TEMECULA - Temecula-based author and content specialist Herb Torrens has a new book, "Dance of the Blue Chameleon," which is now available at selected book stores and online through Trafford.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

"Dance of the Blue Chameleon" is a work of fiction set in the northern regions of San Diego County and southern regions of Riverside County in the mid 1980s. The story revolves around a group of friends and acquaintances drawn together by an event that takes on new shapes and dimensions as it unfolds. From a simple traffic accident to a political scandal, its characters evolve with the moments and the times. It’s a story of everyday characters in an ever-changing landscape.

"This is a fictional story; however, many of the streets, highways, towns and areas mentioned are or were real, or as real as I can remember them from the time," says Torrens. "Some are close to being accurate; some are purely the result of my imagination. My intention with this book was to capture a special place in time with a Advertisement

[ Murrieta Volkswagen ] story and characters that were representative of that time."

"Dance of the Blue Chameleon" is Torrens’ second book and first work of fiction. His first, "Paraffin Chronicles," was an autobiographical sketch of surfing in the 1960s and was published in 2003. Torrens uses his full name, Herbert Torrens, as the pen name for his latest book. The distinctive cover for the book was done by local artist and designer Fred Lamb, of Fred Lamb Designs.

"I always wanted to use Herbert Torrens as a byline but it didn’t really fit with the type of writing I was doing. My dad always told me Herbert and Torrens have the same number of letters and would look good on a book," says Torrens. "I’m pleased with the way the book came out and the cover is one-of-a kind. I’ve worked a lot with Fred Lamb over the years and he was kind enough to lend his talent to this project. Fred has done some of the region’s most classic logos and has been a great graphic designer for a long time."