Friends and foes, politicians and lovers intersect in this exciting novel of love, lust, and crime in the Emerald City.
In One Safe Place, lightning strikes of dilemmas and storms of lustful deeds intertwine with the well-thought citizens, as well as the criminal-minded. Under Seattle’s cloudy skies, the morally minded kiss the sexual deviant for advancement of careers and social status. Once again Alvin L.A. Horn rains down love, lust, and crime in the pursuit of clear skies in the Emerald City.
Everyone wants and needs one safe place, and former secret service agent Psalms Black puts thoughts and actions into his social righteousness. He knows how to exact revenge by any means necessary. His sexy lover, Gabrielle Brandywine, used to be the most powerful woman in the world as the Secretary of State of the United States. She still has clout, but has personal issues that can derail Psalms’ desired purpose in life. He and his friends are stealthy and tend to interpret human nature with skillful cleverness. In the mix though, are their own lives and love, and sexual issues must be controlled to complete missions.
Life is complicated when the deviant creep out of waters and from behind snow-capped mountains and mix with politics, sex, and dark money shadows. If evil acts occur like putting hands on a woman, or threatening a child, or harming a friend, you better hope Psalms Black and his friends don’t find out or someone could come up missing, or wish they had. Whether someone is on the right side of morality or if someone steps over the line, everyone wants and needs One Safe Place.
Alvin Lloyd Alexander Horn has lived and breathed the Northwest air and floated in all the nearby rivers streams leading the Pacific Ocean. As in the writings of Hemmingway and poetry of Langton Hughes and novels of Walter Mosley, their books are all the byproduct of their youthful environments and travels. Alvin's African American experiences in his Emerald City background shines through in his poetry, short stories, and novels.
Growing up in the "liberal on the surface" Seattle lifestyle, Alvin experienced seeing Black people with jobs, who could go most places and had no stereotypical ghettos. Inspired by many summer days spent in his local library when his mother placed Alvin "on restriction, often for daydreaming in school." He also credits the "little gray-haired white lady, the librarian," for introducing him to the likes of Richard Wright and Zora Neale Hurston. Upon reading the work of Nikki Giovanni, Alvin knew he wanted to be a writer of love stories and poetry.
"Some of my erotic writing imagination came from my dad leaving Playboy magazines in a not so secret place. My friends fixated the pictures, but I just read the stories, most of the time." With a storied background,Alvin excelled in an athletic career and as coach. Alvin played sports at the University of New Mexico in the mid70's and had short pro sports career after college. Along with being a musician, actor, and spoken word artist, the knowledge and talent from several experiences show in his writings.
Alvin launched his writing career as he worked in the field of education, teaching life-skills, poetry, and creative writing while working with at-risk kids. Alvin is a highly acclaimed spoken word artist which has allowed him to travel and promote his art of words. Alvin is the 2012 Billboard Awards Winner of Best Male Expressionist of the year of Erotic spoken word. He has balanced his writing career alongside doing voice-overs for radio and TV, music, video, and movie productions, and acting. His writings have appeared in anthologies and many periodicals, ranging from fiction to erotica to social commentary.
Alvin is all over Northwest reciting poetry and playing stand-up bass at different venues. However, he does love Houston, Atlanta, Vegas, Vancouver B.C., and most parts of California and New York. Most of all, he loves being on the back deck of his houseboat, writing love poetry and stories.
Alvin has self-published and published by Simon and Schuster and other publishers.
Works by Alvin L.A. Horn
The World That Fell Into My Dresser Drawer; a book of poetry, 2001
BRUSH STROKES; a novel, 2005
PERFECT CIRCLE; a novel published by Zane and Simon and Schuster, 2012
ONE SAFE PLACE; a novel published by Zane and Simon and Schuster, 2014
BRUSH STROKES; the re-release, with an added short story, 2016
BAD BEFORE GOOD& THOSE IN BETWEEN; a novel 2017
HEART & HOME, a novel 2019
All are available in paperback and E-book
Contributing author in the anthologies: Pillow Talk in The Heat of the Night, and The Soul of a Man 2, a writer for the Inner City News, and Real Life Real Faith Magazine, and national newspapers and magazines. Awarded by Flava News, the Unsung Peoples Poet Laureate
Prolific, entertaining and intriguing, Alvin L. A. Horn makes us all yearn for our own safe place. Each character is so vividly described that they are recognizable and relatable. It’s as if you have grown up with them since childhood, or as if they were an intricate part of the fabric of your own adult life. The main character, Psalms Black (I love that name), introduces readers to a softer side of an executioner. Through brilliant writing, your mind is forced to question ever manner in which you have viewed normal concepts of everyday life. The entire story has a feel as if we are walking hand in hand with an action hero; feeling what he feels, seeing what he sees, sharing his thought process on every aspect of life which makes up the core of who he is and why. With a rhythmic flow that is artistically place with both fluid plot and poetic prose, the story unfolds like a saxophone solo carrying the melody of a dramatic and sensual encounter. Through skillful concepts, a smooth soundtrack is created with each word in every chapter. Beautiful visual images force the mind to come alive and live within the moment on the edge of one’s seat; thirsty for the next tantalizing episode. Sexy even in areas unintended, and poetic in description and design, One Safe Place flows with a creative storyline unlike anything I have read before. It’s a whisper of a dream that the mind does not want to awaken from and I am truly a new fan to this author’s writing style.
