Sara, a young, vibrant woman from the heart of Minnesota, fresh out of a treatment center for alcoholism was ready to spread her wings.

It is the end of the turbulent 70s and freedom was the battle cry of her generation.

Vegas had always been on her mind, but it had especially grabbed her attention when she accidentally came across a well-worn match book that had belonged to her mother. It had the Colonial Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada printed on the cover and inside was the imprint of her mother’s lips in that perfect shade of blush rose. The match book was just one piece of the puzzle. It was the beginning of her story.

This is not only Sara’s story. It is the story of Las Vegas in the 70s, a time like no other. Musicians were in their prime—Sinatra, the Beatles, Motown. Vets were coming back from Vietnam and mingling with the flower children who had found a new freedom through the latest birth control pill and LSD trips.

Casinos and hotels were still run by small families. Business men knew each other by name.

Moonlit Memories of Vegas is a romance set in the hot, desert city of Las Vegas with springtime in full bloom. So where the hippies, hookers and tourists blended into a psychedelic quilt and the musicians’ notes were the colorful threads that held the vibe of the city together, Sara could wait no longer.

Joan Rydberg

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