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There will be blood
First an update on Aaliyah’s story from the sequel to RUSH.
I’ve found a stock image for the character of Amelle, though I don’t have my title for the book truly set yet. Right now I’m just calling it RUSH 2:
RUSH 2: Aaliyah and Aiden’s story continues and Amelle’s tale begins Aaliyah made a number of decisions in book one that affected her family and their standing in the Somali Bantu community. But more important, she strayed from her religion. Book two explores what the repercussions are and how she and Aiden deal with them. Aiden has questions and concerns regarding how close Aaliyah and Turk became while he was away, as Turk’s presence is still felt even though he’s nowhere to be found. That’s all I’ll reveal for now, but the Suicide Kings re-form with a surprising new leader.
Also nearing a release date:
Confessions of a Shapeshifter cast. Julian Armitage Larouche, the Victorian era vampire, Kris, the dark child, and Andre Santana, the werewolf -
Aaliyah from RUSH
One of the reasons I create picture representations of my characters is so that they feel more real to me when I give them a voice. I’ll search for just the right stock photo so I can edit it to fit scenes in the book or as a promo.
The first time Aiden meets Aaliyah, I decided he’d hear her voice, and not see her. There’s a joyfulness about Aaliyah that intrigues him, and challenges his preconceived notions about her culture and her faith.
- But RUSH isn’t just one young female’s coming of age tale that continues until her mid-twenties. It’s about a group of girls, like the African American teen enthralled with the new refugees. And there’s Fatuma, the self appointed leader of the Somali Bantu students. I’ve posted a brief excerpt of what I call “The World according to Fatuma”:
“I’m not some . . . some ‘thing’ that needs to be pitied. And I’m not someone who needs to be saved. Go look at your own life if you need to change someone.” – Aaliyah from RUSH
Excerpt from RUSH:
Fatuma is my closest friend. We attend high school together. She is very beautiful and she knows it. When we are in the presence of our elders she behaves like a good muslima. But once we are alone she tells me all the gossip. She knows many things and much of the American culture, especially the words they say in school that I don’t understand. Fatuma can speak several languages. When she talks, she goes from Maay-Maay to Somali, to Arabic and to English, and even Swahili. I’m learning a great many things from her.
“Stay away from Batool,” Fatuma warned as we walked to the bus stop. “She’s nothing but a dhilo. She only likes ajanabi boys, the foreigners like the blacks and the whites and the Spanish guys. She’s making zina with anything with a dick. I do not want her with my brother.”