Well, Silent has been out for two weeks now, and I’m holding a proof of the paperback! It will be ready for release by December. To celebrate, I’m doing a giveaway. 🙂 See the details at the bottom of the post.

I thought I’d take a moment to share a little about the places where Alex and Seb find themselves throughout the novel. Silent is set almost entirely within Los Angeles, but each stop on the boys’ journey has a very different flavor. In October I drove around LA with a camera in tow and took photos of some of the places that inspired scenes in the book.

Scenes from Silent

Watts, Los Angeles

Tell anyone in most parts of LA that you’re going to Watts, and chances are you’ll get a skeptical eyebrow raised and an incredulous “What for?” You might even receive some advice to keep your car doors locked while driving, or to not wear certain colors. Don’t stop certain places, don’t go through the projects, and don’t even think of going there at night.

Some of this fear is based in reality, but a lot of it is fear of the unknown. Though Watts may not be a tourist destination, it’s still a neighborhood. Yes, there are gangs, and yes, there is crime. I don’t mean to sugar coat it—it’s not the safest place and there are real struggles that many of the residents face. But there are also families and businesses and music and amazing street art. It’s still home to many Los Angelenos.

This is the neighborhood where Alex grew up.

 

 

Part 2: Mid City, Los Angeles

Giveaway!

I’m giving away 2 prizes at the end of the month:

Winner 1: Paperback and a finger painting from the Santa Monica pier (as featured in Chapter 22).

Seemingly careless streaks transformed into fantastic scenery as the man worked, but I couldn’t give him my full attention. I had other concerns on my mind…like why I felt so nervous standing beside Seb. Was I too close? Or not close enough? Why did that matter all of a sudden?

Here’s a little clip of one  being made:

[youtube=http://youtu.be/tnd2etC–x4&start=0&end=40]

Depending on the wishes of the artist, I may even be able to record a video of your artwork being created. 🙂

Winner 2: Paperback and postcards of LA scenes, including some from Inner City Arts, a nonprofit organization providing arts education to students in low-income areas of Los Angeles.

 

Rules/Entry Info

~To enter, just leave a comment on any “Scenes from Silent” post (one entry per post is eligible).

~Entries will be accepted from now until midnight PST on November 30th.

~Winners will be selected by random drawing and announced on December 1st.

~Must be 18 or over to enter.

 

Thanks for reading! 🙂

Part 2: Mid City, Los Angeles