tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9080223636408902352024-03-05T23:58:09.612-08:00A World of WordsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-21307872652980554932015-12-13T19:48:00.002-08:002015-12-13T21:25:48.561-08:00Interview with a Zombie<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0148XBUN0?creativeASIN=B0148XBUN0&linkCode=w00&linkId=Q3RF5PTCDNGWCRBL&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=undtheoakbo0b-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="51aVfDU7BlL._SX311_BO1,204,203,200_" class=" wp-image-1838 alignleft" height="325" src="https://saritabandita.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/51avfdu7bll-_sx311_bo1204203200_.jpg" width="204" /></a><em>Okay, so he's not really a zombie, but he did get cast as a zombie for a yet-to-be-released film. He's also a new writer, whose first book is one all readers of zombie fiction will enjoy. Even those who don't read zombie fiction might enjoy this story, as it is about more than flesh-eating creatures. Read on to meet P. Mark DeBryan and to learn more about </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0148XBUN0?creativeASIN=B0148XBUN0&linkCode=w00&linkId=Q3RF5PTCDNGWCRBL&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=undtheoakbo0b-20" target="_blank">Family Reunion</a><em>.</em><br />
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<strong>First of all, thanks for taking time from your busy schedule to answer my questions.</strong><br />
You are quite welcome, Sara.<br />
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<strong>Please tell a little about your book, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0148XBUN0?creativeASIN=B0148XBUN0&linkCode=w00&linkId=Q3RF5PTCDNGWCRBL&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=undtheoakbo0b-20" target="_blank">Family Reunion</a>.</em></strong><br />
Well, the book began its life as a short story. It was created for John O’Brien and published in his book Untold Stories, which was a companion book to his series <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1467982733?creativeASIN=1467982733&linkCode=w00&linkId=M7QGZ74NHKYVVCNF&ref_=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til&tag=undtheoakbo0b-20" target="_blank">A NEW WORLD</a>. He then allowed me to extend the story to a full length novel. It begins with our main character, Ryan, stuck on a ferry boat in the Puget Sound when the zombie apocalypse starts. In all honesty, they are not zombies, as they aren’t undead, but they prey on the living as a food source so they get lumped into the zombie genre. The book follows the entire Brant family as they are headed to a long overdue family reunion. Each group is coming from a different location in the USA and their goal is to survive and see if they can’t locate the others in the family. Some are driving, some are flying, and one is even in a luxury motor-coach.<br />
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<strong>How did you get into writing? Who are your inspirations?</strong><br />
As stated above, it was a contest of sorts; John O’Brien asked his fans to write short story based in his world. As far as inspirations? I would have to say Stephen King introduced me to the post-apocalypse genre, but John O was the one that got me going.<br />
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<strong>How is <em>Family Reunion</em> different than other zombie stories?</strong><br />
It is about family and the strength the characters get from each other to go on. The hope of reuniting and the different ways the crisis affects each member of the family. They are not trained soldiers, and most are just average people facing a completely devastating situation.<br />
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<strong>Can you give your readers a little glimpse into what Ryan and his gang of survivors will face in the next book?</strong><br />
Hmm … that would be cheating, but just between you and me, Sara? Ryan sets out with Maddie and Harry and a few others to go look for the ones they left behind at home. They travel in the Marathon Coach, which is a luxury RV with many prepper amenities. The story will follow them and also keep the reader abreast of what is happening back on Whidbey Island and those that stayed on there to begin clearing the place for use as a new freak-free sanctuary. Look for some major twists right off the bat; it should get interesting very quickly.<br />
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<strong>I know your family has been very supportive of your writing. I also know many of the characters are based on real-life family members. What do they think of being used as zombie-story material?</strong><br />
Some are mad at me for killing them off in the first story, more are mad that I killed their wives, daughters, husbands and such. Minor spoiler coming ... my best friend in real life was the first to die. I did it in self- defense. I mean, who in the family can complain when I took out my best friend first, right? When I say they are mad at me, it is an exaggeration. They all are thrilled to be immortalized in the story, or so I tell myself.<br />
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<strong>Have you ever been a zombie?</strong><br />
As a matter of fact, yes. I just got home from the set of a new movie called <em>My Uncle John is a Zombie</em>. It was written and co-directed by John Russo, who co-wrote the original <em>The Night of the Living Dead</em>. I am a zombie in the movie, and it was a blast to be involved in the film. Several actors from the original movie are also in this one, with many new faces too. Gary Lee Vincent, who plays Oscar in the movie has become a close friend and was instrumental in getting me cast as an extra. My wife, Jonie, is in it also. We had so much fun that we may decide to run off to Hollywood together soon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4CIXyRpPkl9Pu-C_oDiCxIoWvIBU2gioZI5kGw65xdLX4WMmxaZtF2suER52iFWjJjhIpM1jzrB6bwsaf-AMF_LmNi0j3rlxQOGnWT35xGsXD7xxf6oTqbFe1Bzql8Pc_qe4y9xZT6Q/s1600/12358274_1715653102047511_1873301985_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4CIXyRpPkl9Pu-C_oDiCxIoWvIBU2gioZI5kGw65xdLX4WMmxaZtF2suER52iFWjJjhIpM1jzrB6bwsaf-AMF_LmNi0j3rlxQOGnWT35xGsXD7xxf6oTqbFe1Bzql8Pc_qe4y9xZT6Q/s200/12358274_1715653102047511_1873301985_n.jpg" width="150" /></a>The movie is a Zom-Comedy, where John Russo’s character from <em>The Night of the Living Dead</em> escapes alive—or I should say not killed again from the sheriff’s wrath in the original—and is rescued by his niece and hid in her basement. She protects him and teaches him to be more selective in who he eats and the whole movie goes insane when he becomes a modern day celebrity.<br />
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I am seen wandering while chewing on an unidentified bit of intestine, and then again when I attack another character and end his career. (I will include a picture of me as the “Dude Zombie” for your pleasure.) If you would like to help the movie get distributed, you can help by donating at <a href="http://www.myunclejohnisazombie.com/" target="_blank">http://www.MyUncleJohnisaZombie.com</a>, as it is an independent film just <span style="line-height: 1.7;">like us independent authors.</span><br />
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<strong>In a real-life zombie apocalypse, how long do you think you’d survive? Do you have a plan?</strong><br />
I have a plan, but I need more slow people to join me, as that is my plan. I don’t really think I would last long, as I have been told I am a sweet guy, and what zombie could resist that?<br />
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<strong>If you could see one non-zombie TV series get thrown into a zompoc scenario, which would you choose and why?</strong><br />
Hmm, let me think. Oh, I know. <em>Survivor</em>! Could you imagine the hilarity that would ensue as the zombies chase the cute blond girl down the beach, or a horde shows up to the immunity challenge. Oh yeah, that would be good TV there. The tribe has spoken/groaned, it’s time for you to go!<br />
