zondag 19 november 2017

Book Excerpt Work of Art: An Intention of Flowers


Book Excerpt

I stopped for a minute and looked at her, taking in the ludicrous sight of this old woman barring my exit. “Winny, do you understand what this means? What you just told me? Do you know what’s going to happen to Joseph?”
“Do you know,” she asked, “that I’m going to lose my car? That you’re going to destroy my credit rating? Is that the way you want to pay me back for bailing you out?
“Listen, Winny. It’s not that I don’t appreciate what you did for me. I do. But can you imagine what’s going to happen to Joseph? Do you want that poor kid going to jail, too?”
“No… I don’t.”
I could see her relax her stance just a little so I stepped forward and said in a softer tone, “Then, you need to let me help him. Please.”
She was lost in thought for a moment, but then she looked up at me and said, “No. I can’t let you do that. Bailing you out makes you my responsibility and I will stop you by whatever means necessary.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning,” Winny said, “that I have a gun in my purse and I am willing to use it if I have to.”
I looked at the little purse she carried. There was no way a gun could fit in that purse. Winny was bluffing and she wasn’t even that good at it.
I couldn’t wait any longer. I puffed up my chest and stepped forward. “I’m going, Winny. I don’t care if I have to move you aside.”
Turns out, her purse was big enough to hold a gun. She pulled it out and pointed it at me without hesitation. “Don’t you listen?” she asked.
“Of course, I listen,” I replied, backing away. “I just thought you were lying, that’s all.”
“Someone threatens you with a gun and you think they’re lying? What the hell’s the matter with you?”
She took a step toward me, herding me into the living room. I moved out of her way like any good sheep. I’m no fan of guns. “Well, when they do that in movies, it always turns out to be a bluff.”
“Movies?” Winny asked.
“Old movies, mostly,” I told her.
“How stupid are you?”
Winny’s question hung in the air, filling the apartment, waiting for an answer. But I wasn’t going to argue. “I can be just as dumb as you need me to be. Just do me a favor and put the gun away.”
“Oh, come on,” she groused. “It’s only a .22.”
“You were going to kill me with a .22?”
“Who said anything about kill?” Winny took her seat on the recliner and spun it in my direction. “I figured I’d shoot you in the foot or in the leg. You’d bleed pretty badly but you probably wouldn’t die.”

About the Book

Title: Work of Art: An Intention of Flowers
Author: Ken La Salle
Genre: YA / Contemporary Fiction
Oily pavement.
Thick tempera paint.
A parking lot filled with history, fear, and regret.
A young man named Joseph Arillo sits in the parking lot and paints the pavement with flowers.
And Andy Hollis steps in it.
As the new art teacher at Santa Ana High School, he’s too curious about Joseph’s Flowers and unravels both of their lives in his pursuit for answers.
He learns that it’s all part of a rite of passage, an absurd test started by Joseph Arillo’s father, the suspiciously world-renowned artist named only Tom. Which also connects to the drama teacher at Santa Ana High, Katie Bustos. Whose daughter, Desiree, may or may not be dating Joseph. Who is putting himself in danger from a local gang, the lot’s mysterious history, and the police.
Andy puts himself in danger of losing his job, his home, and his freedom. If he can’t solve the riddle of Joseph’s Flowers, both of their lives will go up in smoke – despite any help from Winny, the old, Slovakian bureaucrat at school, or his students, or Tom himself.
But is Tom trying to help? And is Joseph really up to his father’s test?
And is Andy really fit to be a teacher? He doesn’t understand kids, can’t get to school on time, and… doesn’t appear to care about art or families or anything. But Joseph’s Flowers will challenge everything Andy believes: about himself, about the world, and most importantly of all about art.
Before Andy and Joseph are finished, they will witness the power art has to provide inspiration, to waken our hearts, and to shatter everything you ever believed about humanity.
An Intention of Flowers is the first book in a 5-book series, modestly titled Work of Art, about growing into the person you always wanted to be, making the most of what you have to give and not just what you have, and the power in each of us when we chose to be ourselves.

Author Bio

Author and occasional philosopher and monologist, Ken La Salle’s passion is intense humor, meaningful drama, and finding answers to the questions that define our lives. Ken La Salle grew up in Santa Ana, California and has remained in the surrounding area his entire life. He was raised with strong, blue collar roots, which have given his writing a progressive and environmentalist view. You can find a growing number of his books and performances available online. Find out more about Ken on his website at www.kenlasalle.com.

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1 opmerking:

  1. Thank you for hosting this excerpt of Work of Art: An Intention of Flowers!

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