Excerpt by Minnie Lahongrais
Psych Thriller Adds Deviant Twists to Sociopath Theme...
This is what readers are saying:
“Minnie Lahongrais truly captures the reader's attention and holds it throughout the twists and turns of the lives contained within these covers. ”
“This was yet another great book by Minnie Lahongrais, once I started the book, I just couldn't stop reading it. ”
“… Seven ... Eight ... Nine … Ten! Ready or not! Here I come!”
The unusually hot rays of a summer afternoon’s sun beat down on Joey as he counted to ten in the latest game of hide and seek with his younger siblings in Brooklyn. Unaware of the thick, humid air that hung in the dirty, abandoned brownstone, Alex and Jennifer sought separate hideouts in the crevices of their favorite playground. Now just a shell of its former beauty, the building offered no overhead protection from the sun’s unforgiving assault. As far as they were concerned, this was no different from any other free summer afternoon.
As usual, Joey didn’t have a problem finding Jennifer. She was the youngest and had little, if any, imagination. She always chose the same spot in which to hide – a closet located just to the left of where the front door would be.
“Aw, Jennifer! There are so many places to hide in this building! Why do you always hide in the same spot?”
“I’m afraid you won’t find me, Joey!”
She held back a sniffle.
“‘I’m afraid you won’t find me, Joey!’” he mocked his little sister.
“Scaredy cat!”
“Stop! So what?” she unwound herself from the space and faced him.
“Fine. Let’s just go find Alex, ok?” Joey said as he took his little sister’s hand. He was suddenly hot and feeling impatient.
“Alex! Alex! Come out, come out wherever you are!” they yelled in unison.
Their voices fell flat. The air felt terribly wrong. Fear gripped Joey’s heart and the little hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. He shivered as he held his sister’s hand a little tighter.
“Alex? Alex! Where are you?”
Still, there was no response from his little brother and this made Joey’s heart quicken. There was a loud shuffling and then a crash could be heard coming from just ahead of them.
“Alex!!”
Joey tugged on Jennifer’s small hand and dragged her along as he ran in the direction toward the sound. When he got to the door, there was no knob. He paused, and then burst through it with his shoulder only to be knocked back by the stench that rushed up to greet him. He gagged and fought the urge to vomit. Little Jennifer cried out at the smell and with a twitch brought her hands up to cover her nose and mouth.
In the corner of the room was an old stove that had been pulled away from the wall. Not far from it, stood Alex, frozen in silence. Joey followed his brother’s line of vision and rested his eyes upon something no child should see.
Joey spied blood smeared all over the side of the stove and on the ground around it. Out from behind the stove he focused on what his brother was staring at – bare feet. With a shiver, he pulled his sister against his body, simultaneously covering her eyes. Jennifer shook in her big brother’s protective embrace. As she squirmed in his hold, Joey took a few paces closer to the body and stood in front of Alex to purposely block his view.
The victim was on the ground, naked. His skin discolored and bruised. Stepping backward, his mouth an “O” of horror, Joey turned his head sideways and saw his own expression on his brother’s face.
“Alex! Look at me. Come on! Look at me!! Alex?”
Alex turned toward him, his eyes lit with terror yet unseeing.
“Good. Good, now come to me, Alex! Come on! We have to get out of here!”
Joey anxiously reached for his brother with a thin, trembling hand.
****
Book Description:
Psych Thriller Adds Deviant Twists to Sociopath Theme
RJ and Adina enter the world as fraternal twins, one raised by old-world, controlling immigrants in El Barrio, the other sold into a religious home filled with lies and scorn. Both are sociopaths.
Turns out, RJ’s got a secret that enrages him with the flip of a switch. Adina uses her sexual power to dominate every man in her life. They are on a mysterious trajectory to cross paths in New York City, where the end of their lives culminates in an apex of horror and carnage.
The unusually hot rays of a summer afternoon’s sun beat down on Joey as he counted to ten in the latest game of hide and seek with his younger siblings in Brooklyn. Unaware of the thick, humid air that hung in the dirty, abandoned brownstone, Alex and Jennifer sought separate hideouts in the crevices of their favorite playground. Now just a shell of its former beauty, the building offered no overhead protection from the sun’s unforgiving assault. As far as they were concerned, this was no different from any other free summer afternoon.
As usual, Joey didn’t have a problem finding Jennifer. She was the youngest and had little, if any, imagination. She always chose the same spot in which to hide – a closet located just to the left of where the front door would be.
“Aw, Jennifer! There are so many places to hide in this building! Why do you always hide in the same spot?”
“I’m afraid you won’t find me, Joey!”
She held back a sniffle.
“‘I’m afraid you won’t find me, Joey!’” he mocked his little sister.
