📖First Chapter: Blazing Upheaval by Karen Charles #firstchapter

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Title: Blazing Upheaval

Author: Karen Charles

Publisher: BookBaby

Publication Date: July 25, 2024

Pages: 172

Genre: Thriller

In the heart of the tumultuous Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, a dedicated teacher finds herself thrust into a hazardous situation. Struggling to navigate the chaos and reach safety on the freeway, she faces dangerous obstacles that jeopardize her life. An unexpected rescue during a brutal attack plunges her, her family, and two other families into a chilling series of enigmatic events and escalating violence.

As the city grapples with unrest, they are entangled in a web of mysteries swiftly building in intensity. In the turmoil, their bonds of family, loyalty, and love are put to the ultimate test. The tension mounts relentlessly until an unforeseen revelation, coinciding with the cataclysmic Northridge earthquake, irrevocably changes their lives forever.

This gripping true-story thriller delivers suspenseful twists and heart-pounding moments, weaving a narrative of family resilience, solidarity, and enduring love in the face of daunting circumstances. It is a tale that illuminates the strength found within the human spirit when confronted with extraordinary challenges.

Blazing Upheaval is available at Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BMM6BXLG.

First Chapter:

Tiffany glanced out the bank of windows along the side of her first-grade classroom. Ashes rained down as though the heavens were on fire, creating an ominous darkness. Anxiety gripped her! What was burning? The fire alarm had not sounded at school.

Most parents heeded the warning of unrest in the community and kept their children at home. Out of the six students, who showed up that day in Tiffany’s class, only Orlando remained. He sat in his seat, engrossed in a book with stunning marine-life photography. He was unaware of the chaos outside.

The principal of Leo Politi Elementary School, bordering Koreatown in Los Angeles, sent an urgent request for parents to pick up their children immediately. In any emergency, teachers could not leave until all their students had left the campus.

The ringing phone on Tiffany’s desk startled them both. “Hello,” she answered, remaining calm.

“Bring Orlando to the office. His mom was called. She must have rolled over and gone back to sleep. The principals will supervise him until she gets here. You need to leave, NOW!” explained the school secretary.

“Orlando, get your backpack. We’re going to the office,” Tiffany instructed. She grabbed her heavy school bag and purse.

Stepping outside onto the walkway was a terrifying shock. The cool morning air was filled with orchid-gray billows of swirling smoke. The acrid smell stung her nostrils. Clasping Orlando’s hand, they rushed to the office, sheltered on the covered sidewalks.

Another student also waited in the office. He cried softly in a corner chair. The principal and the vice-principal would wait for their parents to pick them up while the secretary and Tiffany headed home. A somber principal hurried them to the staff parking lot, unlocking the gate. He reluctantly let them out into a hellish nightmare of rioting, arson, looting, and murder!

The night before, the Los Angeles School District instructed the teachers to come to school as usual if the area looked calm. Coming from the San Fernando Valley, Tiffany took the Olympic Boulevard exit off the CA-110 freeway. Driving down the fourteen blocks to Leo Politi Elementary, the streets were quiet. She breathed a sigh of relief. Little did Tiffany realize that, within three hours, the gates of hell would break loose.

The day before, April 29, 1992, at the Simi Valley Court House, a jury acquitted all four of the LAPD officers who assaulted a Black man named Rodney King. During the early morning hours of March 3, 1991, after a night of binge drinking, King and some friends were speeding down the Foothill Freeway. He was erratically driving his 1987 Hyundai when two California Highway Patrol officers spotted them. They gave chase but could not force him to stop. King panicked not wanting to be arrested while intoxicated in case it was a parole violation. Speeding off the freeway, he tried to elude his pursuers through residential neighborhoods. Soon, Los Angeles Police Department patrol cars and a police helicopter joined the chase. They pinned him down and ordered King and his two friends out of the car.

When Rodney King emerged from the car, the officers said he acted peculiarly, waving to the helicopter and stomping his feet. They tasered him and the order was given to subdue him.

Unknown to the officers, a tenant in a nearby apartment captured the next 79 seconds, recording King’s resistance. The officers responded by beating him with their batons and kicking him thirty times. Later, when a pulverized King was taken to the hospital, he was diagnosed with a broken ankle, a broken facial bone, and multiple lacerations.

The tenant took his videotape to a local television station. They broadcast the graphic display of police brutality, sparking outrage in the Black community.

Now, with the acquittal of the officers who assaulted Rodney King, a group gathered at the intersection of Florence and Normandie Avenues in Los Angeles. Emotions ran high. A White truck driver, Reginald Denny, stopped his truck at the traffic light at that intersection. A group dragged him out of his truck and beat him. Anger was now at the boiling point, ready for a catastrophic, deadly explosion the city would never forget.

About the Author:

Karen Charles transforms real-life narratives into gripping fiction thrillers. Her novels intricately weave the threads of truth into a tapestry of suspense, intrigue, and riveting storytelling. An educator by profession, she is renowned for her thriller “Fateful Connections,” which unfolds against the backdrop of 9/11. “Blazing Upheaval” promises to deliver another chilling, heart-pounding experience. Karen and her husband reside on the serene shores of a beautiful bay in Washington, where she draws inspiration for her compelling narratives. Explore her insights and musings on the writer’s life through her blogs on “My Life As A Writer” at www.weaveofsuspense.com.

Website & Social Media:

Website ➜ http://weaveofsuspense.com

Twitter ➜ http://www.twitter.com/karenra24229683 Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/karen.rabe.7/

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