Russell .'s Blog
September 19, 2017
New Apple Awards
GAVIN just recently was awarded as Official Selection in the Horror category for 2017 Summer Ebook for the New Apple Literary Awards.
So unexpected and so humbled by the honor!
Read to Escape!
Russell
http://www.newappleliterary.com/2017e...
So unexpected and so humbled by the honor!
Read to Escape!
Russell
http://www.newappleliterary.com/2017e...
April 29, 2017
A 'Soundtrack' for GAVIN
Good Morning Everyone!
During the Book Blog Tour, I created a 'soundtrack' for GAVIN...
Follow the link below-->
http://thebookadventuresofemily.blogs...
Enjoy!
Russell
During the Book Blog Tour, I created a 'soundtrack' for GAVIN...
Follow the link below-->
http://thebookadventuresofemily.blogs...
Enjoy!
Russell
GAVIN Book Blogger Tour
Good Morning Everyone!
I'm currently in a fun Virtual Book Blogger Tour...
Please check the tour schedule and sign up your chance to win some prizes!
Follow the link below-->
http://www.sagesblogtours.com/gavin.html
Happy Saturday!
Russell
I'm currently in a fun Virtual Book Blogger Tour...
Please check the tour schedule and sign up your chance to win some prizes!
Follow the link below-->
http://www.sagesblogtours.com/gavin.html
Happy Saturday!
Russell
April 17, 2017
Another Taste of GAVIN
I would like to share another snippet of GAVIN for you. My new book is a gritty, dark, sexual thriller with many twists and turns...
Please enjoy!
Russell
Excerpt 2-->
Entering the hotel room, Gavin slipped on a pair of rubber gloves as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. The curtains were drawn and the shadows lingered in the empty corners. Even Derrick’s bulky frame submerged into the murky darkness, yet he could see his partner gripping his gun. The hotel suite was a corner room, with prime views of the city and the lake.
McNeal had some money, he thought. Gavin took out his penlight and turned it on silently.
The beam’s intense light flashed on the empty lounging area, exposing the modern forest-colored couch, a low glass coffee table, two glass side tables, and a stiff tan leather chair. On the opposite wall, where Derrick ambled toward, there was a large flat-screen television hanging over a long black lacquered dresser. In the far corner near the window, a black pencil desk sat peacefully with a Herman Miller chair, poised for potential guests. Even from this distance, Gavin could see that the ordinary hotel propaganda about tourism and the site’s information still lay untouched. To the right, near the door of what was most likely the bedroom, he saw a pristine bar area with a marble countertop and slate floors. A small mini fridge could be seen in the shadows and remained sealed.
“Smell that?” Derrick’s baritone voice boomed in the stillness. Gavin saw that the penlight was waving over the closed door. His partner opened the door and slipped into the other room.
“Bleach.” Gavin took some steps into the sitting area. With one last look around, he determined that it seemed too clean and orderly. No objects broken, no signs of struggle. As if nothing had happened.
“Gavin, the payload’s in here.” Derrick’s voice was slightly muffled.
Straightening his back and glancing once over his shoulder, Gavin entered the bedroom. The curtains were drawn. While the lamp in the far corner of the room gave plenty of light, Derrick’s flashlight danced haphazardly around the bed where the victims remained. Indeed, the housekeeper was correct, because a glimpse of hell’s dungeon grotesquely displayed itself before Gavin’s eyes.
Please enjoy!
Russell
Excerpt 2-->
Entering the hotel room, Gavin slipped on a pair of rubber gloves as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. The curtains were drawn and the shadows lingered in the empty corners. Even Derrick’s bulky frame submerged into the murky darkness, yet he could see his partner gripping his gun. The hotel suite was a corner room, with prime views of the city and the lake.
McNeal had some money, he thought. Gavin took out his penlight and turned it on silently.
