N.L. Belardes California literature novel, Lords: Part One scares the hell out of Norma T. - By N.L. Belardes

I get emails every so often from people who have read Lords: Part One. They are usually polite emails from readers who enjoy some aspect of the novel: the Central Valley landscape, the Bakersfield urbanscape, the big dust storm of 1977 battering the old toy store that lost its clown head, and even the nasty Tule fog that drifts through the story. Some people never even heard of the local urban myth of the Lords of Bakersfield and so curiously read the novel to learn more about the dark underbelly of Bakersfield.


...scares the bajeezus out of people.
Buy Now!
Scare all of your friends!

Just recently I got an email from a reader who lives in Washington, DC:

…came to visit me a month ago in Washington, DC and gave me your book as a gift. I read it & found it haunting in its realistic descriptions and background mythology…

Now that was a polite email…

Every so often I get an email from someone who seems to have practically lost their mind from reading Lords. Just take a look at poor Norma T. I received a few emails from her telling about how she practically hadn't slept for a week. She was haunted by ghosts and demons and I think just might have to go in for some serious psychotherapy.

Anyway, Norma recently read my works. I’ve never met her, but she is hilarious! Read on:

Email #1: May 30th, 2006

I just want to thank you for being the reason of my newfound insomnia. DUDE. I have not been able to sleep for two days. Your book is soooooooooooo disturbing in so many levels. What in the world possessed you to write this? How did the subject come to mind? I mean, I read your site, so I know you have certain sources… but what prompted your search for said sources? Anyways… very compelling reading but it’s definitely NOT what I was expecting. I was expecting to read about political corruption but not at THAT level. And that damn demon in the book does not stop haunting me. I was watching tv last night and that damn thing came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder… ok, ok, so I imagined it but that is how vividly I see it now. Thanks to YOU! LOL I think you owe me a drink, (or twenty) OR a bottle of Lunesta or SOMETHING! Hahaha Anyways.. I had to put the book down yesterday and try to take my mind off it because it was too much for me. But after a few days when I’m calmed down I’ll finish reading it.
Just wanted to say hi, and the bags under my eyes wanted to say THANKS….. They don’t get out much but thanks to you they have been around for a few days!

Email #2: May 31st, 2006

I finally finished the book today on my lunch. WHY why WHY did you make him a LORD? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

*falls to the ground and crying… screams at the top of her lungs, while shaking fists up at the sky…..

“not my Ritchie, why couldn’t it have been you Bob?” (quoting from the movie La Bamba.. it’s my favorite line.. Husband and I use it all the time)

I wanted soooooooo much for him to get out of all that.

Great shocking twist though. I have to give you props for that.

So anyways, I was watching the news last night, and they were interviewing some Bakersfield politician fat cat about something or other? I forget what... I was half asleep… just trying to get my last load of laundry done so I could go to bed… anyways… I swear to you… I think I threw up in my mouth a lil bit. Don’t worry, I think I swallowed it. All I could think of is the ex cop in your book… it’s how I pictured him, you know? Chubby, white, balding….. anyways…. THANKS. I am ruined forever.

You can't ask for better entertainment than that.

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This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on Thursday, June 01, 2006. You can leave your response.