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<a href="https://saritabandita.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/12355177_1715651935380961_1174373380_n.jpg?w=559" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="12355177_1715651935380961_1174373380_n" border="0" class=" wp-image-1850 aligncenter" height="286" src="https://saritabandita.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/12355177_1715651935380961_1174373380_n.jpg?w=559" width="320" /></a><strong>List five things about yourself that your readers probably don’t know.</strong><br />
- I went to seminary for two years to become a Baptist Preacher.<br />
- I had a crepe restaurant when I was seventeen called DeBo’s Place.<br />
- My nickname throughout my Coast Guard career was Breezly.<br />
- The Pirate Parrot was a friend of mine.<br />
- I was an honorary member of Jeff Gordon’s pit crew at his last race in NASCAR … Don’t tell Jeff, somebody might get fired!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-29871510468642064582015-10-27T18:33:00.000-07:002015-12-13T21:20:22.560-08:00Author Interview: William Allen<div style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBz8RO_Luy1OLWOM5B6X5MRD4SAJOKKSAdkzAGqSjRG_crhCpFTFTCezBDKlRU60iagY9ZJiomAxBbX7nU3RY5W44Go6kTTIIbmQmIqtMS5aPpOj5rOKSc_VTz6T0YFIw4J0nLnpvMlcE/s1600/51yCAFUbtdL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBz8RO_Luy1OLWOM5B6X5MRD4SAJOKKSAdkzAGqSjRG_crhCpFTFTCezBDKlRU60iagY9ZJiomAxBbX7nU3RY5W44Go6kTTIIbmQmIqtMS5aPpOj5rOKSc_VTz6T0YFIw4J0nLnpvMlcE/s320/51yCAFUbtdL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="213" /></a><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;">One of my favorite things about providing editing services to independent authors is getting to know them better during the process. The indie author community is filled with amazing people, so I thought it would be fun to highlight an author every one or two weeks so we can get to know them better. I'm kicking the series off with William Allen. I was a fan of his before I edited the fourth book in his <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Rain-Surviving-Fall/dp/B00ZSF4BC0/ref=la_B00TOV58WG_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445933175&sr=1-1" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SS3WBDK?creativeASIN=B00SS3WBDK&linkCode=w00&linkId=PFLYGJCW2R73VHWU&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=undtheoakbo0b-20" target="_blank">Walking in the Rain</a></em> series. I also had the honor of working with him on the <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Bite-Sized-Offerings-Legends-Zombie-Apocalypse-ebook/dp/B014I7MMZQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445933304&sr=1-1&keywords=bite-sized+offerings" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014I7MMZQ?creativeASIN=B014I7MMZQ&linkCode=w00&linkId=V3FGXEBLRHINANO3&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=undtheoakbo0b-20" target="_blank"><em>Bite-Sized Offerings</em> </a>anthology. He's a talented writer and a good guy. So, read on and get to know a little about William Allen.</span></span></div>
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<em><strong>Please tell a little about yourself.</strong></em><br /><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"> First, I am nothing like any of the characters in my stories. I’m a thoroughly house-broken suburban dweller who is a long way from his country roots. I readily admit in the event of most SHTF events, I have the life expectancy of a Snickers bar at fat camp. I don’t live in a cave in the woods, though some days I wish that was an option. I have some skills when it comes to hunting, fishing and camping. Even though I have no actual mechanical skills, I’ve also always been fascinated by how things work. </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><em><strong><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;">How did you come up with the idea for your </span></strong></em><strong><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;">Walking in the Rain</span></strong><em><strong><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;"> series? What else can you tell us about it?</span></strong></em><br /><em><strong> </strong></em>The idea for this story came to me one day when I was sitting at O’Hare Airport in Chicago. I was waiting for a flight that was eventually cancelled, and I was thinking dark thoughts. Then I realized, “Hey, at least the lights didn’t go out. And maybe my flight will show up tomorrow. I’ve got it so easy in some ways.”<br />Since home is Texas, I got to thinking about what I would do in the event of an EMP event. The sad truth is, I figured out I’d probably be dead inside a week. Then I got to wondering about if the traveler was someone younger, fitter, and more creative, would they be able to make it home? Still probably not, but it would make for a more entertaining story than chronicling the downfall of my out-of-shape butt.</span><br /><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"> This was supposed to be a three and out series, if that, but as I wrote I kept getting more ideas for the characters. Plus, I really hate a “journey” story where the tale ends on the completion of the journey. I guess I could have ended the series with the conclusion of Book Three but I still had a lot more left in the tank. I was especially curious to find out how Luke’s family was going to react to his return, and the changes he underwent on the road. As I was rereading Dark Sky Thunder I realized I may have given a poor impression of his mother so I’ll need to figure out a way to make it up to her later. Yes, I realize I am referring to fictional characters as real, live folks but to me that is the best way to deal with complex and evolving characters. No, I don’t need to see a doctor for my delusions, thank you very much. </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;"><em><strong>What else have you written?</strong></em><em><strong> </strong></em></span><br /><em><strong> </strong></em>I addition to the four WITR novels, I’ve published a couple of short stories, and the one I am most proud of is "Ware, Goblins." This is a very short story I wrote for <em>Bite Sized Offerings</em> and I have loved seeing the feedback on this one. I also enjoyed writing my first published zombie story, “<a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Driven-Zombie-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B00UBT8L4M/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UBT8L4M?creativeASIN=B00UBT8L4M&linkCode=w00&linkId=5JEWWTGELGOTBGIY&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=undtheoakbo0b-20" target="_blank">Hunger Driven</a>” since it allowed me to add a little humor to the genre. Dark, sad humor, but still funny to me.</span></div>
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<strong><em><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447; font-size: normal;">Have you always been good at writing? When did you discover that you like to write?</span></em></strong><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><strong><em> </em></strong><br />I only consider myself a so-so writer. There are plenty of better writers out there, but I like to think I bring a certain break-neck spirit to the table. I like to move the narrative along at a quick, stripped-down pace and the last thing I ever want to hear is a reader telling me how they had to skim through parts of my book. </span><br /><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"> As for how long I’ve enjoyed writing, I’ve been scribbling stuff in notebooks since I was about eight years old. Like most people, I never dreamed of actually publishing anything. My father always enjoyed reading my writing and he was my biggest cheerleader, but sadly he didn’t live to see me publish my first story.</span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><em><strong><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;">How do you find/make time to write?</span></strong></em><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"><strong> </strong><br /><em><strong> </strong></em><strong> </strong>With a full-time day job that often demands big chunks of my nights and weekends, I have learned to make use of available time whenever I can. If I have an hour sitting at the airport, then I use that time to write chapters longhand. If I have two hours at night between ten pm and midnight, then I use that time to either write new stuff or transcribe what I have written previously in longhand. My best writing time is at night on the weekends when I am home.</span></span></div>
