TUESDAY EXCERPTS: “WONDER VALLEY”

Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea; and Teaser Tuesdays hosted by The Purple Booker.

Today’s feature is a new download:  Wonder Valley, by Ivy Pochoda, a swirling mix of angst, violence, heartache, and yearning—a masterpiece by a writer on the rise.

 

 

Intro:  (Prologue – Los Angeles, 2010)

He is almost beautiful—running with the San Gabriels over one shoulder, the rise of the Hollywood Freeway as it arcs above the Pasadena Freeway over the other.  He is shirtless, the hint of swimmer’s muscle rippling below his tanned skin, his arms pumping in a one-two rhythm in sync with the beat of his feet.  There is a chance you envy him.

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Teaser:  Patrick stood and caught Owen as he lurched forward, his son’s blood streaking the front of his faded polo shirt.  Patrick gently peeled Owen’s arm away from his body, turning it toward the firelight. (57%).

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Synopsis:  From the acclaimed author of Visitation Street, a visionary portrait of contemporary Los Angeles in all its facets, from the Mojave Desert to the Pacific, from the 110 to Skid Row.

During a typically crowded morning commute, a naked runner is dodging between the stalled cars.  The strange sight makes the local news and captures the imaginations of a stunning cast of misfits and lost souls.

There’s Ren, just out of juvie, who travels to LA in search of his mother. There’s Owen and James, teenage twins who live in a desert commune, where their father, a self-proclaimed healer, holds a powerful sway over his disciples. There’s Britt, who shows up at the commune harboring a dark secret. There’s Tony, a bored and unhappy lawyer who is inspired by the runner. And there’s Blake, a drifter hiding in the desert, doing his best to fight off his most violent instincts.  Their lives will all intertwine and come crashing together in a shocking way, one that could only happen in this enchanting, dangerous city.

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Would you keep reading?  Do the snippets grab you?

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