Literary Las Vegas: Raymond Blackwood

Local author Raymond Blackwood follows the transformation of Barbra Paige, a young widow and herpetologist who takes on the name Champagne Miller and goes on a quest for retribution, in the crime thriller “Champagne Heights.” Visit raymondblackwood.com.

Excerpt:

Barbra helplessly looked at her daughter. Madison’s eyes were swollen shut from the tears she was continually shedding. Surprisingly, Barbra found herself taken aback and simply perplexed as she watched and concentrated on the three men standing before her. They were wearing skin tight polyisoprene surgical gloves. During her schooling days, due to the fact she was allergic to latex, Barbra had to wear them. The men all wore a wool cap beanie of the same color. Even though their heads wore the beanies, she clearly noticed that they all had shaved heads with several days of stubble. The queerest characteristic each one of them had was their faces. Every hair on their face was shaven off; even their eyebrows, though the eyebrows appeared to be painted back on with what looked to be an eyeliner pencil. Even their arms were hairless showing the slight sign of growth coming back.

“What is it you want?” Barbra suddenly asked with a look of malice.

“It’s quite simple,” Mickey answered in a matter-of-fact manner. “We want what you have in the pharmacy.”