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<em><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447; font-size: normal;"><strong>Do you have any specific/unique writing habits?</strong></span></em><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"><br /><strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"> </span></strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"> I wish I had a cool story about how I write listening to Mozart or Avenged Sevenfold or something like that but sorry, no go. Get me in front of a laptop and give me a little quiet and I’m ready to go. I don’t require silence to concentrate, but I do tend to block everything else out when I am writing. Plus, coffee is a definite plus. </span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><strong>Where/when/how do you come up with your best ideas?</strong></span></em><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span></span><br /><strong> </strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"> I get ideas for stories all the time. I tend to keep a notepad handy to jot things down as they occur to me. Some ideas get a follow up and others just get filed away. The best ideas usually come to me like pieces of a puzzle that I have to assemble in my head.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447; font-size: normal;"><em><strong>How do you choose names for your characters? Do you pick them randomly, or do they have some sort of meaning to you?</strong></em></span><br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"><strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"> </span></strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"> I usually just make up character names but I have started recently using first or last names of people I know to fill out some supporting character roles. These are usually beta readers and I use their names with permission, which they get a kick out of it when the stories come to them. </span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;"><em><strong>Do you read your reviews? If so, do you ever respond to them? Advice for new authors regarding how to deal with negative reviews?</strong></em><em><strong> </strong></em></span><br /><strong> </strong> I do read reviews. My advice it don’t do it unless you have a thick skin. Five star reviews are easy and fill you with pride at a job well-done, of course, but those one star hatchet jobs can really irk you if you let it. I’ve only responded one time to a negative review, commenting on the inaccuracies in his well-laid out but incorrect bashing of me as a person. As I indicated, I think I have a pretty high tolerance for criticism and I will sometimes find myself agreeing with the complaint. My writing is not for everyone and I am the first to admit this. Calling me a racist and a misogynist really isn’t accomplishing anything constructive.<br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"> </span>For a new writer, this kind of vitriolic attack can certainly damage your confidence. For me, I made note of the complaint and checked to see if anyone else felt the same. After about three hundred more reviews came in for that book without a repeat, I decided the reviewer was just full of crap.<br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"> </span>Another example was one I just received for <em>Dark Sky Thunder</em>. I’ve received about fifty four or five star reviews and a single two star review. The reviewer there complained about how slow the book started (something I readily admit given the events in the previous three books) and then went on to rip the story for being disjointed and lacking in focus. That part really threw me off, as I had worked hard to “script” this story (or heavily outlined, if you will) before even attempting a final draft.<br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"> </span>After some thought, I decided the reviewer just really enjoyed the travel aspects of the first three books and was disappointed I didn’t immediately send Luke and company off on a wild goose chase. Sorry, but after all he has been through, Luke will be sticking close to home for the immediate future. In fact, that thought was the reason I had to remove the “Going for the Horse Doc” chapters from the main story and spin them off into a short story for later. </span></div>
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<em><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447; font-size: normal;"><strong>What is your best marketing tip?</strong></span></em><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><em><strong><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;"> </span></strong></em><br /><strong> </strong> As an independent author and publisher, my best marketing tip is to put yourself out there. I don’t mean become obnoxious in your self-promotion, but be willing to answer reader questions and respond promptly. For some of you, it might mean becoming active on Facebook. For others, it is setting up your own webpage. I am not that tech savvy and even though several people have offered to set up one for me, I do better with e-mails. For example, if you e-mail me with questions or comments at <a data-mce-href="mailto:walkingintherain6@gmail.com" href="mailto:walkingintherain6@gmail.com">walkingintherain6@gmail.com</a>, I will respond. Every time. Trust me, people appreciate that level of interaction, and they will tell their friends. At my level, word of mouth is the best advertising I can do. </span><br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"> </span><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;">I also get asked how I manage to get so many reviews written for my books. The answer there is also simple—I politely ask readers to do leave a review, and then I explain how this helps me write more books. </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447; font-size: normal;"><em><strong>What secret talents do you have?</strong></em></span><br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"><strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"> </span></strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;">I have the ability to blend into almost any crowd. Yes, not easy for me at six feet five inches tall and two hundred fifty-five pounds (give or take), but I can easily adapt to a new environment in just a few minutes. In the Deep South, my accent comes on heavy, with a distinct Texas drawl, while in the Midwest I’ve often been asked where I come from, since they can’t hear it in my voice. I don’t do a Northeastern accent, but they often think I am from Chicago or Wisconsin. I am stealthy in my own way. </span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;"><em><strong>If you had a superpower, what would it be?</strong></em><em><strong> </strong></em></span><br /><strong> </strong> If I could pick, I would want to be able to control time. That would be cool. Plus, it would pretty much make me, and anyone else I chose, essentially immortal. </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;"><em><strong>Ever been in a bar fight?</strong></em><em><strong> </strong></em></span><br /><strong> </strong>Yes. I am waiting for the statute of limitations to expire on that one, so the less said the better. But I do have job experience along those lines that I can discuss.<br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"> </span>For a while when I was in college, I worked security at a beer store, so I got to fight the drunks almost every night when they were kicked out of the bar next door. By the way, fighting drunks is like fighting zombies- they are uncoordinated but also don’t seem to feel pain.<br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"> </span>One night I saw a guy come in about 2am, barefoot and shirtless in the middle of winter. The shirtless part made it obvious someone had stuck a rather large knife in his belly and left it there. By the time the ambulance showed up with the paramedics, he didn’t want to leave because he was at Level Six on Miss Pacman. Like I said, after a certain point, drunks don’t feel pain. Either that, or he was a high functioning zombie. Either way, you can guess who ended up having to squeegee the blood off that game. </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447; font-size: normal;"><em><strong>Where is one place you’d like to visit that you’ve never been to before?</strong></em></span><br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"><strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"> </span></strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"> New Zealand/Australia. I lump them together simply because if I get close enough to visit one, I am definitely visiting the other as well. I’d love to pop in and visit with some of my favorite authors Down Under. </span> </span></div>
