Tuesday, November 17, 2015

FCFP/Teaser Tuesday - Pale Highway by Nicholas Conley


Gabriel Schist is spending his remaining years at Bright New Day, a nursing home. He once won the Nobel Prize for inventing a vaccine for AIDS. But now, he has Alzheimer’s, and his mind is slowly slipping away.

When one of the residents comes down with a horrific virus, Gabriel realizes that he is the only one who can find a cure. Encouraged by Victor, an odd stranger, he convinces the administrator to allow him to study the virus.  Soon, reality begins to shift, and Gabriel’s hallucinations interfere with his work.

As the death count mounts, Gabriel is in a race against the clock and his own mind. Can he find a cure before his brain deteriorates past the point of no return?

~~~oOo~~



"First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesdays" is a linkup hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea.

I'm going to use the first paragraph of the books prologue, because it is more ... evocative.  Let me show you what I mean....
"The patient had charcoal-black eyes, hard and cold, as if rounded chunks of volcanic rock and been shoved inside her eye sockets.  Her skin possessed a sickly white pallor, as if it had been sucked dry of all its nutrients and hung up on a clothesline.  Dark veins crawled over her body like wriggling snakes, pulsing with every unsteady heartbeat.  Her mouth hung open, and a pockmarked grey tongue hung uselessly over her lower lip.  Her bedridden form emitted the stench of necrotic flesh. 
Glenda Alvarez was 63 years old, young compared to the other residents.  Just last week she'd had her hair permed and her nails manicured.  The virus had hit fast."
~~~oOo~~~


"Teaser Tuesdays" is a linkup hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm.

This is from approximately 58% on the mobi file:
"If he died tomorrow, his nudity would be all they would remember, not the Nobel Prize, not the Schist vaccine.  No, his humiliation would be his legacy."
~~~oOo~~~

So, what do you think?  Too far out for you?  Not far enough?

~~~oOo~~~

Here's a little about the author:


Originally from California, Nicholas Conley has currently made his home in the colder temperatures of New Hampshire. He considers himself to be a uniquely alien creature with mysterious literary ambitions, a passion for fiction, and a whole slew of terrific stories he’d like to share with others. 

When not busy writing, Nicholas is an obsessive reader, a truth seeker, a sarcastic idealist, a traveler, and — like many writers — a coffee addict.

~~~oOo~~~

So, how did I come by this read, do you ask?  The book will be on tour (via Sage's Blog Tours) and I will post a review here on the porch this coming, Sunday, November 22, 2015.

13 comments:

  1. Great teaser! Sounds like an interesting book!
    -Cathy

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  2. Great teaser! Sounds like an interesting book!

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    1. The more people are able to 'suspend disbelief', Catherine, I think the more people will enjoy it.

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  3. That's quite descriptive! I don't know if I want that vision in my head. I hope he is able to find a cure for the virus. It sounds awful. I would definitely keep reading. The protagonist sounds like an interesting character, especially with his illness.

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  4. Hmm, I find the premise a bit far-fetched--someone with Alzheimers inventing a cure for a virus while in a nursing home? Having lost my father and MIL to this horrible disease, I'm skeptical.

    Don't mean to rain on the parade--I could be totally off base here, and it could be a winner!

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  5. This sounds like a really interesting book. Especially for people who are in and out of "seniors' residences" on a continuing basis and watching people slowly deteriorating into dementia. Here's my teaser: http://wp.me/p4DMf0-11y

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  6. Luann, I hadn't heard of this one, but I am curious. thanks for sharing it with us this week.

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  7. Ooh this sounds really quite scary from that opening and the premise is incredibly intriguing. Thanks for visiting my blog earlier :-)

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  8. Good teaser -- although a bit depressing! I generally steer clear of books about Alzheimer's, so this might not be one for me. But the story does sound intriguing. Thanks for sharing.

    My TT: Murakami

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  9. Looks like quite an interesting read.

    I've heard that bit about being found naked overshadowing one's successes in life - but usually applied to actors and/or musicians.

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  10. Not sure whether I would enjoy this one, LuAnn. The language is evocative alright!

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  11. Hi LuAnn,

    Thanks for visiting Fiction Books this week, I love meeting new people and your future comments will always be appreciated :)

    I have always made no secret of the fact that I don't read Science fiction - until now that is! Sure, I agree with Jane to a point, that the premise may be a little far-fetched, however I am intrigued enough that this one might just work for me!

    Thanks for sharing 'Happy Reading'

    Yvonne

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