The Indigo: 77-7-7
Like he who tagged me, I don’t normally participate in these sorts of memes, but I can’t resist playing this game with debut novelist David Abrams, because I’ve been editing David’s work at January Magazine for more than a decade and I’m just so incredibly pleased and delighted and even proud that this fine writer will soon be promoting his own book, Fobbit, which will be released by Grove Press this coming September. I encourage you to visit his web site and read more about Fobbit and, if you’re so inclined, pre-order his book, which sounds fantastic.
Now, without further ado, here are the rules:
1. Go to the 77th page of your work-in-progress or latest book.
2. Count down 7 lines.
3. Copy the 7 sentences that follow, and post them.
4. Tag 7 other authors.
The book you’re likely to see from me soonest is The Indigo. News on that book to follow shortly. It’s a contemporary thriller with a paranormal edge set in British Columbia and Virginia. It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I barely slept the whole time I was writing it: I saw things every time I closed my eyes.
In the scene below Olivia, a teacher, has been called out on what she feels will be a fool’s errand (but which, of course, it turns out it is not). Things have started getting scary, but Olivia hasn’t seen any of it yet, and being a practical sort, she doesn’t believe it. By the time she realizes she’s wrong, all hell will have broken loose. But then, it’s possible you already guessed that.
Though she thought the cloak and dagger routine excessive, she agreed, with one addition: she took Artemis with her. Realistically, the dog was no kind of protection -- unless they were attacked by a duck or maybe a stick -- but she felt better for his company, nonetheless.As she walked towards the house Artemis stayed hard on Olivia’s heel as though sensing how tightly strung his mistress was. The early morning seemed bizarrely quiet and every sound reverberated against Olivia’s nerves. The barking of a dog in the next block. A car starting up in the distance. The squeal of the garden gate on its hinges. She could hear echoes of each sound long after it had died away.
Now I'll tag these seven awesome authors to give us a taste from their books and, in the spirit in which I set out, all either are or have been January Magazine contributors who either have a book recently published or who I either know or suspect have a book underway:
2. Tony Buchsbaum
6. Aaron Blanton
7. Richard Klin
They may not have time or inclination to do a similar blog post (we’re all busy these days, so I can hardly blame them if they don’t), but I urge you to check out their blogs and their books. Fine writers, every one of them.
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