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<em><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447; font-size: normal;"><strong>Worldwide, apocalyptic EMPs… fiction or a reality?</strong></span></em><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><em><strong><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;"> </span></strong></em><br /><strong> </strong>Reality. The question is one of timing. I groan every time I read an article about some billion dollar infrastructure project where the federal government fails to even consider spending a few million dollars of taxpayer money on something actually useful, like hardening the system. Oh, no, we can’t do that. The only rationale I can find is that some politicians think it sends the wrong message.<br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"> </span></span><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;">Sort of like the reason we did away with Civil Defense in </span><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;">t</span><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;">his country. We did not want to make the Soviet Union worry we were planning a first strike, so we left the country’s civilian population wide open for attack. The problem here is we could face either an enemy like ISIS or Iran, who could care less about the status of noncombatants, or Mother Nature, who has been at war with mankind since Day One, and she doesn’t take prisoners. </span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><em><strong><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;">Who do you think would last the longest in the zombie apocalypse: Bill Cosby, Martha Stewart, or Gene Simmons?</span></strong></em><br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"><strong> </strong> Gene Simmons. A year ago I would have said Bill Cosby, but he has managed to tick off a large percentage of the female population in this country. I doubt he would be welcomed into any survivor community unless it was a group of degenerates looking for his magic drug cocktail secrets. Martha didn’t do her time the right type of facility to learn much in the way of street smart survival skills. I don’t watch his reality TV show, but I understand Mr. Simmons stays in pretty good shape for his age. Heck, for that matter I’d pick Richard Simmons over the Coz or Martha.</span></span></div>
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<em><strong><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;">What food/beverages would you miss the most if the SHTF?</span></strong></em><br /><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"><strong> </strong> Coffee. I’m the kind of person who would hold up in a Dunkin’ Donuts for the coffee alone. Forget Starbucks. Most of their flavors are too bitter for my delicate palate. </span></span></div>
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<em><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447; font-size: normal;"><strong>Advice for new and/or aspiring authors?</strong></span></em><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;"> </span><br /><strong> </strong>Write. A lot. Sit down, put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and create something. Do that once, twice, three times. Then take that third manuscript and show it to someone in the business for a critique. Up to you but I wouldn’t go to an English teacher or a creative writing professor. For my first critique, I picked a few authors for whom I was beta reading. To my eternal gratitude, they offered me some excellent tips on how I could do a better job with my writing.<br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"> </span></span><span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;">Do not take offense, do not whine, and do thank them for their advice. Be polite, and remember them when you do get published and thank them for taking the time to help out a fellow writer. Then be willing to pass it on to other beginning writers who come to you for help. And that ends the lecture. </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: normal;"><span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447;"><em><strong>What are you working on now? Any new writing projects in the works?</strong></em><em><strong> </strong></em></span><br /><strong> </strong> I am currently working on A Feast for Crows, which is a direct sequel to the short story <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Driven-Zombie-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B00UBT8L4M/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1445933429&sr=1-6" href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Driven-Zombie-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B00UBT8L4M/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1445933429&sr=1-6" target="_blank">“Hunger Driven”</a> that I wrote earlier this year. I just enjoy writing books about people with “problems” and Brad McCoy has a lot of them. He is moody, and cranky, and has a problem with authority, but he also has a really funny relationship with his boss. This book will let me expand the world view a bit and add some more depth to the story, as well as hopefully entertaining the zombie masses.<br />After that, I have already started outlining the next Rain book, which will be a revisit of sorts as I go back and catch up with our friends at the Keller farm. Even as I was writing Book Two, I was trying to figure out why the character of Scott Keller seemed to be so intriguing to me. He never said much and he wasn’t a leader, but his skills in the woods and his easygoing demeanor seemed to make him a natural mentor for Luke. Now I intend on figuring out what makes the character tick as well as telling a slam bang story.<br /><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"> </span>I am also working on several other stories in the developmental stage, including a post-nuclear war mystery involving a scarred faced hermit, a discredited FBI agent, and a whole slew of assassins in the woods. This one has been on my mind for a long time and I am looking forward to finally being able to sit down and finish the thing. </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #0f0447; font-size: normal;"><em><strong>Where can we find your books? </strong></em></span><br /><strong><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"> </span></strong><span data-mce-style="color: #3f3f3f;"> For the time being, I am publishing online exclusively at Amazon for Kindle. My first three books are also available on Audible.com and Book Four, Dark Sky Thunder, has been submitted for audio as well. </span></div>
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Thanks for hanging with us!<br />William Allen's <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/William-Allen/e/B00TOV58WG/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/William-Allen/e/B00TOV58WG/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1" target="_blank">Amazon Page</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17986198773123086279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-61518658999620635412015-02-15T18:22:00.000-08:002016-03-08T22:31:58.081-08:00Outage Book Two: The Awakening by T.W. Piperbrook<b><span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Synopsis</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Yf4OUx3Zt7Kh0oyQtKklDMWc9NH8bzy9nrI3EKuLZaECANYkjg1MNFwnFN2Jt9F4NujIkWemQjkBDSd3451K0AODmxyUKSHeK9iU_WmtEqFlkq2CSBEaN0P0qSDPE10lS9bzP7EqnsI/s1600/outage2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Yf4OUx3Zt7Kh0oyQtKklDMWc9NH8bzy9nrI3EKuLZaECANYkjg1MNFwnFN2Jt9F4NujIkWemQjkBDSd3451K0AODmxyUKSHeK9iU_WmtEqFlkq2CSBEaN0P0qSDPE10lS9bzP7EqnsI/s1600/outage2-2.jpg" width="212" /></span></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> first several pages of the story parallel Abby and Rob's experiences that take place in <i>Outage.</i> Then the story picks up where Abby's story ends. Tom has lost his wife and is on the run, desperately trying to escape the creatures that seem to be everywhere. He knows his odds of survival are slim, but he is determined to go down fighting if need be.</span><br />
