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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.
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The movie was stupid and pointless, but with Justin throwing in his caustic remarks, it quickly turned hilarious. Even so, there were times when the movie made no sense to him. He couldn’t understand why a dried-up old man was hoeing a garden in the middle of the desert.
Alex watched intently in case he missed something. The tines of the rake flashed in the sunlight as they dug into the baked earth, stroking back and forth. The movement glittered in his eyes, making him sleepy…
***
He drifted in and out of consciousness until Mama’s stinging slaps roused him. His head pounded.
“You’re a strange child,” she whispered harshly as she yanked him to his feet.
“Y-yes,” he stuttered through chattering teeth. His left arm ached; she’d hurt it again.
Mama slapped him harder and his head struck the wall. He sank to his knees but struggled up. She didn’t like it when he fell.
They were in the garage again. So much pain awaited him on the shelves. He screamed silently and wished she’d just begin.
She paced up and down the cement floor, finally selecting a small clawed trowel she used in the yard. He could see bits of mud and weeds still clinging to it. She smiled. “Just the thing.”
***
He jumped when Justin let out a whoop of laughter, waking him. Startled, he spilled beer on his shirt, surprising himself and everyone else.
Justin threw him a towel.
“Sorry.”
Angie sprang up to save the carpet, and Brad hurried to grab another towel. As he passed it to Angie, he gave Alex a look of disgust.
“I think I’d better go home,” Alex said, plucking at his sticky shirt.
“No, you don’t,” Angie chided. She pushed him toward the hall. “Go into the bathroom and wash up. We’ll stop the movie until you get back. Justin, lend him a clean shirt.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Justin said, grinning. He took Alex’s arm. “This way, young man.”
He led Alex to the bathroom and left him there with a conspiratorial wink, then went to fetch a shirt.
Alone, Alex turned to the mirror and stared at the dark eyes reflected back at him. He reluctantly pulled the sodden shirt over his head, and winced. His chest was a tangled mass of scars, with several deep furrows carved over his heart. With dismay, he realized how vividly the scars stood out in the bathroom light and shut and locked the door.
About the Author:
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
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diannehartsock/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alex-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B0CSYN5Y5C/ref=sr_1_1
JMS Books: https://www.jms-books.com/dianne-hartsock-c-224_445/alex-p-4993.html
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alex-dianne-hartsock/1104468927?ean=9781685506599
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/alex-76
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1519070
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Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I enjoyed the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for stopping in, Marcy!
DeleteWhat's your favorite holiday and why?
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Traciem! My favorite holiday is Halloween. So many happy childhood memories and I still love dressing up :)
DeleteThank you It's Raining Books for hosting my Alex!
ReplyDeleteIs there a scene from the book that just wrote itself?
ReplyDeleteHi Kim! Thanks for dropping by. Alex has been a pleasure to write about, but the scene at the beginning of chapter two where Alex's friend Justin is driving his jeep simply flowed. He's a favorite character. :)
DeleteHow hard emotionally was it to write the story? I mean Alex has really been through a lot.
Delete