6 days left until the
first day of summer!
first day of summer!
Gregg Luke was born in Bakersfield, California, but spent the majority of his childhood and young adult life in Santa Barbara, California. He served an LDS mission to Wisconsin, then pursued his education in biological sciences at SBCC, UCSB, BYU, and subsequently graduated from the University of Utah College of Pharmacy. His biggest loves are his family, reading, writing, music, science, and nature.Learn more about Gregg on his website: www.greggluke.com.
LDSWBR: What activities do you and/or your family participate in every summer? Do you have plans to try something or go somewhere new this year?
GREGG: My family enjoys Mendon’s Pioneer Day festivities. It is a great community event reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting. Lots of activities, food, and fun. The pinnacle event is the fireworks. They are launched a hundred yards from where we sit on the lawn, so you can feel the impact of the launch as well as enjoy the burst directly over your head.
LDSWBR: Do you have a favorite summer food or drink? If so, are you willing to share the recipe?
GREGG: My family? We like all food! For barbecue, steaks and brats are a staple.
LDSWBR: What books are on your summer reading list?
GREGG: Too many to list.
LDSWBR: Blink of an Eye will be released July 1, and to catch your interest (a.k.a. torture you until the book is released) Gregg has provided the first chapter. And it is an intense first chapter!
Blink of an Eye by Gregg Luke
Chapter 1
It happened in the blink of an eye. When the light turned green, Joseph Ramirez edged forward to make a left-hand turn onto the county highway. The five o’clock traffic was exceptionally hectic, even for a small tourist town like Solvang, California. Five cars went before him—three of the drivers making the turn while talking on their cell phones.
As he followed the cars into the intersection, a blur of motion flashed in his peripheral vision. He heard a thick screeching of tires and turned his head just in time to see the grill of a large truck in his driver’s side window. Before he could flinch, the sound of exploding safety glass and rending metal filled the air. Shards of glass flew into Joseph’s soft flesh as the truck’s grill entered his small Nissan Stanza. His vision narrowed as he felt a sudden weight press down on him. A moment later he was lying sideways across the passenger seat. The console between the front seats pressed painfully into his ribs. He thought he felt one crack—maybe two. He couldn’t see anything other than the area below the dashboard and found it curious how he’d never noticed the airbag icon embossed in that section of the vinyl dashboard. He smelled diesel exhaust, burnt rubber, and the coppery scent of fresh blood. The ever-increasing weight compressed his left leg, snapped it.
The noises of destruction became a frenzied din. The extreme pressure against his skull felt like his head was in a vise. The crushing force limited his breathing and restricted all movement. Yet he was still moving—sliding sideways through a chaos of blurred images and brittle sounds.
Joseph knew exactly what was happening. He knew it would hurt at some point, too, but the adrenaline in his system was circumventing any immediate pain. The screeching, bending, sliding, shattering, and collapsing seemed to last forever.
Then he heard a deep, hollow pop and felt a shifting of bone just under his scalp. An instant later the tormented sounds vanished. The flashing lights darkened. He tried to stir but couldn’t. Yet he still felt a languid motion, as if he were floating in some thick substance that prevented rapid movement or vision beyond a few inches. In fact, everything seemed to hover in a murky haze where each sense was distorted, slowed, confused. But the oppressive weight was still crushing, the odors still sharp and noxious, his breathing short and labored. His head felt particularly strange. It felt . . . liquid.
He knew pain was imminent.
Obviously, he had just been in a severe traffic accident. A large truck had broadsided him at full speed. His car had been totaled in a matter of seconds. The intense pressure in his skull told him he was seriously injured. Worse, he couldn’t feel anything from the neck down. But he could still think. That had to be a good sign. Didn’t it?
Slowly, the sounds began to fade into a muffled gloom. No light penetrated his closed eyelids. Even the taste of blood turned bland, flavorless.
Amidst a jumble of incongruous, amorphous thoughts, Joseph wondered, Am I still alive? And if so, for how long?