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Along the way, he picks up two young, stranded survivors and together they seek refuge from the storm and the creatures dwelling in it. Will they find safety? Can they survive the night? </span><br />
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When it comes to Piperbrook's fast-paced, spellbinding way of telling a story, anything is possible.</span><br />
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<i>Publisher: Post Script Publishing</i></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Print Length: 93 pages</span></i><br />
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<i>Cover Art: Keri Knutson</i></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Editor: Cathy Moeschet</span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Proofreader: Linda Tooch</span></i><br />
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<b>Review</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5 out of 5 stars</span><br />
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Everything I loved about <i>Outage</i> (book one) is found in its sequel. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outage-2-Awakening-Werewolf-Suspense-ebook/dp/B00TNPQGJM/ref=sr_1_18_twi_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424038457&sr=8-18&keywords=piperbrook" target="_blank">Outage Book Two: The Awakening</a></i> is a thrill ride. From the first page to the last, the story engages and delivers a fun experience to the reader. I found I could not put the book down once I started reading. </span><br />
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T.W. Piperbrook is a talented writer and storyteller. Though the book is relatively short, each page is packed with excitement and what I think of as "concentrated story." What do I mean by that? Well, think of one of your favorite books, take out the fluff, and you have story-concentrate. That's not to say this book is lacking in character development and descriptive scenes; it has just enough of both to keep the story vivid in the mind's eye. </span><br />
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As a writer and editor/proofreader, I sometimes forget that reading is supposed to be for pleasure, not just "work." <i>Outage Book Two</i> was pure pleasure reading for me, and it was great to experience that again! The book is both edited and proofread very well, which was refreshing since I didn't find myself getting distracted by errors.</span><br />
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I have a hard time recommending this book only to those who are fans of horror. <i>Outage Book Two: The Awakening</i> is a story that can be enjoyed by just about anyone who likes an engaging, fun tale. Don't miss out on this series!</span><br />
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Purchase <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outage-Werewolf-Suspense-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00L2KZH3W/ref=as_sl_pc_ss_til?tag=undtheoakbo0b-20&linkCode=w01&linkId=H5PTSW44TRINYJR3&creativeASIN=B00L2KZH3W" target="_blank"><i>Outage</i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outage-2-Awakening-Werewolf-Suspense-ebook/dp/B00TNPQGJM/ref=sr_1_18_twi_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424038457&sr=8-18&keywords=piperbrook" target="_blank"><i>Outage Book Two: The Awakening</i> on Amazon.</a></span><br />
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My review of <i>Outage</i> (book one) can be found <a href="http://underoakbookreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/werewolves" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">About the Author</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYutQmYXcDizs9jQcvWkdAMCps54eKhQTG_oZq7ZPPLKYBGe0lX0QUixfBWjf09IkDF9dT9qIOVgmkTPMu4Cqu84T1c52Gy5edsu2ODa_jX8Z7ljfKTVZ-OzKg2Ue5FJQDwAIjKIqNCM/s1600/piperbrook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYutQmYXcDizs9jQcvWkdAMCps54eKhQTG_oZq7ZPPLKYBGe0lX0QUixfBWjf09IkDF9dT9qIOVgmkTPMu4Cqu84T1c52Gy5edsu2ODa_jX8Z7ljfKTVZ-OzKg2Ue5FJQDwAIjKIqNCM/s1600/piperbrook.jpg" width="150" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">T.W. Piperbrook was born and raised in Connecticut, where he can still be found today. In addition to writing, the author has also spent time as a full-time touring musician, touring across the US, Canada, and Europe.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He now lives with his wife, a son, and the spirit of his Boston Terrier.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Follow Piperbrook on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004797393276&fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sign up for T.W. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Piperbrook's <a href="http://blogspot.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=23d0c0b81d007dce3427c4915&id=0ccc332f5d" target="_blank">Newsletter</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Visit his website <a href="http://www.twpiperbrook.com/" target="_blank">here</a>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-49585932958091777202015-01-12T21:43:00.000-08:002015-01-12T21:57:29.313-08:00Something to Fight For (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Book 5) by W.J. Lundy<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Synopsis</b></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4V0KYnsS_vnJRPkXLq-xmkCAlCqijZ3vqj5A0bSBdkREwc7duIOb5WAOrS0TKRxIjYcO92lYwHXDzEQzbRkJWvCr1pdxtBHNsqKcQLbXfzfvoV_ARG_PAcgseSf4kmHU-H63eLX4rMI/s1600/91iOqwaewyL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4V0KYnsS_vnJRPkXLq-xmkCAlCqijZ3vqj5A0bSBdkREwc7duIOb5WAOrS0TKRxIjYcO92lYwHXDzEQzbRkJWvCr1pdxtBHNsqKcQLbXfzfvoV_ARG_PAcgseSf4kmHU-H63eLX4rMI/s1600/91iOqwaewyL._SL1500_.jpg" height="320" width="221" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Brad and his team have returned to the United States only to find that the nation is as devastated as the rest of the world. The Primals are not the only threat to those who survived the outbreak. Hunger, disease, and other survivors are bigger problems to contend with. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There seems to be a glimmer of hope, however, as Brad's team is enlisted to recover the key to developing a cure to the Primal virus. Time is not on their side as others seek the same objective. This is where loyalty and trust part ways, leaving the team questioning everything they have been fighting for.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Meanwhile, one soldier finds himself in the position of keeping the key to the cure protected at all costs. </span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is a Zombie War Story.</span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Publisher:</b> </span><span style="background-color: white;">PHALANX PRESS; 1 edition (December 10, 2014)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Print Length:</b> 333 pages</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Five out of Five Stars</i> (I would give it more, if it made sense to do so)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Purchase <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Something-Fight-Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot-ebook/dp/B00QVUKQNO/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank"><i>Something to Fight For</i></a> on Amazon</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">When I read the very first book in this series by W.J. Lundy, I never expected it to gradually become my favorite zombie apocalypse series— there was some tough competition for that spot. Up until <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Something-Fight-Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot-ebook/dp/B00QVUKQNO/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Something to Fight For</a></i>, I considered the <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/W.J.