described as a riveting "nail-biter."The author has received numerous awards for her fiction in multiple book festivals throughout the nation and abroad: Great Northwest Book Festival, Los Angeles Book Festival, Pacific Rim Book Festival, San Francisco Book Festival, and the Great Southeast Book Festival. Gwen resides in Los Angeles with her dog, Buddy, who is a major fan of her work.