Amber and Blue Chapter 5 Excerpt

Chapter 5 

First Attempt   

  Weary and worn, but in harmony with his world, the old Rastaman stood on the corner of Fifth and Market.  Dreadlocks swung long and gnarled to his waist, and were salted with the gray of old age.  His clothing hung loose and ragged on his small thin frame, but he held his shoulders back with his chin up.  He was a proud man and he smiled.  Some days he held a sign—Liberate Jamaica.  Other days, he stood with a tray strapped across his shoulders, hawking an assortment of scented oils and perfumes.

   "Have a nice day," he would call out, greeting the capitalists in their three-piece suits.  They pushed by without a glance.  To them—he was invisible.

"Hi Russell!" Grace yelled when he breezed through the door of the shelter.

"Hello Grace, how are you on this beautiful day?"  The rhythmic flow of his accent lilted through the noisy room like music, making heavy heads lift and the downtrodden smile.

"Much better since you’re here!" she said.

She was always happy to see Russell, which was often, when she volunteered at the shelter.  His smiling eyes and kind heart left a lingering peace with every soul that he touched.

Dinner's rush had come and gone and the stifling heat of the kitchen became unbearable.  Grace needed a break.  Outside, she leaned back against the crumbling brick wall at the rear of the building.  Resting her eyes, she enjoyed the slight breeze while fanning her face with a thick paper plate.  Long, stray, wisps of dark hair escaped from her twist, and stuck fast to the sweat that rolled down her neck.  Twirling the strands together, she stuffed them behind her ears before turning to go back inside.

"Excuse me mam," a man said.  He stood with his hands in his pockets, near the entrance of an alley next to the building. "Do you work here?"

She stopped, turning his way. "Yes sir, I do, kind of."

Despite the warmth of the day, he had the hood of his blue jacket drawn over his head and down to cover his brow.  His head hung low but two amber orbs peered out with a rapt intensity.

"Maybe you can help me," he said. "My young son is ill, and we need a place to stay for the night."

"He’s sick?" She walked toward him. "Poor little fella, how old is he?"

"Come see.  He’s in the car."

"Grace!" Russell’s voice called from behind her. "Come here!"

Turning back, she caught the sight of an anxious Russell furiously waving her toward him.

"I’ll be right back," she said to the man, making her way to where Russell stood.

"Grace," the old Rastaman said. "You stay away from that man."

"But his son is sick—"

"No, girl, I have a bad feeling—very bad.  I’ve never seen him before and I’ve been around here a long, long time."

She looked over her shoulder but the man had vanished.

"Look, you see," he said. "Now he’s gone."

"Where’d he go?" Walking to the edge of the building, she leaned around the corner.

"Does your father know you’re here today?"

"No," she replied with a guilty smile.

"You scare me, child," Russell said, coming to stand beside her. "You trust too easy."


Amber and Blue is FREE at Amazon.  Check it out.  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009LUCHXS

Amber and Blue II Victory Release

Finally!  The  Amber and Blue II -Victory is now out on Amazon and Smashwords!

Please stay tuned as it will also be distributed to Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes and many other vendors in the coming days

Their love fated, their lives complete, Alex and Grace finally begin to plan a perfect future together.  But their peaceful existence is soon shattered by the ghosts from their tormented past.  Angered, the unforgiving family of the man Grace shot in self-defense demands retribution for his death.

Defeated and fighting his own demons, struggling with the pain of Grace’s rejection, Lucien slips back into the only way of life he’s ever known—that of a criminal.  Danger lurks in the form of revenge and Lucien is disturbed when Alex ignores his warning.  Torn between losing his own sanity and risking everything, a gnawing obsession soon burns out of control.

In an ultimate act of betrayal, Lucien unwittingly exposes Grace to a merciless world of violence and vigilante justice.  Isolated and alone, Grace seeks solace in a group of new friends, but will her comfort come at the cost of her own mortality?  Will Lucien and Alex destroy one another in a final deadly clash, or will a vicious man from Lucien's past return to destroy them all?

Amazon US:  http://www.amazon.com/Amber-Blue-II-Victory-Rowe-ebook/dp/B00HXJ5FOM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1390523935&sr=1-2&keywords=amber+and+blue





Amber and Blue II Victory 1st Chapter Excerpt

It's finally here! 

It's been slower than molasses on a cold winter day, but finally, after a few extended deadlines, it's almost here.  I considered making up some catastrophic event that slowed my progress but unfortunately, I am just a slowpoke.  Amber and Blue II Victory is slated for release at Amazon on February 1st, 2014.  Below, I am including the first chapter, and an updated version of the cover.  If you haven't had an opportunity to check out my first book, Amber and Blue, maybe Victory's excerpt will pique your interest and you'll decide to take a peek at both.

Amber and Blue II Victory

Chapter 1

Lucien's Pain

     "Son of a bitch!" A large framed painting rattled against the wall before it smashed to the bedroom floor.  In the hallway, a furious man rammed the door with his shoulder, "I'll kill you—you little bastard!"

