ALEX
Dianne Hartsock
GENRE: psychological thriller
Alex
is twenty and confused. He always is. The world presses on him with its horrors
and pain, with scintillating auras that bewilder his eyes and drive the
migraines deeper. He hears the cries of the children, sees the brutal images of
tortured victims. He feels out of control and his mind slips…
Severely
abused as a child, he is left with horrible scars on his body and even worse
scars within his mind. Even though it puts him in danger, he’s compelled to
help those who call to him. He’s driven, motivated by his visions to rescue
them and hopefully uncover the killer. When he can, he helps the police; yet
some detectives suspect he’s involved. Often, Alex finds himself alone and
afraid in a world he doesn’t always understand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT
“What?” he said.
“You couldn’t have saved him. He was dead the instant he was
struck.”
“He was alive!”
“No. His autonomic reflexes were still functioning, but he
was beyond saving. There wasn’t anything you could have done.”
Alex looked away, unable to accept it. He watched Ben speak
with a group of his officers, then break away when Detectives Corban and Kramer
arrived on the scene. The two headed directly toward Alex, and Ben hurried to
intercept them.
Kramer’s face gave nothing away as he approached and stared
down at Alex. “What’s he doing here, Chief?”
“I brought him. He was a friend of Kyle’s and knew some of
his favorite haunts.”
“Is that right?” Kramer glanced at the hollow littered with
dead leaves and brambles. “And he liked it here?”
“He liked to come to the park,” Alex said, certain of that
much. He found it hard to meet the detective’s eyes. He didn’t want to have to
lie about his visions.
Corban looked from him to the police chief, clearly
dissatisfied with the answer. He opened his mouth, then closed it with a glance
at the police officers and crime scene techs working the area.
Kramer was less restrained. He sputtered at Alex’s words,
turning incredulously from him to Ben. “You’re fuckin’ kidding me? You believe
this shit, Ben?” He shrugged off Corban’s restraining hand, thrusting a finger
in Alex’s face. “I’m on to you. You’re up to your neck in this with Gibson. Did
Bronsin stumble onto something when you were with him the other night? Did you
lure him here?” He leaned close to Alex’s ear, whispered venomously, “Did it
get you off when his skull cracked like an egg?”
Ben stepped between them. His voice shook with suppressed
fury as he faced Kramer. “Shut your mouth.”
Kramer straightened to his full height, meeting Ben eye to
eye. A sneer crossed his florid face. “He’s guilty as shit. You know it and I
know it. And if you’re covering for him, I’ll have no compunction nailing your
ass along with his.”
“You need a little thing called proof,” Ben shot back.
Kramer smiled unpleasantly. “I’ve already requested a search
warrant. You can’t circumvent me this time.”
Corban cleared his throat, drawing their attention to the
nearby officers; some stared curiously at them. “That’s enough. This is
definitely not the time or place for this conversation. Kramer, walk with me.”
Kramer wanted to argue but, with a shrug, he followed Corban
toward the group surrounding Kyle’s body. He glanced back over his shoulder.
“See you soon, Elson.”
Alex watched them approach the distant group, cringing
inside as Bill Edwards knelt over Kyle’s body. Bill pointed something out to
Detective Martinero before he folded a blanket over the pale hair. He stood,
and with Martinero, made their way over to Alex and Ben.
She nodded to the chief when they came up. “We’re ready to
move him.”
Alex drew a ragged breath, burying his face in his hands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The author will award a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Dianne
grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place of
hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghosts
lurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the front
stairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where
her love of the mysterious and wonderful came from. Dianne is the author of m/m
romance, paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, the occasional thriller, and
anything else that comes to mind.
She
now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly
patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the
keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are the
perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in
the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her
hands, which kindles her imagination.
Currently,
Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the
perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich
colors and textures of flowers and foliage.
Blog:
https://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
FaceBook:
https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
FaceBook
Author Page:
https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsockbooks/?show_switched_toast=1&show_switched_tooltip=0&show_podcast_settings=0
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/diannehartsock/
9 comments:
Thank you so much for featuring this book and exclusive excerpt.
Can you describe the inspiration behind this book?
Sounds like a good story.
Dawn, thanks for hosting my Alex!
Thanks Marcy Meyer! I'm happy you stopped by.
Hi TracieM! I've always been intrigued by psychics and wanted to explore what it would be like to suddenly have psychic abilities. How would one cope in this skeptical world?
This looks like a great read.
Thanks Sherry! I'm happy you stopped in
This looks like a great read. Thanks for hosting this tour.
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