-Lundy/e/B00BW2DMGO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">Whiskey Tango Foxtrot</a> </i>series <b>one</b> of my favorites. By the time I got half-way through this most recent installment, I knew </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">that had changed</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Enough of my fangirling. I will tell you why I like<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Something-Fight-Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot-ebook/dp/B00QVUKQNO/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Something to Fight For</a> </i>so much. First, of all the books in this series, this has the most depth; the characters continue to develop, the plot is becoming more intense, and there are some new, interesting characters added to the mix. </span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Another reason I like this book so much has to do with the side story that is woven through the plot. The story of Brad and his crew eventually connects with this side story, and I can't help but hope Lundy follows up on this twist as he continues the series. </span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">What is the "side story" I'm referring to? Well, I don't want to give too much away, but it has to do with a former soldier who finds himself in the position of being the sole protector of a little girl. The story that follows the man and the little girl is both terrifying and endearing. Their story sucked me in and kept me thoroughly engaged to the point where I felt emotionally invested in the book.</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">W.J. Lundy's storytelling has gotten better with each new book and this one is no exception. I recommend this series highly to fans of zombie fiction, military fiction, horror, suspense, and anyone looking for a fun, excellent read.</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>About the Author </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZ7QlrhxwI9oQbB8wAvqLkoHSj-hMwxu4MGjS2foM6wcKKY4igtmPDDePd4bZC89JaOmuUp_yQhPPoUMQOr0DX5L-cRNBVMPfWa08iE5JPSecoM_6aOuHkgaa8nDDB2TgNQ0GVo-b6yI/s1600/512Y4LyVAOL._UX250_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZ7QlrhxwI9oQbB8wAvqLkoHSj-hMwxu4MGjS2foM6wcKKY4igtmPDDePd4bZC89JaOmuUp_yQhPPoUMQOr0DX5L-cRNBVMPfWa08iE5JPSecoM_6aOuHkgaa8nDDB2TgNQ0GVo-b6yI/s1600/512Y4LyVAOL._UX250_.jpg" height="178" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">W. J. Lundy is a still-serving Veteran of the U.S. Military with service in Afghanistan. He has over 14 years of combined service with the Army and Navy in Europe, the Balkans, and Southwest Asia. W.J. is an avid athlete, writer, backpacker, and shooting enthusiast. He currently resides with his wife and daughter in Central Michigan.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><i>I developed the </i>Whiskey Tango Foxtrot<i> series from notes and ideas I had put together while deployed to Afghanistan. I had been jokingly asked how we would defend against a zombie attack. </i>Escaping the Dead<i> was written in a small spiral notebook and later clicked one key at a time into a word document once I arrived back home. At the success of the short story, the series was born.</i></span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">All along, I wanted to tell a story that portrays the military that I know, the people I serve with, their characteristics, and something that shows our true, actual capabilities. These are my thoughts. I hope you enjoy them, and thank you for reading.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Follow W.J. Lundy on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/wjlundy.wtf?fref=ts" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> and </span><a href="https://twitter.com/WJLundy" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-63291747151597458402015-01-06T22:13:00.000-08:002015-01-06T22:15:02.191-08:00Whispers by Heath Stallcup<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJ27f-NI7o3fRt8KfCtr4IoR37gGTvhGdYD06ri5TWPsFRTuOw1pOyiyJJxVSotsF25VWQ1Cb-jcB9_FURJ_dtKQi3nGlHVN-F3p8aZL-_7XAS5BtoOiZ3ICEy_496bg1KO-fYXEnnkQ/s1600/8137qdxpQIL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJ27f-NI7o3fRt8KfCtr4IoR37gGTvhGdYD06ri5TWPsFRTuOw1pOyiyJJxVSotsF25VWQ1Cb-jcB9_FURJ_dtKQi3nGlHVN-F3p8aZL-_7XAS5BtoOiZ3ICEy_496bg1KO-fYXEnnkQ/s1600/8137qdxpQIL._SL1500_.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some loves transcend time. Some loves were never meant to be. Some loves are cut short by the evil of others. When Sheriff James Tolbert and his fiancé were killed by a malicious rancher and his cutthroat minions, nobody could expect that the very passion that fueled their love would be the same passion that fueled ghostly revenge. When grave robbers unearth Sheriff Tolbert's tomb searching for Old West relics, a vengeful spirit is unleashed on a small Texas town hellbent on revenge. If those responsible couldn't be made to pay, then their progeny would, and they would pay in the most bloody and horrific manner the spirit could dream of. Can modern day law enforcement stop a spirit destined to fulfill an oath made in death? Even when aided by a Texas Ranger and UCLA Paranormal Investigators, how can they stop something that is already dead and buried?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Publisher:</b> May December Publications (October 2013)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Print Length</b>: 475 pages</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>5 Stars out of 5</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Amazon Kindle Version</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Heath Stallcup is a great storyteller and this book is just another example of that truth. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Heath-Stallcup-ebook/dp/B00G0JWLDE/ref=sr_1_9?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1420605267&sr=1-9&keywords=heath+stallcup" target="_blank">Whispers</a></i> is a ghost story in the purist sense of the word. That is what I like most about it. It is reminiscent of the kinds of ghost stories told around a campfire where every snap of a tree branch or falling acorn makes you jump. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Who doesn't like that? That's a rhetorical question; don't answer it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stallcup's characters are well-developed and rich in personality. The storyline has a western vibe to it, but that doesn't mean it will only appeal to readers who like westerns. There isn't anything about this story I didn't like. It provides just the right amount of everything that I love in a story: action, revenge, good versus evil, interesting character interactions, and a great scare factor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I recommend <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Heath-Stallcup-ebook/dp/B00G0JWLDE/ref=sr_1_9?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1420605267&sr=1-9&keywords=heath+stallcup" target="_blank">Whispers</a></i> highly!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Purchase <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Heath-Stallcup-ebook/dp/B00G0JWLDE/ref=sr_1_9?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1420605267&sr=1-9&keywords=heath+stallcup" target="_blank">Whispers</a></i> on Amazon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About the Author</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Heath Stallcup was born in Salinas, California and relocated to Tupelo, Oklahoma in his tween years. He joined the US Navy and was stationed in Charleston, SC and Bangor, WA shortly after junior college. After his second tour he attended East Central University where he obtained BS degrees in Biology and Chemistry. He then served ten years with the State of Oklahoma as a Compliance and Enforcement Officer while moonlighting nights and weekends with his local Sheriff's Office. He still lives in the small township of Tupelo, Oklahoma with his wife and three of his seven children. He steals time to write between household duties, going to ballgames, being a grandfather to five and being the pet of numerous animals that have taken over his home. Visit him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/heathstallcup" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a href="http://heathstallcup.com/">heathstallcup.com</a> for news of his upcoming releases.