Blurb
In a devastated
country, those in charge rule by fear, inequality, and oppression.
Rhia, a strong and independent sea captain, just wants to keep her
head down and do her job, until she finds herself trapped in a
re-education facility designed to help people fit into the rules of
the New Way Forward. The warden claims to be guiding those in her
care, but Rhia quickly sees the cracks in the system. As she is faced
with torture and brainwashing, those cracks become gaping holes that
threaten to pull her down into the depths of despair. Can Rhia resist
the slow subversion of re-education and become the reluctant hero the
new world needs?
RUN Ragged is the thrilling second story by the award-winning author of Women’s Work. This brilliantly imagined novel is both a scathing satire and a profoundly poignant look at the price we are willing to pay for peace and what we are willing to ignore to keep our conscience clear.
RUN Ragged is the thrilling second story by the award-winning author of Women’s Work. This brilliantly imagined novel is both a scathing satire and a profoundly poignant look at the price we are willing to pay for peace and what we are willing to ignore to keep our conscience clear.
His
dark, weather-rough hands turned her shoulders to face him, and his
brow furrowed as he began to tighten the straps of her PFD.
“It’s
tight enough, Dad.”
“Just
checking.”
“Stop!
You’re squishing my breasts.”
“Hey,
girlie, those breasts aren’t gonna keep you afloat if you fall in
the drink. You think you’re indestructible, but you’re not. Make
sure you’re snugged up.” The gruffness of his voice was canceled
out by a quick wink as he looked up at her young face.
Rhia
smirked. “You, too, old man. Make sure you’re snugged up.”
Three
hours later, they huddled together in the berth, holding the wooden
rail that ran the length of the wall as the boat slammed down into
the trough of another wave. Rhia could see the pallor of her father’s
face in the constant flash of lightning. His chin was tucked low to
his chest, his eyes focused on the floor several feet in front of
him. Suddenly, they felt a snap as the anchor line parted, and the
boat began to yaw hard to the side. He jumped to his feet and flew up
the steps to the main cabin.
“I’ll
deploy the sea anchor! You make sure you . . .”
The
constant roar of air and water pounding at the boat drowned out his
shouted directions. By the time Rhia reached the main cabin, salt
water was spilling over the starboard rail and sloshing across the
deck. It would take her father only a few minutes to pull the series
drogue bag from its locker, attach the bridle legs to the corners of
the transom at the stern, and drop the weight chain overboard. A
hundred five-inch yellow cones would feed into the sea, catching the
power of the wind and the waves and swinging the boat into position
stern to storm.
Struggling
to remain standing as the boat twisted below her, Rhia dug out a bail
bucket and checked the switch for the bilge pump. Once the series
drogue was deployed, all they would have to do was hunker down and
wait out the storm. She began to think about the annoyance of pulling
in all the line for the drogue when the wind abated tomorrow. Joseph
always made her recover it and stow it back in its bag, and it took
hours.
“Ah,
there we go,” she said to herself as the boat swung around and
caught. Her legs wide to absorb the motion, she waited for her father
to return to the cabin. Thick sheets of rain ran down the windows as
she watched the sky, the flashes of light, and the spray of water all
around her. But as the minutes passed, the sound of the raging storm
seemed to disappear. Standing alone in the dark cabin, she became
aware of the sound of her breathing and the growing emptiness in her
chest. Her father did not return.
About
the Author
Kari
Aguila was the recipient of an IndieReader Discovery Award for her
first novel, Women’s Work. Her
stories are gripping and thought-provoking looks at gender
stereotypes and relationships set in a dystopic future. She is also
an avid gardener, geologist, outdoor enthusiast and mother of three.
Aguila lives in Seattle with her family. RUN Ragged is her second
novel.
Website:
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Amazon
Buy Link:
http://www.amazon.com/RUN-Ragged-Kari-Aguila/dp/0991165039/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451479942&sr=1-1&keywords=kari+Aguila
Giveaway! Kari
will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner
via rafflecopter during the tour.
Visit Kari's other stops for more chances to win!
January 11: Edgar's Books
January 12: Independent Authors
January 13: Beyond Romance
January 14: T's Stuff
January 15: Tina Donahue Books - Heat with Heart
January 15: Reviews by Crystal
January 18: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
January 19: LibriAmoriMiei
January 20: Long and Short Reviews
January 21: Jen's Reading Obsession
January 22: Books Direct
January 22: 3 Partners in shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!
11 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
Hello, Kari,
I love speculative fiction, especially when it explores issues of gender. Good luck with this!
Thank you, Beyond Romance for hosting RUN Ragged today! I'll be checking in several times, so feel free to ask questions or post comments. RUN Ragged is a gripping story that poses questions about gender, equality, the corruptibility of power, and relationships.
You'll love how exquisitely human the main character, Rhia, is. She really just wants to do her job and keep her head down, but she's forced to face the whispered rumors that have been growing about the new matriarchal society. It's a terrific story for book clubs, and I've been getting a great response from readers.
RUN Ragged follows a minor character in my first novel, Women's Work. Same setting, very different story. You don't have to read both, but you will want to!
You can read the first few chapters of both books FREE on Amazon, too!
-kari
Enjoyed the excerpt, sounds like a great read, thanks for sharing!
What was the worst movie adaptation of a book?
Who is your favorite author?
I've read a lot of Margaret Atwood, and love how she builds insane, yet thought-provoking worlds. But, you can't only read her stuff or you'll have a pretty skewed view of the world. :) I like the heart-wrenching family dynamics in Carol Shields' books; the way Cormac McCarthy makes me HATE his books right up until the very end, when I suddenly realize where he was going the whole time and what he was trying to say; the way Wally Lamb can suck me into minutia; and the way Toni Morrison shows me lives and loves I wouldn't have otherwise known. My favorite author is one who is an expert at something -- whatever it is -- and shows their passion for a subject through their writing. The Martian was great for that; Ahab's Wife was like stepping back in time; TransAtlantic left me feeling like I'd lived a whole life. Write about what you love and you'll find a reader who appreciates it!
I really enjoyed the excerpt! Thank you so much or sharing! The cover and title are perfect!
great excerpt! Sounds like a book I will enjoy reading, thanks for sharing!
Have you read Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior? One of the best books I've read in years. I also highly recommend Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl. Amazing!
I've read a few other Kingsolver books, so will check out that one, too!
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