The beam’s intense light flashed on the empty lounging area, exposing the modern forest-colored couch, a low glass coffee table, two glass side tables, and a stiff tan leather chair. On the opposite wall, where Derrick ambled toward, there was a large flat-screen television hanging over a long black lacquered dresser. In the far corner near the window, a black pencil desk sat peacefully with a Herman Miller chair, poised for potential guests. Even from this distance, Gavin could see that the ordinary hotel propaganda about tourism and the site’s information still lay untouched. To the right, near the door of what was most likely the bedroom, he saw a pristine bar area with a marble countertop and slate floors. A small mini fridge could be seen in the shadows and remained sealed.
“Smell that?” Derrick’s baritone voice boomed in the stillness. Gavin saw that the penlight was waving over the closed door. His partner opened the door and slipped into the other room.
“Bleach.” Gavin took some steps into the sitting area. With one last look around, he determined that it seemed too clean and orderly. No objects broken, no signs of struggle. As if nothing had happened.
“Gavin, the payload’s in here.” Derrick’s voice was slightly muffled.
Straightening his back and glancing once over his shoulder, Gavin entered the bedroom. The curtains were drawn. While the lamp in the far corner of the room gave plenty of light, Derrick’s flashlight danced haphazardly around the bed where the victims remained. Indeed, the housekeeper was correct, because a glimpse of hell’s dungeon grotesquely displayed itself before Gavin’s eyes.
April 5, 2017
A Taste of GAVN
Hope everyone is doing well! Since GAVN is officially out, I would like to share some insights behind the book.
When I began writing GAVIN, his voice was distinct and clear as the words hit the page. In fact, I could not escape his voice. As a result, the novel is uniquely set in his POV. As the story unfolds, the reader will see it unravel through Gavin's perspective.
Here is a little teaser for you...
Hope you enjoy!
Russell
GAVIN is on sale now!
Excerpt 1-->
Gavin’s favorite band, Slipknot, pulsated in his earbuds. The steely guitar riffs, the raw guttural singing, and the rhythmic drum pounding created a resurgence of raw energy and increased the length and quickness of his pace. This particular album was Gray’s second-to-last recording with the band before his death. Appreciating the posthumous honor, Gavin enjoyed the inspirational bassist’s riffs even more as he ran along Lake Shore Drive.
The tingling in his left leg meant that he’d pushed himself harder. A glistening layer of sweat coated his naked torso, and he felt the sun’s radiant heat on his skin. Even though the music was deafening, he could still hear his raspy breath.
Today was the first real day of summer.
Being an avid runner, he was not as neurotic as some of the others. He did not wear the expensive shorts, the breathable shirts, the specialized hats, or any of the merchandising. More so, he no longer wore a watch. For a long time, he did wear one, and it helped with his pacing here and there. Three years ago, he had forgotten it for his first half-marathon. The freedom of not looking down at the time made him enjoy the race more. After viewing his results, he discovered that his pace was actually better. Now the watch was on the kitchen counter, still keeping time.
From that point on, he just ran to enjoy the exercise. In fact, he liked it simple. His beat-up White Sox hat, a cheap MP3 player with his tunes, a water bottle clutched in his left hand, a decent pair of running shoes with great support, and a pair of shorts were his choice for a warm day. Yes, he did run when it was cold, but the distance was significantly shorter. To him, running in the summer was much simpler.
He caught glimpses of women turning their heads as he passed them. Perhaps his half-naked body made them take a good second look. Courteously, he received the runner's nod from men, probably eyeing him up as well. Honestly, he did not care. Before he would have felt slightly self-conscious of their stares, but today, especially today, on this hot summer day in the afternoon, he absorbed their looks. The faded, slightly torn baseball cap was tight on his head, and his eyes darted side to side, looking at the views.
Ahead, the glorious tall buildings of Chicago poked jaggedly toward the sky like shimmering steel and glass stalagmites rising toward the brilliant azure sky above. To the left, he saw the beach filling up with people, kids, and dogs playing in the rough, choppy lake water. The heat was intense. He could have just run over and jumped into the water, but instead, he ran toward the pedestrian bridge over Lake Shore Drive. Halfway through the overpass, looking below the steel fence, he saw that the Friday afternoon traffic already swelled up all eight lanes, and the faint sound of blasting horns could be heard over the music. No matter, he was heading for his apartment building on Wells, which was less than a mile away.