     "It's my husband," the woman whispered. "You have to get out of here."

     "Your husband?" Lucien threw on his pants and grabbed his shirt and shoes from the floor. "I thought he was out of town."

     "He was supposed to be."

     "Damn it!  Where are my keys?" Lucien slung the comforter from the mattress, but finding nothing, he dropped to the floor.  He slid his arm under the bed, spread his fingers across the dusty hardwood, and found them, just as the door splintered and cracked from the man's repeated blows.  Lucien jumped to his feet, stumbled to the window, and stopped.  He turned to the woman and winked. "It's been fun, ma chérie."

     The second floor jump hurt like hell when he crashed in a heap on the sidewalk below.  He staggered to his feet and dragged a throbbing ankle with him as he limped, shirtless, and shoeless to his bike.  He slid on his helmet, fired up his motorcycle, and looked back.  The man burst through the back door and charged across the lawn after him.

     Lucien spun back the throttle and popped the clutch.  The engine screamed when the bike's torque yanked the wheel from the pavement.  The enraged man became a speck in his mirror, and left far behind as Lucien vanished from sight.

     The speed felt good, and the wind against his chest made him feel alive, but feeling alive meant feeling pain.  When he finally arrived at his apartment, he hobbled inside and headed straight for the shower.  His doctor would chew his ass if he knew what he’d been up to.  Although his chest wound had healed, it was still sore and tender, and a jump to the pavement was not what the doctor had ordered.  Still soaked from the shower, he fell onto his bed, rolled over, and let his eyes close.

     When he opened them, she was there by his side. "Grace?"

    

Amber and Blue II Victory

The sequel to Amber and Blue is coming! February 1st, 2014!

Their love fated, their lives complete, Alex and Grace finally begin to plan a perfect future together. But their peaceful existence is soon shattered by the ghosts from their tormented past. Angered, the unforgiving family of the man Grace shot in self-defense demands retribution for his death.

Defeated and fighting his own demons, struggling with the pain of Grace’s rejection, Lucien slips back into the only way of life he’s ever known—that of a criminal. Danger lurks in the form of revenge and Lucien is disturbed when Alex ignores his warning. Torn between losing his own sanity and risking everything, a gnawing obsession soon burns out of control.

In an ultimate act of betrayal, Lucien unwittingly exposes Grace to a merciless world of violence and vigilante justice. Isolated and alone, Grace seeks solace in a group of new friends, but will her comfort come at the cost of her own mortality? Will Lucien and Alex destroy one another in a final deadly clash, or will a vicious man from Lucien's past return to destroy them all?

Author Alliance Interview

I recently had the honor of being interviewed by the wonderful folks at Author Alliance.  I wanted to repost the interview here as well.  If you would like to see the original interview, please head on over to http://www.author-alliance.com/author-alliance-interview-with-k-r-rowe/

While you are there, take a look around.  Author Alliance has a host of services, from editing, book cover design, book reviews, and forums.

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The Author Alliance Interview Series continues with K.R. Rowe, author of “Amber and Blue”. The series has covered some talented authors thus far and we are delighted to have Ms. Rowe with us today. Ms. Rowe, welcome to the Author Alliance.

Thank you so much for having me. I feel truly honored to join you.

How did you choose to become an author?

Honestly, I don’t believe I chose to become an author. I think the author chose to be me.
During my teenage years, I wrote poetry and short stories. After I had my son, the challenge of working full time and raising a child took most of my time. Eventually, he grew older and needed me less. I was lost, so I searched for something to do. My first attempted hobby was to play guitar, but I found that a yowling cat at midnight had a much nicer sound. I was painfully bad. I tried my hand at painting, but my happy little animals looked more like the half dead zombie cat from “Pet Cemetery”. My portrait drawing, I have to admit, wasn’t too bad, but it gave me the strong urge to drink a lot of wine and listen to the blues.

Most things in life tend to repeat and the writing bug came calling again. I had a story that rattled around in my brain and kicked on my skull to get out. The characters of Amber and Blue crawled out of my subconscious mind and ran around in my thoughts at three a.m. each night. Finally I gave in and let my fingers tap them to life.

Please describe your most recent release.

My latest release is Amber and Blue. This romance is packed with action and suspense. It pulls you from the banks of the Tennessee River and drops your heart into the war torn streets of Old Montréal. The relationship between Alex and Grace is destined and perfect, until the civil unrest in Canada spills over the borders of the US. When Grace is ripped from Alex’s life by a lunatic, he needs help. He is forced to call on Lucien; a spy, a criminal, and a man he despises. Lucien is driven to help by guilt and obsession, and in the process, he is willing to risk his own life and betray a madman he once called his brother. The final struggle begins when Alex and Lucien face off in a battle that only Grace has the power to end.