“Scaredy cat!”
“Stop! So what?” she unwound herself from the space and faced him.
“Fine. Let’s just go find Alex, ok?” Joey said as he took his little sister’s hand. He was suddenly hot and feeling impatient.
“Alex! Alex! Come out, come out wherever you are!” they yelled in unison.
Their voices fell flat. The air felt terribly wrong. Fear gripped Joey’s heart and the little hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. He shivered as he held his sister’s hand a little tighter.
“Alex? Alex! Where are you?”
Still, there was no response from his little brother and this made Joey’s heart quicken. There was a loud shuffling and then a crash could be heard coming from just ahead of them.
“Alex!!”
Joey tugged on Jennifer’s small hand and dragged her along as he ran in the direction toward the sound. When he got to the door, there was no knob. He paused, and then burst through it with his shoulder only to be knocked back by the stench that rushed up to greet him. He gagged and fought the urge to vomit. Little Jennifer cried out at the smell and with a twitch brought her hands up to cover her nose and mouth.
In the corner of the room was an old stove that had been pulled away from the wall. Not far from it, stood Alex, frozen in silence. Joey followed his brother’s line of vision and rested his eyes upon something no child should see.
Joey spied blood smeared all over the side of the stove and on the ground around it. Out from behind the stove he focused on what his brother was staring at – bare feet. With a shiver, he pulled his sister against his body, simultaneously covering her eyes. Jennifer shook in her big brother’s protective embrace. As she squirmed in his hold, Joey took a few paces closer to the body and stood in front of Alex to purposely block his view.
The victim was on the ground, naked. His skin discolored and bruised. Stepping backward, his mouth an “O” of horror, Joey turned his head sideways and saw his own expression on his brother’s face.
“Alex! Look at me. Come on! Look at me!! Alex?”
Alex turned toward him, his eyes lit with terror yet unseeing.
“Good. Good, now come to me, Alex! Come on! We have to get out of here!”
Joey anxiously reached for his brother with a thin, trembling hand.
****
Book Description:
Psych Thriller Adds Deviant Twists to Sociopath Theme
RJ and Adina enter the world as fraternal twins, one raised by old-world, controlling immigrants in El Barrio, the other sold into a religious home filled with lies and scorn. Both are sociopaths.
Turns out, RJ’s got a secret that enrages him with the flip of a switch. Adina uses her sexual power to dominate every man in her life. They are on a mysterious trajectory to cross paths in New York City, where the end of their lives culminates in an apex of horror and carnage.
Worldwide purchase links:
Amazon US
Germany/Deutschland
France
Spain/Espana
Italy/Italia
Japan/Nippon
Canada
Brazil/Brasil
Author Bio:
Native New Yorker, Minnie Lahongrais unwittingly kick-started her second career when she began writing an urban fantasy tale intended to help her cope with the death of her father. November of that year, she set that story aside to immerse herself in the annual madness of NaNoWriMo, meeting the challenge head on. Her first novel, “Sinner’s Ride” was published Spring of 2011. That summer, she found herself obsessed with the story idea for “Divergent Lives.”
Next on her agenda is the urban fantasy she began at the outset of her journey. She now plans to write that story as a trilogy.
Ms. Lahongrais currently lives in New York City. She finds time to write every day and spends her free time with her family.
Contact the author:
Website: www.minnielahongrais.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Lahongrais
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Lahongrais
Amazon US
Germany/Deutschland
France
Spain/Espana
Italy/Italia
Japan/Nippon
Canada
Brazil/Brasil
Author Bio:
Native New Yorker, Minnie Lahongrais unwittingly kick-started her second career when she began writing an urban fantasy tale intended to help her cope with the death of her father. November of that year, she set that story aside to immerse herself in the annual madness of NaNoWriMo, meeting the challenge head on. Her first novel, “Sinner’s Ride” was published Spring of 2011. That summer, she found herself obsessed with the story idea for “Divergent Lives.”
Next on her agenda is the urban fantasy she began at the outset of her journey. She now plans to write that story as a trilogy.
Ms. Lahongrais currently lives in New York City. She finds time to write every day and spends her free time with her family.
Contact the author:
Website: www.minnielahongrais.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Lahongrais
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Lahongrais
Hi Cloey!
ReplyDeleteThis looks great and thank you so much for sharing this never before seen excerpt! I hope all your visitors enjoy it!
Minnie
Hi Minnie,
ReplyDeleteAwesome - I am glad that you like it. Thank you for hanging out on Cloey's Book Reviews and Other Stuff today. I love the excerpt - it's perfect! And I am sure that my readers will want to know more about Divergent Lives.
Thanks again,
Cloey