First Chapter: The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith #FirstChapter #ChapterOne #FirstChapterReveal

The Urban Boys first chapter

Title: THE URBAN BOYS: DISCOVERY OF THE FIVE SENSES BOOK 1
Author: K.N. Smith
Publisher: Two Petals Publishing
Pages: 340
Genre: YA Action Adventure / YA Thriller / Urban Fantasy / Mystery / Thriller

BOOK BLURB:

Welcome or unwelcome. Fate has arrived.

“A captivating and poetic tale of mystery, fantasy, and reality tied together by action!” 5-stars, Lars Jackson, Amazon Customer

A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become super-gifts that forever change the world. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory super powers in a race to save mankind. With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, can the boys defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late? Get prepared for the twisting and grinding of this award-winning, action-adventure story — an edge-of-your-seat narrative for young and mature readers alike.

“Brilliantly crafted and written!” – Megan King, Indie Book Reviewers

“An energetic adventure debut with stellar action sequences. Smith’s writing is intelligent and often lyrical. Her exuberant prose never fails to dazzle.” – Kirkus Media

“Author K.N. Smith uses her mastery of the written word to weave an entrancing, yet powerful tale of adventure that keeps you turning pages in an unquenchable desire to find out what happens next.” – Publishers Daily Reviews

Book Information

Release Date: September 29, 2015

Publisher: Two Petals Publishing

Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-0989474757; 340 pages; $12.95; E-Book, $2.99

Available for Purchase in Paperback & Kindle at www.books2read.com/knsmith.

The Urban Boys

Chapter One

Twenty Years Later

THE COMMUNITY OF DANVILLE HEIGHTS offers the scenic route to a carefully crafted universe.  Casts of shadows cool and soothe, beckoning the weary, comforting their plight. Explosions of color captivate, blanketing the land. A peaceful valley filled with families disinterested in city life, its combination of natural resources and quaint charm enchant those fortunate enough to dwell within.

Nature expressed itself always, as seen in a swirling butterfly as it dipped toward a crimson landing pad. It meandered along clean streets where comfortable homes with large porches seemed to have been plucked from the pages of a country interiors magazine.

Sunlight showered a dwelling with pale mint and  creamy white paint, warming the sun porch and a  shallow saucer of water left for visiting birds.

The butterfly swooped to examine embellished  mailboxes, flapping its orange wings as though it were  clapping for the winner. One of the mailboxes read:  Parker Residence.

A bike lay sideways in the yard.

In this town, folks enjoy ripe tomatoes, fragrant  peaches, and loads of neighborly warmth. People were glad to see each other, or at least they understood the  politeness of saying hello. After all, a warm smile that’s  always on the menu is reassuring indeed.

Across the way, the morning sun seeped into the  bedroom of Kinsu Yamada, an athletic teenager named  after an uncle from Japan. I’m so tired. It’s time to get  up, but I’d rather be dreaming about what’s her name  from sixth period. The girl with the short hair. Dang,  what is her name anyway?  

Getting up now offered a downside, like chancing a  nap in the middle of class. Because his sore muscles  needed a stretch, the option of dreaming quickly  disappeared, so he reached for the headphones on his  nightstand.

“Let’s see, how did that beat go?” He sifted through  rhythms floating in his mind, like the masterpiece he  had laid down yesterday. One, two, dat, boom. Yeah,  that’s it right there! Only the beat master could do that.  

He pushed the blankets aside, then reached across his bed. Where’s my tablet? He felt around until his fingers slid across cool metal. “In you go, headphones.”

He fired up one of his own tracks. The pulse of the beat  brought him to life, but it wasn’t complete. New sounds  were destined to mingle with the melody. I love this  software. “Alright, FastBeats, let’s go.”

Kinsu opened the dashboard. Black and white keys  made interesting noises. He wove drum and guitar  effects into his tracks, dragging and dropping them into  perfect position. Ooh, nice! 

With the track finished, a quick scroll through a beat making contest announcement boosted his confidence.  I’m sure I can win this one. When is it? A few weeks  from now? No problem. I got this! 

Time was moving. He plugged the headphones into  his phone. A shuffled playlist spilled into his ears.  Kinsu rolled out of bed to look outside. The beat throbbed in his head. A bird flew by the window as the  blinds sliced through the view of a picture-perfect  morning in Danville Heights.

A solid rocking chair made of real wood stood in the corner of the porch. It had beautiful grain and curves, just the way Mrs. Perkins remembered from her childhood. At seventy-five, she rocked almost daily, usually late at night, and like today, early in the morning before the sun peeked through sprawling trees.