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-54945736775452702082015-01-06T10:23:00.000-08:002015-01-06T10:31:48.954-08:00Rock and Roll Highway: The Robbie Robertson Story by Sebastian Robertson<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6TTo2SqU-xH0o5t_CavLgXdWZ3df14EAALvssWQPR3apeVCK3u6WdIdxHFlXZ2RNoF4vEKz5H0C_SrbwomQDUyi50620WT8iOcpTbxzEUT9j96qXkLT0LgniN-Hp-LmRNl0bxqLrH2c/s1600/91wOmUDeV0L._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6TTo2SqU-xH0o5t_CavLgXdWZ3df14EAALvssWQPR3apeVCK3u6WdIdxHFlXZ2RNoF4vEKz5H0C_SrbwomQDUyi50620WT8iOcpTbxzEUT9j96qXkLT0LgniN-Hp-LmRNl0bxqLrH2c/s1600/91wOmUDeV0L._SL1500_.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book Cover taken from Amazon</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Written as a children's book, this is the story of Robbie Robertson as told by his son, Sebastian. The story shares Robbie Robertson's experiences growing up in Canada with his Native American mom and how they helped shape him into the musician and songwriter he ultimately became. It is a story about working hard, taking risks, and being brave enough to make dreams come true. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Roll-Highway-Robbie-Robertson/dp/0805094733/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Rock and Roll Highway</a></i> is beautifully illustrated and includes an interview with Robbie Robertson at the end. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (October 21, 2014)</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">Print Length: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">40 pages</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Ages: 6-9</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Review</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Five out of Five Stars</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>This review can also be found on Amazon</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">My most cherished memories of my dad include sitting around on Friday nights, listening to his extensive record collection. He introduced me to the "oldies" like Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker, and The Band. I've been fan of Robbie Robertson ever since, so I had to have this book.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">I purchased this in the Kindle format, which works very well. If I were still a classroom teacher, however, I would definitely want the hardcover and it would be in my library. The story is well told, the illustrations are beautiful (even on the Kindle), and the content is suitable—even beneficial—for children of all ages.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">There are many valuable lessons that can be taken from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Roll-Highway-Robbie-Robertson/dp/0805094733/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Rock and Roll Highway</a></i>. Probably the most prominent lesson is that dreams can come true with hard work and taking risks. The value of family and heritage is woven throughout the story. The interview at the end of the book is an especially nice feature. Sebastian Robertson encourages children to interview their own parents and write down their story.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">My favorite line of the book comes from Robbie Robertson himself. In the interview, Sebastian asks his dad what some of his favorite books are. Robbie names his favorite authors and then goes on to say that reading helped to expand his vocabulary as well as influenced some of his songs. He finished the interview by saying, "Gotta read to write." As a reader and an author, I absolutely love this!</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">I recommend this book to parents, grandparents, teachers, and fans of Robbie Robertson.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>About the Author</b> (Source: Amazon.com)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sebastian Robertson lives in Los Angeles with his family. In addition to his writing, he is a songwriter and composer whose work has been featured in numerous films and television shows. Visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sebastian-Robertson/e/B00EED24P8/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" target="_blank">Sebastian's author pag</a>e on Amazon for more information.</span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-41978568728893481472015-01-06T01:49:00.000-08:002015-01-06T10:45:56.115-08:00The China Pandemic (Graham's Resolution, Book 1) by A.R. Shaw<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MU9o0NYa9IaMfd-nJPEayZ7eRQkyvYIdQ3NFWdaWexpiIsqlsl_tjv1JdfIpXDk-4cxyq45QwX_ZuHLDe3Iooj09RhzSYR-PSURPjfYBPzKsFXnSo4wa8zMeIpTt9QMRGSGurLO-1ek/s1600/7136EdicouL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MU9o0NYa9IaMfd-nJPEayZ7eRQkyvYIdQ3NFWdaWexpiIsqlsl_tjv1JdfIpXDk-4cxyq45QwX_ZuHLDe3Iooj09RhzSYR-PSURPjfYBPzKsFXnSo4wa8zMeIpTt9QMRGSGurLO-1ek/s1600/7136EdicouL._SL1500_.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What the world dreads most has happened—because of a mutated avian bird flu (H5N1) pandemic. It has ravaged the globe. Only 2% of the population has survived. A dying mother knows that her young child is among the few immune to the virus. What will she do to ensure his survival before her own coming tragic death?</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Meanwhile, Graham has buried his last remaining family member. Following his father's advice to make it to the family cabin, he meets with triumph and tragedy, learning new rules along the way. Just when he thinks he's finally got a handle on this new world, he's taken by surprise as he learns he's not alone. A hidden, yet vulnerable, community of Preppers are nearby. Will he find the strength to escape these dangers and go on living? And more importantly, will he have the ability to protect those he's come to trust? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Publisher: Self Published</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Print Length: 280 pages</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Review</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Five out of Five Stars</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is the first book in A.R. Shaw's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=series_rw_dp_labf?_encoding=UTF8&field-keywords=Graham%27s%20Resolution&url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text" target="_blank"><i>Graham's Resolution</i> </a>series. I heard of this series months before reading <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/China-Pandemic-Grahams-Resolution-Book-ebook/dp/B00H06NGFS/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1420537446&sr=1-2&keywords=Graham%27s+Resolution" target="_blank">The China Pandemic</a></i>, but it wasn't on my "short list" of books to read. I had the honor of meeting the author at the Long Beach ComicCon in September and decided to bump it up the list. As a person, A.R. Shaw is a class-act; her intelligence, respect for her readers, and dedication to her craft shine through in her writing. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wasn't sure what to expect from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/China-Pandemic-Grahams-Resolution-Book-ebook/dp/B00H06NGFS/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1420537446&sr=1-2&keywords=Graham%27s+Resolution" target="_blank">The China Pandemic</a></i> since it doesn't have zombies as part of its dystopian scenario. Once I started reading it, however, I wasn't able to put it down. I grew attached to the unforgettable main character from the start, as well as every other protagonist as they were introduced. The characters have depth, realistic emotions, and are very likable. The characters—both male and female—are strong, but not unbelievably so. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The story itself is an interesting one, and scary in the sense that it seems plausible. Shaw created a world where survival is a day-to-day struggle. The plot is filled with action, making it seem like a quick read, in spite of its length. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of dsytopian fiction, those who like "shit hits the fan" scenarios, people interested in the prepper lifestyle, and anyone who likes an intriguing, well-told story.