Cover reveal is still a couple weeks away, but I’m feeling quite excited to start sharing my upcoming release with everyone. That’s why I’m going to go ahead and put up a little excerpt here today. Let me start by saying The Nameless is a dual-POV, first-person narrative following the twins, Chance and Lucky. The story is my first true foray into Urban Fantasy, as well as my first time focusing entirely on the Fae as the fantasy element. Boy, I was not prepared when I began this journey. This book had me cursing fairies and their slow-burn head games every few pages. The thing about writing tricky characters is you have to put your own head into their space. I didn’t know I had it in me.
Something else that was really important to me when writing this book, and as I work on its sequel, is capturing the musician life properly. The main characters are in a band and I wanted it to feel that way. They’re not a hugely popular band with millions of followers. They’re a DIY punk band who basically lives in their tour van. I am a huge fan of music, especially live music, so it means a lot to me to portray that life, from their gear to traveling between shows to showering at truck stops. It was a little challenging and definitely fun to do so.
This leads to me to the first full excerpt ever shared from this book. It’s a little glimpse of something anyone who has been to live punk, metal, and rock shows understands. Community. Plenty of people will look at a mosh pit and see violence, but a pit isn’t about that. It’s about expression and experiencing the music, something you do with a bunch of strangers yet something you all understand together. Please enjoy this little glimpse of my upcoming release, The Nameless.
Chance
My body moves without my brain. Next thing I know, I’m cutting through the backstage area. Security is pretty lax toward band members and nobody tries to stop me when I slip into the space between the stage and the crowd. I’m vaguely aware of a couple guys crying out excitedly when they see me, probably people who just saw us play. I ignore them as I vault the barricade and throw myself into the mosh pit.
They welcome me like no other group of people could so that, for a little while, everything fades but the bodies crashing together. All the pain and anger channel into my momentum. I’m not thinking or feeling. At some point, I careen off a body much larger than mine and go sprawling to the ground. In the same breath, a hand wraps around my arm and pulls me up.
When the song ends I’m sucking in air like I’ll never get enough. Sweat is streaming down my entire body. My muscles are tired and I feel much better.
Someone pats me on the shoulder and yells something about our set over the cheering crowd. I can’t understand him but the camaraderie is nice. I barely have time to catch my breath before the next song starts. I launch myself at the closest person and the circle closes around me.
Aj Elmore, Author 