by: Dianne Hartsock
Genre: LGBTQ+ Psychological Thriller
Release Date: January 27, 2024
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Alex is twenty and confused. He always is. The world presses on him with its horrors and pain, with scintillating auras that bewilder his eyes and drive the migraines deeper. He hears the cries of the children, sees the brutal images of tortured victims. He feels out of control and his mind slips…
Severely abused as a child, he is left with horrible scars on his body and even worse scars within his mind. Even though it puts him in danger, he’s compelled to help those who call to him. He’s driven, motivated by his visions to rescue them and hopefully uncover the killer. When he can, he helps the police; yet some detectives suspect he’s involved. Often, Alex finds himself alone and afraid in a world he doesn’t always understand.
Jane stood in the middle of the Gibson’s yard, deafened by the pounding of her heart. They wouldn’t let her near the storm cellar. Brad had carried Becca up to the farmhouse and left her with the paramedics, then rushed back into the wheat field with several other officers. Crime scene tape now stretched between her and the cellar, reflecting the flashing lights from the police cruisers.
She steeled herself when Brad appeared from the field supporting someone who could barely walk, then ran to them when she recognized Alex. Alex didn’t seem to notice her, his head bowed toward the ground, so she walked beside them in worried silence. They headed to the back steps of the farmhouse, where Alex sank down and stared out into the night. He didn’t respond when she touched him.
“What’s wrong with him?” she asked, swallowing a growing panic.
Brad lifted a shoulder as a paramedic trotted up to them. Roger Criton set his med-kit at Alex’s feet and flashed a penlight into his unfocused eyes. A frown formed on his face as he checked Alex’s vitals, then he sat back on his haunches with a shake of his head.
“What is it?” Jane asked. “Is he in shock?”
It was a moment before Roger met her eyes. “There’s no sign of it. I think he’s simply…lost, somewhere in his mind.”
Jane’s chest tightened and she sat on the steps beside Alex while Roger began to clean the scratches on Alex’s neck. He took his time on the wound on Alex’s forearm, not as deep as it could have been.
Becca ran up to them. Jane could see her clearly in the headlights of Ben’s car. Her eyes were wide and shadowy. A few bruises discolored her cheeks. She knelt beside them, reaching a hand to touch Alex, but drawing it back. “How is he?”
“How are you?” Jane countered.
Becca rubbed her arms. “I can’t stop shaking. She didn’t hurt me. Just kept telling me over and over what she’d do to Alex when he showed up. It was horrible.” She looked at Alex’s vacant face and burst into tears, taking his hands. “Alex, I’m here. You found me. Wake up!”
Brad put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. She gripped his fingers. “I heard him, you know,” she said shakily. “I screamed for help, scared out of my wits, and then I heard him. Not in any words; I sensed him, I guess, but I knew he was coming.” She leaned toward him. “Alex?”
A spasm crossed Alex’s face. His eyes blinked into focus, and he looked curiously at her. “Are you dead, too?” He turned his head toward Jane when she gasped. “Why are you here?”
“Alex, we’re not dead.”
He swung back to Becca. “Are you sure?”
Jane couldn’t stand his emotionless voice. It was slurred, as if he had trouble speaking. “I want to take him home.”
She steeled herself when Brad appeared from the field supporting someone who could barely walk, then ran to them when she recognized Alex. Alex didn’t seem to notice her, his head bowed toward the ground, so she walked beside them in worried silence. They headed to the back steps of the farmhouse, where Alex sank down and stared out into the night. He didn’t respond when she touched him.
“What’s wrong with him?” she asked, swallowing a growing panic.
Brad lifted a shoulder as a paramedic trotted up to them. Roger Criton set his med-kit at Alex’s feet and flashed a penlight into his unfocused eyes. A frown formed on his face as he checked Alex’s vitals, then he sat back on his haunches with a shake of his head.
“What is it?” Jane asked. “Is he in shock?”
It was a moment before Roger met her eyes. “There’s no sign of it. I think he’s simply…lost, somewhere in his mind.”
Jane’s chest tightened and she sat on the steps beside Alex while Roger began to clean the scratches on Alex’s neck. He took his time on the wound on Alex’s forearm, not as deep as it could have been.
Becca ran up to them. Jane could see her clearly in the headlights of Ben’s car. Her eyes were wide and shadowy. A few bruises discolored her cheeks. She knelt beside them, reaching a hand to touch Alex, but drawing it back. “How is he?”
“How are you?” Jane countered.
Becca rubbed her arms. “I can’t stop shaking. She didn’t hurt me. Just kept telling me over and over what she’d do to Alex when he showed up. It was horrible.” She looked at Alex’s vacant face and burst into tears, taking his hands. “Alex, I’m here. You found me. Wake up!”
Brad put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. She gripped his fingers. “I heard him, you know,” she said shakily. “I screamed for help, scared out of my wits, and then I heard him. Not in any words; I sensed him, I guess, but I knew he was coming.” She leaned toward him. “Alex?”
A spasm crossed Alex’s face. His eyes blinked into focus, and he looked curiously at her. “Are you dead, too?” He turned his head toward Jane when she gasped. “Why are you here?”
“Alex, we’re not dead.”
He swung back to Becca. “Are you sure?”
Jane couldn’t stand his emotionless voice. It was slurred, as if he had trouble speaking. “I want to take him home.”
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She now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her hands, which kindles her imagination.
Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.
Places to find Dianne Hartsock:
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We appreciate you featuring this excerpt from ALEX today.
ReplyDeleteThis story sounds really interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marcy! Happy you stopped by today. Do you have a favorite thriller book?
DeleteWhat's your most embarrassing moment?
ReplyDeleteHi TracieM! Thanks for stopping in. Most embarrassing moment? Too many to count! But as a writer, I once met a favorite author at a writer's conference and stumbled over my words. They laughed it off, but I still haven't recovered. :)
DeleteI always have something to say as general rule of thumb but experience the same situations when my best foot forward is needed, LOL
DeleteThank you Read Your Writes for hosting my Alex today!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sherry! I really like the cover too. I'm glad you stopped in.
DeleteI so enjoyed reading this well done excerpt! Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a favorite author and/or genre?
ReplyDeleteDid you have any writing education?
ReplyDeleteWhat advice do you have for writers?
ReplyDeleteHow many books have you written and which is your favorite?
ReplyDeleteHow did you decide on the cover for this book?
ReplyDeleteWould I ask the author what cost him the most when writing this story?
ReplyDelete