She moved across her porch to adjust the hanging  pots lined with moss, swaying in the soft wind. “Don’t  you look lovely?” Mrs. Perkins stroked the dark purple  geraniums, gifted to her by an acquaintance. “Such a  rare color. So beautiful.”

She reached up to untangle a stubborn chain on one  of the pots, which had caused it to lean sideways. Much  better, she thought, after a few yanks.

A quiet town near the small city of Sandry Lake,  Danville Heights was just the kind of place she liked.  Small community feel. Occasions to get to know  residents. Moments to find out their business. Just the  way she liked it.

As she admired her flowers, something special met  the morning. When the sun had appeared, sparkling  dew evaporated from tall blades of grass, retracting the  moisture so refreshing to the blades. Drying out right  before her eyes, each blade had a story to tell emerging into the new day. So many stories. Much like the ones  Mrs. Perkins had in memory.

She knew a lot about the history of Danville Heights.  But it was clear to her—some secrets were not to be  revealed. The trick? Imitating the blades’ mastery of  secrecy throughout the decades.

She gripped the arms of the rocking chair, lowering  herself, landing on a striped pillow. So comfortable. So  nice and quiet. 

She looked to the sky and smiled.

The motion of the rocking chair was part of the  puzzle of the day’s awakening. Boys were slowly rolling  out of bed, and the coffee was on, the rich aroma  wafting through the houses. All of it made for a smooth  transition from night to day without interruption of normal events.

A few streets over, Chase Freeman, a junior at  Danville Heights High School, had fallen in love with his  pillow. But he could hear Diane, his older sister, moving  around the house. She had been raising him since their  single mother passed away two years ago from breast  cancer. They were doing their best to make it from  semester to semester.

Diane was definitely in charge. She kept the house in  order doing what her mother would have done.  “Lasagna tonight, loaded baked potatoes tomorr—” She  saw her reflection in the computer monitor as she  zoomed around a corner. “Let me check my grades on  the portal.”

She removed a small laundry basket from beneath her arm, setting it on the floor. With her knee on the  desk chair, she logged-in to her online college courses  to review the rankings. “B+? I was hoping for an A.” She  searched for the message icon and tapped the keys.  Dear Professor, I’d like to discuss this assignment during  office hours…  

As Chase entered his junior year, she gave her all to  keep him focused. A challenging job for a young  woman, but it appeared to be working so far.

Chase loved to sleep, but it wasn’t meant to be this morning. If he was going to catch a ride with Diane, he  had to get up… now.

With her grades reviewed, she was on the move.  Diane passed his room while putting away the  laundry. “Chase, you must not want a ride today.” She  could sense his fancy for feet dragging.

Chase jumped to the floor, suspending his covers in  one hand. “Okay, okay, I’m up, see?” Tossing the  blankets aside, he grabbed a silver bat from the corner  of his room. Step up to the plate. He perfected his swing  in the mirror. Nothing can stop this player. One more  season after this year, then I’ll be an outfielder in  college. 

Diane was still in the hallway. “No, I don’t see anything. Get moving. I have to work at the café this  morning.”

Chase swung one more time. “I am up.”

He bid farewell to his warm sanctuary. His deep  brown skin glistened in the sunlight. A banner above the door with a quote from Babe Ruth caught his eye— ‘Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.’

Often amused with her brother, Diane smiled as she gave her final warning, “You’d better be, or you’re  walking, mister.”

There was no sign of the sun in the not so distant  town of Sandry Lake. Considering the height of the east  side buildings which should have received a golden kiss  by now, this seemed odd.

Didn’t the rooftops feel lonely awaiting the moment to greet the sun’s fresh rays?

Usually, there was plenty of action on the road, but today the mood was low. A dark contrast to the bonds  being made in Danville Heights, where the sun  appeared to believe it had a multitude of friends on  which to rely for the next stretch of time.

About the Author

K.N. Smith

K.N. Smith, winner of the “Best of” in the category of “Outstanding Young Adult Novel” at the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Awards, is an author and passionate advocate of literacy and arts programs throughout the world. Her lyrical flair sweeps across pages that twist and grind through action-adventure and urban fantasy in edge-of-your-seat narratives. K.N. has over twenty-five years’ experience in communications and creative design as an award-winning consultant. Reading is still her foremost hobby. K.N. inspires people of all ages to reach their highest potential in their creative, educational, and life pursuits.

Her latest book is the YA Action Adventure/YA Thriller/Urban Fantasy/Mystery/Thriller DISCOVERY OF THE FIVE SENSES (The Urban Boys Book 1).

You can visit her website at www.KNSmith.com or connect with her on Facebook.

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