Authorpreneur Dashboard – Qwantu Amaru
One Blood
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
For Every Action... Lincoln Baker, born a ward of the state, has gone from orphan, to gang banger, to basketball superstar, to lifer at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in the space of eighteen years. During his prison term, he meets Panama X, a powerful and mysterious father figure who gives Lincoln a reason for living - he must assassinate Randy Lafitte, the sitting Governor of Louisiana. There is an Equal and Opposite Reaction... In order to force a pardon, Lincoln orchestrates the kidnapping of Karen Lafitte, Randy's only daughter. But Randy Lafitte is a man who built his fortune by resurrecting a family curse from slavery to kill his own father. A curse that may or may not have been responsible for his son Kristopher's death in the gang crossfire that sent Lincoln to prison for life. Randy will stop at nothing to save his daughter, even if it means admitting the curse is real. Even if it means committing greater atrocities. Too bad for Anyone Stuck in the Middle. Three days after Karen's kidnapping, an explosive cocktail of revenge, manipulation, serendipity, fate, truth, and redemption detonates throughout Louisiana. When the dust settles, the ending is as unexpected as it is illuminating. There are secrets sealed in our blood, you see. The best answers, as always, lie within.
Book Bubbles from One Blood
Randy's panic
As authors we should always put a little of ourselves in our characters and I tried to do this with each character in One Blood. I suffered from several panic attacks in 2007-2008, and decided to add this character trait to Randy Lafitte as well. Panic disorder is common in people who tend to be control freaks - it is the body's way of letting you know who is actually in control. I thought this would be an interesting issue for my uber-ambitious Governor to have to deal with.
Character cues - Randy 3
One of the side effects of Randy Lafitte's success has been a steady building paranoia. I repeated the term cursed three times in this passage as a subliminal hint to things to come. This selection humanizes Randy but also casts some mystery because he has gone through tragedy but it is clear he knows more than he is letting on.
Randy Lafitte: character cue 2
In this excerpt we learn that Randy's life is defined by tragic loss and enormous success. This selection is also important because it introduces the eighteenth birthday arc and Lincoln Baker, someone we will learn much more about in future #bookbubbles!
Randy Lafitte Introduction
I've written about this in several interviews, but Randy Lafitte's character came about with the question, what if ex- KKK Grand Wizard, David Duke had actually become Louisiana's Governor? This opening paragraph is an introduction of this powerful and deeply troubled character. It also introduces a regular reality for Louisiana politicians, Hurricane Season.
Revenge quote
This quote from George Bernard Shaw really sets the tone for the entire novel. It let's you know that this book is about dark secrets and coming to terms with your past. I originally opened the book with a quote from Native Son, but felt this one actually did a better job establishing the theme of the book.
Opening Paragraph
Setting the scene. Establishing shot. Also, trying to grab you right from the start!
