"K.N. Smith has at her disposal a lyrical prose that describes the environment and the characters in such fine (and magical) detail that you can’t help but fall in love with the world she has created. ‘The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses’ is a great start to this new series and the premise holds much promise for more entertaining episodes." - Midwest Book Review
Description:
Published: September 29th, 2015
The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses is an action-adventure story about five teen boys who are mysteriously exposed to a foreign energy source that gives them extremely heightened senses. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become hypersensitive gifts that forever change the world. The story offers young and mature readers central themes of loyalty, responsibility, honesty, fear, and triumph, which become artfully integrated with cinematic-level action and high drama. The story twists, turns, and grinds through elements of paranormal and action-adventure in a diverse, exciting, edge-of-your-seat narrative.
Overview: The story’s small town of Danville Heights, a carefully crafted universe, contrasts with the dark, gloomy town of Sandry Lake, where evil abounds. Upon the boys’ mysterious incident with the energy source, they’re instinctively called to Sandry Lake to root out evil. Their senses guide them each time. However, secrecy about their mission, furious battles with evil thugs, extreme fatigue, and stress and pressure soon overwhelm the boys, but they must find a way to embrace their fate. A lurking, Dark Stranger seems to know their plight, and a strikingly beautiful, fearless girl lends way to heightened confusion. Shocking details about these two characters, and the evil antagonist, the dreaded Druth, twist and grind the story even further. Despite tension and fierce battles, will the boys hold it together long enough to fulfill their destiny? Intriguing, intelligent, and full of action, The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses offers a memorable, emotion-packed, thrilling ride for young and mature readers alike!
“The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses” is both a rollicking ride filled with mystery, suspense and literary drama; as well as a sensitive portrayal of individuals and families called by an unknown force to fight evil. It grips the imagination and engages the senses from the very first words of the Prologue through the whole frenetically evolving story. It’s an amazing work for a new fiction writer and one that will keep the book in your hands as you relax, ride in airplanes or stop for coffee. I couldn’t put it down; and felt I was wasting time whenever I wasn’t going from one colorful chapter to another. It’s a great ride and highly recommended! You will want to get to know “The Urban Boys” and experience their “Discovery of the Five Senses.” - M. Assagai, Sacramento, CA
EXCERPT
Chapter Fourteen
Out at Night
A
|
BLANKET OF DEEP
CHARCOAL MOVED ABOUT LIKE A SPRAWLING, SMOGGY MASS high above Sandry Lake
bringing with it gloom and despair for all to see. As a town that had
fallen into a desperate state of disrepair, it was still amazingly contained, and unfortunately not as far
from Danville Heights as one would prefer. The approximate eight mile span
between the two towns was actually very close.
Sandry Lake was contained in the sense that it now had as few
citizens as when it was first established, considering that most of its
residents had abandoned ship in the name of self-preservation and fear of evil.
Its small police force and body of elected officials had all but disappeared. Crime
and corruption expressed itself in dark and evil ways.
Coming up from beneath the shadows in unexpected moments of
terror, something or someone had assumed control of the entire town and twisted
the meaning of what it was to be a community. There were two factions at hand:
the last of the committed citizens who would hang-on to the end, and a cruel, dark,
malicious force. Fighting what they largely could not see made for a very
unpleasant battle, but these faithful citizens were not giving up. Their
hearts were embedded in memories of better times when Sandry Lake served as a
model community within the region. The citizens had used their very own hands
to build the city, and to have what was rightfully theirs stolen from them was
an atrocity none could fathom. The problem was that their manpower had waned. So
what began as a counterattack became a waiting game, and they struggled to
survive.
Living in squalid, makeshift quarters, a dirty band of goons who
were all given free range as connivers, thieves, and thugs, roamed around at
all hours looking for whatever they wanted to steal. If they encountered a
citizen, they simply took what they wanted and beat them to the ground. The
goons had been uncaged and even a trace of any rule had simply vanished into
thin air.
He orchestrated their
moves, lavishing upon them promises of riches and power if they would only align
with his grand scheme. By dispensing such promises to the lost, his following
had amassed, and they were ready to strike at any given time.
The goons referred to him as “he,” likely not even knowing his name. In fact, the mind washing
was so elaborate that they had even forgotten their own names. So far away from
the truth were their lives that it would be impossible to salvage any one of
them. Intent to rule, this boisterous atrocity displayed itself as the lowest band
of hooligans on a totem pole built entirely out of filth and lies. Unlikely to
have been an overnight foray, he
obviously had been present for some time. He
often dreamed of his long-range plans to dominate this once beautiful and
established town.