Blink of an Eye by Gregg Luke (Covenant Communications; July 1, 2010) will be available for purchase at Deseret Book, Seagull Book, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
They can do some amazing things with fireworks at the big fireworks displays these days. My favorites are the large ones that sparkle as they fall to the ground. Do you have a favorite large firework that you watch for during the big displays?
Tweet this today for an entry into the drawing:
The Blink of an Eye by Gregg Luke- Countdown to Summer 2010 Contest- Win a $25 Amazon gift card & books! http://bit.ly/9LC8xs #ldswbr2010
Tweet this today for an entry into the drawing:
The Blink of an Eye by Gregg Luke- Countdown to Summer 2010 Contest- Win a $25 Amazon gift card & books! http://bit.ly/9LC8xs #ldswbr2010
***Countdown to Summer 2010 Contest***
LDSWBR will hold a drawing on June 26, 2010 for a $25 Amazon Gift Card, as well as a variety of books being offered by some of the LDS authors that will be featured on the blog.
Book prizes generously donated by the authors:
- Abish: Daughter of God by K.C. Grant
- TRAPPED by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
- The Road Show by Braden Bell
- Awakening Avery by Laurie Lewis
- Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden
- Summer in Paris by Michele Ashman Bell
- Hometown Girl by Michele Ashman Bell
- Alma the Younger by Heather (H.B.) Moore
- Queen in Exile OR The Guise of a Gentleman by Donna Hatch (winner's choice)
- The Silence of God by Gale Sears (book or audio- winner's choice)
- Dangerous Connections by Julie Coulter Bellon
- Blink of an Eye by Gregg Luke
- Critique of three chapters (up to 30 pages) from Nichole Giles
How to enter:
- Post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Summer 2010 author posts. Comments can be added on any of the author posts anytime during the contest period (June 1, 2010 through June 21, 2010). Only one comment per person per "Countdown to Summer" author post will be entered into the drawing. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you'd like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.
- Follow us on Twitter: @LDSWBR - then send us a direct message to let us know you want to be entered in the Countdown to Summer 2010 Contest. If you are already a follower you need to send us a direct message telling us you want to be included in the contest.
- Tweet about that day’s author post using the tweet message included in each author post. Send an email to ldswbr at gmail dot com with the link to your tweet. Only one tweet per day counts so no need to harass your friends :). LDSWBR must be able to see the tweet in order for you to get an entry into the contest.
- Tweet this message each day (one entry per day). Just copy and paste into your twitter message window to send it: LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2010 at http://ldswbr.blogspot.com! Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card & some great books! @ldswbr #ldswbr2010
- Follow LDSWBR on Facebook, then send an email to ldswbr at gmail dot com that you’d like to be entered into the Countdown to Summer 2010 Contest. If you already follow LDSWBR on Facebook, send us an email to let us know you’d like to be included in the contest.
- Blog about this contest on your blog in a post that includes the link to the LDSWBR blog, then send us the link to your specific blog post.
Here are the rules:
- LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a "thoughtful" comment.
- Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MDT on June 25, 2010. Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MDT on July 3, 2010 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
- Book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.
Please join us in counting down to summer with some great reads!
I really like the one that when they come down it is like a chandelier. They are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteWow, that was an intense first chapter! I can't wait to read the book when it finally comes out. Anyway, as for the fireworks question... I don't have an exact favorite, but I love it when they're continuous with one right after another and you don't have to wait for the next one :)
ReplyDeleteI've been having a hard time trying to figure where to commment for the contest?
ReplyDeleteThis does sound like a interesting book. I like the cover, the eye looks familuar,is it somebody famous?
Jolynn_Reads@yahoo.com
I like the ones that look like a weeping willow. They may be the ones that you are talking about. I love them! I also like the ones that have a HUGE boom when they explode. My kids don't like that as much.:)
ReplyDeleteOK! Gripping first chapter. I feel light headed reading it! I'm going to have to go lie down for a moment.
ReplyDeleteI like the huge booms, and the spinning one's! chaleese@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteLove the cover and since I've loved all of Gregg's other books, I know I'll love this one too.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to read the first chapt. till I read the book. My husband likes his book because of the realistic scientific medical information in his books. I think they are intense. Karren
ReplyDelete