Authorpreneur Dashboard – Paul Attaway
Blood in the Low Country
Book Bubbles from Blood in the Low Country
Blood in the Low Country
Literature & Fiction
Book Bubbles from Blood in the Low Country
A storm was coming
Descriptions of settings - geography, weather, time and place - help place the reader in the story and give them a sense of what the characters are experiencing. In this passage, the setting also functions as foreshadowing.
Family disfunction
It could be argued that the protagonist in Blood in the Low Country is the entire Atkins family. The disfunction that runs through the family affects each member differently. Monty and Rose, the parents, have one child between them; his name is Walker. Rose has a child named Eli from a disastrous first marriage. In this scene, Walker learns that his older brother Eli has a different father. Monty is determined to be a father to Eli, but the weight of Eli’s biological father is felt by all. The short text at the end of this excerpt highlights how it impacts Eli.
Rivals
The reader is introduced to two characters, Walker and Eddie, and to the rivalry between them. The backdrop to the story is the setting, Kiawah Island. Throughout this book, behind the plot twists, the intrigue, the hunt for the killer, and every action taken by one character to gain the upper hand over another, lies the beauty of nature, of God's creation.
Blood in the Low Country
Literature & Fiction
Blood in the Low Country, the first of the Atkins Family Low Country Sagas, tells the story of a southern family living in Charleston, South Carolina in 1973. The book follows the lives of Monty Atkins, his wife Rose, and their sons Eli and Walker. Rose’s childhood is plagued by poverty, abuse, and tragedy. Determined to prove she’s better than her past, she relentlessly pushes her sons to succeed in proper Charleston society. When Rose’s oldest son Eli, the product of her first, failed marriage, is accused of murdering his girlfriend Kimberly, Rose fears losing everything. Monty believes his son is innocent and hires a detective to find the killer. But when the murderer is revealed, Monty’s marriage and everything he holds true are tested. Can Monty and Rose save their family and confront Rose’s demons? Only time will tell. A story of love, faith, and redemption, Blood in the Low Country is a must-read for fans of southern family sagas.
Book Bubbles from Blood in the Low Country
Setting the stage
In this introductory chapter, I hope to place the reader in the Lowcountry by giving them a sense of the geography, the wildlife and the weather, all wonderful and defining characteristics of the American South and the Lowcountry in particular. With respect to character development, right away the reader is introduced to three of the main characters, Walker, his father Monty and Eli. I hope the reader picks up on the tension as well.
Eli's Redemption
Literature & Fiction
Eli’s Redemption, the second book in the Atkins Family Low Country Saga series, is the thrilling sequel to Blood in the Low Country. As the story begins, it’s been five years since Eli Atkins, betrayed and abandoned, fled Charleston to avoid punishment for a crime he did not commit. Landing in the Bahamas, he sought refuge in a new identity. But angry, lonely, and adrift, he remained aloof, a stranger to all, never allowing anyone close enough to hurt him.
But when fate introduces Eli to an old Scottish golfer, Lach McGregor, he finds reason to hope. Lach too is burdened by an incalculable loss, and together, teacher and student, they are each a lifeline for the other. When Eli falls for Lach’s lovely niece, Rachel, the pieces of a future fall into place.
Standing between Eli though and a life lived fully, is the secret that forced him out of Charleston and the clutches of fugitive financier and professional criminal, Bernard Lasko, a malignant cancer who corrupts everyone he touches. Trapped in debt to Lasko, Eli returns to Charleston in dramatic fashion when given the chance to free himself from both the weight of his past and Lasko’s reach. But before he can embrace the freedom he craves, he must forgive, and trust, and be willing to risk his life to save another’s.
Book Bubbles from Eli's Redemption
No looking back now
This point in the book marks a critical juncture in the life of our protagonist, Eli Atkins. The preceeding chapters of set the stage for a life on the run or possible a life regained.
An Uncertain Future
I struggled to select a sample of the book’s text out of fear of giving away any of the twists and turns in this story. It is my hope that this selection gives the reader a sense of place – the Bahamas – and the stakes for the protagonists. He longs for his home. He longs to build a family. Forces though are aligned against him. But he presses on, fearing what lies behind him, not knowing what lies ahead.