As a loud altercation between a citizen and a wild ruffian
unfolded in the background, the depth of a shadow revealed a nasty episode in
an otherwise unfortunate, yet common day. With its desperate hunger aired out
in the open, a meandering chicken ruffled its brown and green feathers. It walked
and pecked for any scrap that would kindly spare itself.
In a place unfriendly to a lonely bird, it would take mountains
of hope for a meal to be realized. Unfortunately, he had the same on his mind and wildly snatched the chicken, which
sent feathers flying up and about. And with a quick snap of its neck, he brought it all to an end. Void of
hesitation, he bit into the chicken spitting out blood and feathers in a most
expressionless manner. In his mind,
dinner was what it was, and if another bird approached, it would most certainly
meet the same fate. Chewing and grinding away, his eyes glazed over, he
cared less how this came to be and continued to spit in all directions while
wiping his bloody chin with his filthy rags.
Like a fallen angel, he wanted power. He worked for evil and
fought against good. Only he could orchestrate the details of these crimes so
expertly executed as a way to run folks out so he could command the stage. Tall,
slender, and disheveled looking, he’d been surviving in the depths for quite
some time. The comfort associated with his brand of chaos led him to the
loneliest of places, and there he reveled.
Not understanding his own emotional insecurities, he chose evil
as a basis from which to operate. He had settled into a routine of madness,
which was now in the director's chair of Sandry Lake.
And from where did this
emerge?
As his eyes revealed a sliver of perceived childhood trauma,
feeling lonely and unloved, second and not first, feeling left out perhaps, his
internal emptiness spilled over, and he hung his head momentarily. Once happy,
he somehow became willing to trade his hand for the dark side, surely to gain
attention and a sense of power that would fill an enormous void. Perceived or
imagined, his hurt was real. But it would not slow him down on his journey to
destruction.
Compared to Sandry Lake, nightfall in Danville Heights had
quite the opposite effect. Children's eyes fluttered as they winked themselves
to sleep, quieted down, and settled-in for the night. For these were the common
routines of the peaceful valley.
There was only one thing aside its normal during this
particular twilight: five boys lay wide awake
sensing each other. They responded to instincts that they did not question,
but also did not understand. The day had been long and rest would normally be embraced,
but this evening had a tale to be told.
Jordan found himself ruffling through his black sweat clothes,
and he got dressed, opened his window, and jumped outside. Every single one of
the boys followed suit, all dressed in black athletic gear, and three in
hoodies. They briskly walked toward the preserve deep into the night. They were
transfixed on the north and not speaking to each other, but occasionally traded
glances as their respective senses burned away.
By way of mystery, the incident with the floating light balls
had caused a hypersensitive reaction with their senses, and Jordan could literally
hear the altercation between the citizen and the goon unfolding. Alex licked
his lips, his tongue protruded, and then it went back in and out again. Kinsu's
vision sharpened like a razor's edge, and he led the way. And as they
picked up the pace, they gained incredible speed. From calm to chaotic, their
worlds would change in a flash.
As if to run off to save our very own lives, the boys charged
ahead and never looked back, although uncertain of the path they were on. Enveloped
by the night, they felt strangely at home moving into dark shadows. They felt a
certain power as allies on this journey, which was now quite a ways from home.
The boys' actions brought an anticipated interruption to the
Dark Stranger who was resting, knowing fully that this day would come. Aware of
the infancy of the situation, he quickly sprung to his feet, but decided to
use reservation in measuring the boys. He could sense them, feel them,
even being able to see them running toward Sandry Lake.
He shared similar instincts and sensations to the boys, but
these connections had yet to be made. Sensing their urgency, he followed them
to this dark place, his black hood wrapped tightly while his cape-like covering
embraced the wind and advanced his commanding presence.
Akin to an alarm clock from hell, these new, powerful instincts
coupled with nightfall would prove to be bolder than ever in the history of
Danville Heights. The boys could have ignored this calling, fought its beckon,
but this would prove to be out of alignment with fate. As they tore into Sandry
Lake, whipped air encircled a crooked, dangling sign that ironically read: Welcome to Sandry Lake. It swung left to
right in a squeaky and unwelcoming manner.
They stopped in their tracks taking view of this evil domain,
which loomed large above them. Underfoot, filthy trash served as their greeter,
while broken glass and coarse rubble served as their guide. Moving forward
slowly, they surveyed the area leading to the altercation. Rhee could smell the
goon while pinpointing his exact location.
Filthy or not, Chase stooped down and put his hands on the
ground to feel for human vibrations that may have been surrounding them.
