An excerpt from Bob, The Right Hand of God for you:
A kid in his late teens or early twenties with drooping trousers that exposed his dingy blue boxer short waited by the front counter, a wire cage at his feet. Approximately eighteen inches high, the enclosure appeared to be filled with scarlet, blue and yellow feathers.
A low-pitched squeak came from the mass of feathers, and Chet realized a live scarlet macaw had been scrunched into the cage. He clenched his hands and glared at the kid. I’d like to stuff you into a space half your size and see how you like it.
The kid grinned, displaying large teeth and a tongue ring. “Some dude told me you buy used pets. How much will you give me for this . . . um . . . this parrot?”
“A hundred.”
“A hundred dollars? You trying to cheat me? It’s worth at least a thousand.”
The bird looked half-dead from mistreatment and starvation. When raised in a loving atmosphere, a macaw was an affectionate creature, but when mistreated, it could be vicious. Even if the bird survived, it would probably be unsalable.
“A hundred and twenty. Take it or leave it.” You little shit.
“You can’t do that.”
“I’m not the one trying to peddle an almost dead bird.” Chet started to walk away.
“Okay, okay, but I want cash.”
Chet strode to the cash register and pulled out six twenties. The kid grabbed the money and bolted from the store, almost tripping on his pant legs.
The orange cat circled the cage. The macaw let out another feeble squeak.
Chet lifted the cage and gently set it on the counter. “You’ll be free in just a minute, little one.”
He went into the back room for a dish of nuts and seeds, a peeled banana, and a bowl of water. He set them in front of the cage, then opened the door and stepped back.
The bird did not move.
Maybe he should try to pull it out? No. One thing the creature didn’t need was more rough handling. It would come out when ready.
While he waited for the macaw to extricate itself, he popped another lemon drop into his mouth.
The candy dissolved into tart nothingness, and still the macaw didn’t move.
Without warning, the exotic birds in their oversized cages flapped their wings, squawking and screaming. The dogs yipped. The snakes coiled and uncoiled. The fish churned their waters.
And from a distance came the sound of gunfire.
***
We’re getting closer to the October 20th publication date every day!
If you are planning to get a Kindle version of my new novel, Bob, The Right Hand of God, you can now pre-order on Amazon, and the minute the book is published, the book will appear in your Kindle. Click here to purchase: Kindle version of Bob, The Right Hand of God.
If you wish to buy a paperback copy, click here: Bob, The Right Hand of God, sign up for email notifications, and Amazon will let you know the minute it is for sale.
I truly hope this book will amuse you, entertain you, make you think and perhaps even dream a bit about what it would be like if God decided to recreate the world.
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