Pavlovian Theory
For much of my life, I thoroughly enjoyed going to the movies. Unattached the last 20-plus years, however, my trips to the movie theaters have been infrequent, even rare.
One of the things I used to love was munching popcorn before the feature film began, watching the scene snippets that previewed coming films. By the time those and the ads were over, you were primed and ready for the big event.
With that in mind, I thought you might enjoy a few excerpts from my forthcoming novel, Blood on Their Hands, in advance of the book’s release. Actually, it debuted on Amazon in the Kindle version about 10 days ago, and I sent some snippets out then. But the official launch is May 4, when the paperback becomes available.
So, to further whet your appetite for what’s to come, I’m going to employ Pavlovian Theory and toss out a few more morsels. Have at them:
Bam! Tripping on a tangled bedsheet, he pitched onto the floor as though shot, dropping so fast that his knees didn’t bend to break the fall. It was as if a truck had slammed into him from behind. In an instant, he went from vertical to horizontal, hitting the floor so straight he could have been lying head down in a coffin. He landed nose-first, smack on a crumpled towel, which saved his face from injury. It struck Hitchens as so comical that he burst out laughing. He had stopped pitying his pathetic friend long before.
He rolled onto his back, his arm still under her neck, and went silent. After several seconds, Donna said, “Ernie had a lot to drink one night and told me about this friend Jake, who’s got a tiny trucking business. Ernie said Jake belonged to the Ku Klux Klan, and he mentioned to Ernie that a couple of cops were Klan members.”
Ku Klux Klan meeting
Garbuncle jerked his head toward Donna. “He say what police department?”
“Your Honor, I know it is highly unusual for a defense attorney to testify on behalf of his client—almost unprecedented, in fact. However, there actually is precedent, and the law does not forbid it.”
“That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” said Judge Jonathan Crabtree. “Have you taken leave of your senses?”
She turned the steering wheel, but nothing happened. Then it lurched to the left. She twisted the wheel hard to the right, but the car didn’t respond, and was headed toward the median. It hit the median curb, and veered the other direction. Donna went for the brake, but her heel caught on the bottom of the accelerator, and the car hurtled over the curb and straight for a light pole. She screamed.
Okay, that’s it. Gotta buy the book for more. Here’s the Amazon link, condensed: https://tinyurl.com/u9rue88
Unless, that is, you want to read it in advance of the official release date and write a review on Amazon. If so, just shoot me an email at thebrinkof@gmail.com, and I’ll send you the PDF for your eReader.
Now it’s off to the movies. I just realized what I’ve been missing.
