From CHIMERAS, Chapter 1:
“Damned lunch hour,” I muttered.
My partner looked out the window. “Speaking of which. I think I’m smellin’ Tommy’s chili. How ‘bout you, Track?”
I rapped the steering wheel. “I smell car exhaust from traffic. I smell chutney and tamarind from that orange stuff you always have for breakfast. I smell shoe polish even though I’ve no idea why you’d wanna polish your shoes on a day like this. And I still smell the fucking dog piss from the blue hair that flagged us at Hollenbeck Park.”
So now you know what my main character's quirk is: smells.
The above is my Sunday snippet submission for the Weekend writer Warriors (you can find the Snippet Sunday group also on Facebook, too). Check them out, it's a fun way to find upcoming books -- all genres welcome, there's something for everyone's tastes.
CHIMERAS is the first in a detective thriller series featuring LAPD Detective Track Presius. To be sure not to miss the release date, subscribe to the blog posts in the main page. To request an ARC (advanced reserved copy), in exchange for an honest review to be posted on amazon or goodreads, send an email to eegiorgi(at)gmail.com with the subject line "ARC copy."
Click to download sample chapters (ePub, Kindle and PDF available).
Book Description: Haunted by the girl he couldn't save in his youth, and the murder he committed to avenge her, Detective Track Presius has a unique gift: the vision and sense of smell of a predator. When a series of apparently unrelated murders reel him into the depths of genetic research, Track feels more than a call to duty. Children are dying, children who, like himself, could have been healthy, and yet something, at some point, went terribly wrong. For Track, saving the innocent becomes a quest for redemption. The only way he can come to terms with his dark past is to understand his true nature.
You can find CHIMERAS on Goodreads.
Details on how to order your free advanced copy here.
Scents are super powerful. Nice use of one of our senses.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elaine!
DeleteThat might really have a downside. To not be able to filter out things that assault one sense. I guess it would have it benefits, though. :-) Interesting 8. Good, crisp dialogue with a very real feel to it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Teresa! Yes, it has its downsides and that's what the book is about :-)
DeleteNice snippet...I worked with someone who had a sense of smell like that.
ReplyDeleteNancy
Thanks, Nancy! I have a husband like that ... :/
DeleteThat's al very far from Tommy's chili, I don't think he can ever be hungry while smelling all this. Nice description.
ReplyDeleteHI LInda, thanks for your input. The partner says "I'm smellin' chili" meaning he's thinking of having lunch at Tommy's chili. Then Track takes it literally because his sense of smell is a burden to him. But yeah, nobody would smell Tommy's that far. :-) I was hoping it was clear that the mention was figurative.
DeleteI love the premise, and I'm liking Tack's snark (and his name). I'll be putting this one on my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Sarah, that makes me so happy !!! :-)
DeleteI love the idea of smell being a character quirk. Great snippet and welcome to the group.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jess, so happy you like it ! :-)
DeleteThat's a lot of things he's smelling. His resentment could not be any clearer. Though I wonder how his partner will react to that?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Frank! I guess the answer will be in the next snippet. :-)
DeleteThe sense of smell is so underutilized in fiction. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThank you PT!
DeleteSomebody's grumpy. Fun snippet, Elena. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Siobhan!
DeleteLove this--I wonder if the smells get overwhelming at times and if he's able to tune them out? BTW, I'm a high school bio teacher and we've just started genetics... :-D "Junk" DNA is awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is, Karysa, isn't it? That's why I started this blog, and that's the whole premise of my book! Thanks so much for stopping by. :-)
Deletelol I can sympathize with that problem. Nice job!
ReplyDeletethanks Sandra! :-)
DeleteYou've got me curious about the MC. Looking forward to reading more snippets!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Millie !
DeleteI got to beta read part of this, I'm reading the whole thing now. I so love Track. He's a bit messed up, a bit rough on the edges, but a good guy in a quirky way. Good snippet choice, Elena, we get to see a bit of what it's like to be him.
ReplyDeleteThe Murders of Polly Frisch
yes, those are the right words to describe him :-)
Deletethanks so much, Cindy !
Again this week, a very vivid excerpt. I love your "tone", fascinating story, can't wait for more!
ReplyDelete