Kinsu remained laser focused on his target, leading the way with Jordan next to
him taking in every harsh word spit out by the goon, who then slapped the
citizen causing him to crash to the ground. He grabbed at the citizen's back
pocket, ripping his pants in an effort to steal his wallet because he had
refused to hand it over. With his makeshift weapon knocked away, the citizen had
become defenseless. He flipped over on his back to use his legs as a last,
self-protective resort.
Now upon the scene, Alex rushed toward the goon, and out
of nowhere, handled him with finesse in a style of martial arts for which he
had never been trained. Every single one of the boys had the same skill. Coupled
with their newfound instincts, they made for serious human weapons against
which the thug could not prevail.
Taking him down was one thing, but when three more came out of the shadows
armed with sharp, spiked weapons,
the brewing battle took a turn. The boys quickly and strategically
synchronized to whip and outsmart these thuggish creatures. A furious fight
ensued with two-on-one, one-on-one, one-on-three, and all in between. The boys realized
they were pitted against a vicious band of cruelty accustomed to roaming in
dark places and causing mayhem at will.
Mean and muscular, the goons fought back with precision,
punching and slapping into eternity. But the boys' sudden martial arts mastery
was unleashed upon these dreadful hooligans, and their detailed, accurate moves
dazzled in the twilight.
“Two more, left,” said Chase as two more thugs joined the
fracas. Their uninvited presence agitated the boys.
With the Dark Stranger witnessing it all, he allowed the boys
to handle themselves, and he remained reserved. The night wind moved in and out
of his black hood and framed his handsome face and his long hair.
Spinning, punching, kicking, and calculating every move, the
boys ripped into the thugs with fury knocking each one unconscious, sprawled
out for all to see. Like a mound of sorry, soggy laundry, the goons were piled
high and left for their maker, whoever that might be hiding in the shadows.
And with the same laser sharp vision afforded to Kinsu, he saw what happened and could not
believe his eyes. Members of
his own army defeated, representative of weakness and a pathetic emptiness? He stood up boldly with the dead chicken
dangling in his hand, blood dripping to the ground, realizing he had no
conceivable idea of who these boys were. Their prowess struck him, for he knew
he would need to assemble quickly in order to defend his perch.
With that blanket of deep charcoal hanging over his head, he
could do nothing besides keep his feet planted right where they were. Somehow, he too could sense them, and he knew he
would need to go deep in order to prevail. But the night sky offered zero
comfort to anyone involved, and a new chapter had emerged. But how it would
unfold remained as cloaked in darkness as he
himself.
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About the author:
K.N. Smith is an American author and passionate advocate of childhood and family literacy programs throughout the world. She continues to inspire students of all ages to reach their highest potential in their literary and educational pursuits. An established non-fiction writer, Smith chose the teen fiction genre as a way to enhance her daughters’ (then) high school literary experience, and to engage other youth in literacy development. Her creative literary flair offers young and mature readers central themes of loyalty, responsibility, honesty, fear, and triumph. As a result, scenes become artfully integrated with cinematic-level action and high drama. Her stories twist, turn, and grind through elements of science-fiction and action-adventure in diverse, exciting, edge-of-your-seat narratives. As an ardent supporter of youth and family literacy programs across the globe, she states, “My hope is that The Urban Boys will spark imagination in a wide variety of readers while elevating global literacy efforts. It’s important that we have diverse families of readers for generations to come.” K.N. Smith has over twenty years experience in writing, communications, and creative design. She lives with her family in California.
Sounds like a cracking great yarn with a good sense of camaraderie.
ReplyDeleteIt is all the rage now with the marvel and dc movies about super heros but the urban boys seem different and exciting action adventure story I would love to read
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read
ReplyDeleteBetul E.
I have never heard of them before today but I would enjoy reading more about them!
ReplyDeleteThis might be a YA themed book but it sounds very interesting. I think I'd enjoy reading about a different type of society :)
ReplyDeleteHI, this looks like a unique book to read..thanks for this contest!
ReplyDeleteLooks like an interesting book ;)
ReplyDeleteThe plot is very interesting and I really like the book cover!
ReplyDeleteI think this book is great.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to read this. It is one of my winter must reads. On my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like an interesting take on the hero subject. I'm really looking forward to reading this.
ReplyDeleteI think the book cover is really nice and the synopsis is interesting, makes me want to read it.
ReplyDeleteI liked both the excerpt, and the book cover.
ReplyDeleteThe Urban Boys sounds awesome!
ReplyDeleterounder9834 @yahoo.com
Hi everyone, thanks for your comments! I hope you enjoy the excitement of The Urban Boys. Feel free to share your thoughts about the book anytime. Cheers! K.N. Smith
ReplyDelete