Is there a genre that you focus on with your writing?

The primary genre I write at the moment is romance, although it does take a plunge into action and suspense. It also gets a little dark at times. I’ve found that I have an affinity for killing people off, so I’m not totally opposed to dabbling in other genres.

Is there a part of writing that you enjoy the most?

The most exciting piece of the process is writing the first draft. The ideas flow faster than I can type them and it is so much fun to watch the story come together.

Do you have an upcoming project?

My upcoming project is the sequel to Amber and Blue. Amber and Blue II-Victory will reveal just how far human selfish desire can push one of the characters.

Some books are character driven, while others are plot driven. Which describes “Amber and Blue”?

Amber and Blue is a completely character driven novel. Each decision made, whether good or bad has a dramatic effect on the outcome of the story. Lucien, for instance, has a sincere desire to do the right thing but continues to follow the only way of life he’s ever known. The strong criminal influences that surround him often taint his otherwise well-meant decisions.

In “Amber and Blue”, set in the future, you chose to make the villains Canadian. How did that come about? It is an interesting twist.

It does seem a bit ironic because the people of Canada are so friendly. I sat back and took a long look at our neighbors to the north and began to wonder, what if. What if the Québec did become unstable? What if they were abandoned by an unforgiving government? What would happen? Unfortunately, in those types of lawless environments, the crime element thrives and the opportunists crawl out of every dark corner. It’s a sad but natural progression. The most lethal of all of the villains in Amber and Blue; however, was not from Canada at all, he was from Tennessee. The most frightening aspect of this man was that money was not his motivation. He was a vicious predator, and his only desire was to feed his sick twisted hunger.

Some authors use an outline religiously, while others very little. How complex of an outline do you use to write your books? Do you stick to the outline closely?

The outline of Amber and Blue was actually a blank page. The story I had in my head was fluid; it changed and moved as I wrote. The characters drove the story in the direction they wanted it to go. I only followed behind with my fingers on the keyboard. Amber and Blue II-Victory is much the same. It’s a moving work, and ever changing. If I did attempt to make an outline, it would probably end up making a great paper plate for my Cheetos.

What pearls of wisdom do you have to offer budding authors concerning publishing and promoting their own book?

I could go on forever talking about the things that I have learned, but if I can offer just one piece of advice, it would be to have your work edited by a trustworthy and thorough editor. When I read over my own work, I have found that I see with my mind and not with my eyes. I know what is supposed to be there but I don’t see what actually is. Allow a second pair of eyes to go over your work and find what you may have missed. You’ve worked hard, and trust me, you will not regret it.


If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

If I could fill the world with laughter, the world would change itself.

Karen, it has been a pleasure to have you with us today here at the Author Alliance. We look forward to the sequel to “Amber and Blue”. We hope you will rejoin us at some point in the future.

The Pleasure has been all mine. Thank you again for the wonderful opportunity to be here, and I would be thrilled to join you again.

Give me a shout at AmberAndBlue@gmail.com

Amber and Blue Excerpt

Chapter 29 Asylum

    

     The sanitarium sat isolated and silent. Its sleek modern design stood in sharp contrast to the surrounding lush green farmlands. Like a gleaming Rolex on the arm of an Amish, it defied one’s normal perception. Intentionally set away from the bustling world, the restful landscape disguised the harsh reality of the workings inside. On crossing the threshold, one would exchange warm green for harsh gray; soft rolling fields for cold hard granite; and quiet serenity for echoing footsteps and the unending cries of the insane.

 

-K.R.Rowe

Give me a shout at AmberandBlue@gmail.com.
Or like Amber and Blue on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amber-and-Blue/333526920072279?ref=hl

The Future vs. Futuristic

What will our future bring?

When I think futuristic, I think Sci-Fi.  I think of spaceships, other planets, and aliens with squiggly weird things flapping out of their heads.  How long will it take to obtain this type of future?  The real question is, will we ever?

When I sat down to write Amber and Blue, I decided to place the setting in the not so distant future.  This future, eighty years away, is not much different from our own time.  Before I could think of our future, I had to look to our past.  What were the cars like eighty years ago?  How have they changed?  How has technology affected us since then? 

I finally came to the conclusion that not much will change.  We will still walk this earth with the same two feet, we will still yearn for the beauty of nature, and we will still fall in love much the same as we do today.

Will we have flying cars in eighty years?  I'm not hopeful.  Our car manufacturers have yet to come up with a decent electric car.  I doubt we will see the anti-gravity X-34 landspeeder anytime soon.

Take a closer look at Amber and Blue.  You will certainly find a few futuristic touches hidden in its pages.   My favorite is Alex's truck.  "In near silence, her motor ran with an electric buzz, but her massive knobbies hummed with a roaring purr when they spun over the pavement." 

Can you spot a few more?   Leave a note with your thoughts below or give me a shout at AmberAndBlue@gmail.com
-K.R.Rowe