I have read many books but this one is different on millions of levels. At first I was not into it, I kept at it and I am glad. The intriguing, sensual, and dramatic way the story unfolded woke up parts of me I knew was not dead. Being a native of Washington State made this book all the more better because I knew the places, hear the sounds, and could see the faces. The water scene though? Boom. I needs me a Psalms Black. Outstanding. And to think I met Alvin L.A. Horn at Wades in Seattle thanks to my cousin.
In “One Safe Place,” friends, foes, politicians, and lovers all meet in this novel of love, lust, and crime in the beautiful Emerald City.
This novel started out with a lot going on with Psalms Black and his security company, One Safe Place. Psalms and his team resolve issues by any means necessary. The story begins with Psalms and a college friend visiting a former college associate. They obtain information regarding missing children and the story starts there. As the story progresses feelings are made known, old hurts must be dealt with and new romances develop.
I loved the poetry and the sometimes highly erotic scenes. I loved the love they were making. Everyone needs a safe place to go to and a lot of times that place is found in the one you love.
At times fast paced and other times slow and enticing, Alvin L.A. Horn did a great job of detailing everything. However, some parts were a little too much for my taste. I did enjoy “One Safe Place” and I loved the ending.
Anyone looking for suspense, eroticism, and action along with poetry will really like this novel.
Oh My Goodness! This is such a good book! I love reading a work that has substance and a backbone! Each character was complex and real for me. I loved getting to know them and was mesmerized by their lives and loves. I recognized some of them from Alvin's previous novels and it was refreshing to remember their stories. I was 'oohing and ahhing' throughout this read! There was so much going on, I imagined I was watching an action packed movie! Alvin has a knack for allowing the reader to experience the scenes by engaging all the senses by which we are humanly connected! I could almost smell the ocean; I could close my eyes and see the whole story playing out in front of me! The love scenes were tastefully done and had me smiling throughout! It is filled with so many good vibes and life lessons that I was able to glean some much needed affirmations to help and enlighten my own journeyl! Reminiscing with the music and ejoying the spoken word offerings was delightful....what a TREASURE CHEST! I have added the Pacific Northwest to my bucket list!!! ~v~
Once again, Alvin L.A. Horn has created an eclectic mixture of characters and drama in One Safe Place, which is straight out of Washington state and centers around crime, love, family, friends, foes, trust, righting wrongs and protecting. As we embark on these journeys, we collide with thunderous dilemmas and willful deeds that are crime ladened.
A former secret service agent Psalms Black has lived his life helping others that were in need. He goes about life helping people come to that one safe place. He exact revenge for them and issues lessons to the offenders. Pair him with the former Secretary of State of the United States, Gabrielle Brandywine and we see the lives of a very powerful couple.
While Psalms Black and his people use a multitude of abilities and resources to complete missions bestowed upon them, they grow closer and closer and solidify their bonds and loyalties. These tales of righted wrongs are definitely something to experience.
This novel was one of suspense, but had elements of romance, erotica, the spoken word, friendship, and loyalty. Alvin L.A. Horn wove all of these elements together for an interesting read. Set in Seattle, we meet Psalms Black, an ex-Secret Service agent who has opened his own security company, One Safe Place. Black believes everyone should have at least one place where they feel safe. For those he loves and those that need his help, he makes that happen for them.
The book is one you must really get into and be open to enjoy. It starts off with kidnapping and kids in danger and progresses from there. Everyone needs one safe place where they can go and feel safe. The poetry is great.