He was reaching the twelve-mile point.
Running helped Gavin purge his thoughts of the day, find solutions to problems, and even work on cases. The more stressed he had been at work, or in life, the longer he would run.
The concrete was his therapy session.
When I began writing GAVIN, his voice was distinct and clear as the words hit the page. In fact, I could not escape his voice. As a result, the novel is uniquely set in his POV. As the story unfolds, the reader will see it unravel through Gavin's perspective.
Here is a little teaser for you...
Hope you enjoy!
Russell
GAVIN is on sale now!
Excerpt 1-->
Gavin’s favorite band, Slipknot, pulsated in his earbuds. The steely guitar riffs, the raw guttural singing, and the rhythmic drum pounding created a resurgence of raw energy and increased the length and quickness of his pace. This particular album was Gray’s second-to-last recording with the band before his death. Appreciating the posthumous honor, Gavin enjoyed the inspirational bassist’s riffs even more as he ran along Lake Shore Drive.
The tingling in his left leg meant that he’d pushed himself harder. A glistening layer of sweat coated his naked torso, and he felt the sun’s radiant heat on his skin. Even though the music was deafening, he could still hear his raspy breath.
Today was the first real day of summer.
Being an avid runner, he was not as neurotic as some of the others. He did not wear the expensive shorts, the breathable shirts, the specialized hats, or any of the merchandising. More so, he no longer wore a watch. For a long time, he did wear one, and it helped with his pacing here and there. Three years ago, he had forgotten it for his first half-marathon. The freedom of not looking down at the time made him enjoy the race more. After viewing his results, he discovered that his pace was actually better. Now the watch was on the kitchen counter, still keeping time.
From that point on, he just ran to enjoy the exercise. In fact, he liked it simple. His beat-up White Sox hat, a cheap MP3 player with his tunes, a water bottle clutched in his left hand, a decent pair of running shoes with great support, and a pair of shorts were his choice for a warm day. Yes, he did run when it was cold, but the distance was significantly shorter. To him, running in the summer was much simpler.
He caught glimpses of women turning their heads as he passed them. Perhaps his half-naked body made them take a good second look. Courteously, he received the runner's nod from men, probably eyeing him up as well. Honestly, he did not care. Before he would have felt slightly self-conscious of their stares, but today, especially today, on this hot summer day in the afternoon, he absorbed their looks. The faded, slightly torn baseball cap was tight on his head, and his eyes darted side to side, looking at the views.
Ahead, the glorious tall buildings of Chicago poked jaggedly toward the sky like shimmering steel and glass stalagmites rising toward the brilliant azure sky above. To the left, he saw the beach filling up with people, kids, and dogs playing in the rough, choppy lake water. The heat was intense. He could have just run over and jumped into the water, but instead, he ran toward the pedestrian bridge over Lake Shore Drive. Halfway through the overpass, looking below the steel fence, he saw that the Friday afternoon traffic already swelled up all eight lanes, and the faint sound of blasting horns could be heard over the music. No matter, he was heading for his apartment building on Wells, which was less than a mile away.
He was reaching the twelve-mile point.
Running helped Gavin purge his thoughts of the day, find solutions to problems, and even work on cases. The more stressed he had been at work, or in life, the longer he would run.
The concrete was his therapy session.
March 5, 2017
Preview of GAVIN
In the next few days, my forthcoming book, GAVIN, will available in stores...
If you are looking for a racy, dark thriller, please follow the link to catch a preview of my new book...
Stay tuned for more details in the next coming days!
https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1...
If you are looking for a racy, dark thriller, please follow the link to catch a preview of my new book...
Stay tuned for more details in the next coming days!
https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1...