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Purchase <a href="http://www.amazon.com/China-Pandemic-Grahams-Resolution-Book-ebook/dp/B00H06NGFS/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1420537446&sr=1-2&keywords=Graham%27s+Resolution" target="_blank"><i>The China Pandemic</i></a> from Amazon. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About the Author</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A. R. Shaw, born in south Texas, served in the United States Air Force Reserves from 1987 through 1991 as a Communications Radio Operator, where she served at the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS Station) at Kelly AFB, Texas.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-Tn4ZBln_ASX8Z6y1vwiCIysQY8HqWqcGcDmFWuMrYlu9RfoX_m_gyy766hLXPJyjIuoAmHFFl9vv_zPdlsfY-l-F5aMz5oTAI_PHchRQoEg5WKyK-QTRnmLmJDeSgH7vr6DIxNke2U/s1600/51m8SNcmMrL._UX250_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-Tn4ZBln_ASX8Z6y1vwiCIysQY8HqWqcGcDmFWuMrYlu9RfoX_m_gyy766hLXPJyjIuoAmHFFl9vv_zPdlsfY-l-F5aMz5oTAI_PHchRQoEg5WKyK-QTRnmLmJDeSgH7vr6DIxNke2U/s1600/51m8SNcmMrL._UX250_.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Her first novel, The China Pandemic, (2013) hit #1 in Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic genres in May of 2014. Hailed as "eerily plausible" and her characters "amazingly detailed," Shaw continues the engaging series in post-apocalyptic (SHTF) fiction.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">She lives with her family in eastern Washington State, where after the deep snow of winter finally subsides to glorious rays of summer; she treks northeast to spend her days writing alongside the beautiful Skagit River.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">You can contact A. R. Shaw directly at (AR@AuthorARShaw.com) or through her website at (AuthorARShaw.com)</span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-18062682239452126252014-11-25T21:18:00.000-08:002014-11-25T21:21:51.502-08:00Splinter (Banished from Hell) by H.J. Harry<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Synopsis</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span>
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRJGwqfQ3AiJPJpkUqrRi1YStP9QI0epoCCFntkCInD28ZXl6XmAu3HC_PFENkFw-xSSibdS_s6zjMR5uJbsoZ1al2nzX6j1WZpCvw3gve4K7VpFT-xJh3YrwcvXqL0W4ZPPHi5AMKNY/s1600/splinter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRJGwqfQ3AiJPJpkUqrRi1YStP9QI0epoCCFntkCInD28ZXl6XmAu3HC_PFENkFw-xSSibdS_s6zjMR5uJbsoZ1al2nzX6j1WZpCvw3gve4K7VpFT-xJh3YrwcvXqL0W4ZPPHi5AMKNY/s1600/splinter.jpg" height="320" width="201" /></span></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For close to a thousand years they waited, waited for the old knowledge to fade away into the mists of myth. Imprisoned, banished, and separated, they waited as the population grew to numbers that could sustain their appetites. Humanity developed habits that made them fat; slow and ripe, memories of the old ways forgotten. They waited for a re-birth of the time of legend, for the time when demons ruled and man was naught but the fodder upon which they fed. They waited for the time when the old gods die and the new were anxious to take their place. They waited for today.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">A young man resisted the sweet words of compulsion, forsaking money and unlimited power to be with the woman he loves. It was a condemning of his self to the focus of a demon who had once been banished to a minuscule grain of sand. A demon worthy enough to turn that grain of sand into the vehicle that starts the destruction of the sum of humanities freedom, enslaving an entire species to his will he knows that he can do what no other has. A thousand years ago he was accused of having a god complex when already he has done what god would never do. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God complex hell, he was god and the earth should rue the day, every day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: Self</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Print Length: 229 pages</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Review</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">5 out of 5 Stars</span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kindle Version, Kindle Unlimited</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i>
<span style="background-color: white;">I've read a few short stories and another book written by H.J. Harry, so I was looking forward to reading <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Splinter-Banished-Hell-H-J-Harry-ebook/dp/B00PPZZOJM/ref=asap_B00IQV5YM4_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416978191&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Splinter (Banished from Hell)</a></i> when I found out it was available. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">The story begins with a creepy vibe that drew me in right away. The creepiness only intensifies as the story progresses, creating a fast-paced, hard-to-put-down book that reminded me of some of Dean Koontz's earlier novels. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">The author doesn't just tell a good story, though; he tells a good story <i>well</i>. I love the little details he includes when it comes to the scenes and his characters. The details are not the tedious kind... he includes just enough to make the characters memorable and the scenes vivid. This tale of classic "good vs. evil" has enough layers to appeal to all types of horror fans. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I am guessing there will be a <i>Splinter Two</i>, and I can't wait to see how the story continues!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Purchase on Amazon: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Splinter-Banished-Hell-H-J-Harry-ebook/dp/B00PPZZOJM/ref=asap_B00IQV5YM4_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416978191&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Splinter (Banished from Hell)</a> </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOiND7giCbDZGpb1mznxCD87WG2YMtCQKuB2YKT0blB3EhMMmxL1xifyVHDKE3VKuoxv8CY9OViUOjm6dfnWH-8Z-Vkq4uIFZomEu_WaKS9AarLiu3CPyAguh1mC3Odqx0TZ6FqlsHpM/s1600/H.J.+Harry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About the Author</b></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOiND7giCbDZGpb1mznxCD87WG2YMtCQKuB2YKT0blB3EhMMmxL1xifyVHDKE3VKuoxv8CY9OViUOjm6dfnWH-8Z-Vkq4uIFZomEu_WaKS9AarLiu3CPyAguh1mC3Odqx0TZ6FqlsHpM/s1600/H.J.+Harry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOiND7giCbDZGpb1mznxCD87WG2YMtCQKuB2YKT0blB3EhMMmxL1xifyVHDKE3VKuoxv8CY9OViUOjm6dfnWH-8Z-Vkq4uIFZomEu_WaKS9AarLiu3CPyAguh1mC3Odqx0TZ6FqlsHpM/s1600/H.J.+Harry.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">H.J. Harry was born Joseph Hansen In the early sixties. Raised in the northern mid west by parents of faith and good will he went on to do many things as he focused on writing in his spare time. Thirty some years later he self publishes for the first time. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">A natural storyteller, who sees things with a different skew than most, he has focused on keeping things fresh and fast paced. If you came here to see a list of jobs you can just pick something and H.J. has probably done it especially in the blue collar non-agriculture fields. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Mostly a YA author, you will see multiple fiction genres coming available in future months from true-to-life fiction, to prehistoric fantasy, to post apocalyptic, including zombies. When H.J. Harry is not writing, drawing his covers or fishing, then he is working in his private wood shop, working on his house, helping a friend on their projects, driving a semi or trying to finagle time to go fishing.</span></span>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-vRZRZ_67gmc%2FVHVfcqQHG_I%2FAAAAAAAAExg%2Fnp1wpQ_m5wU%2Fs1600%2FH.J.%252BHarry.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOiND7giCbDZGpb1mznxCD87WG2YMtCQKuB2YKT0blB3EhMMmxL1xifyVHDKE3VKuoxv8CY9OViUOjm6dfnWH-8Z-Vkq4uIFZomEu_WaKS9AarLiu3CPyAguh1mC3Odqx0TZ6FqlsHpM/s1600/H.J.+Harry.jpg" -->Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-45353722423037805222014-11-21T11:50:00.001-08:002014-11-21T11:55:46.737-08:00Winter of Zombie Blog Tour Featuring Jay Wilburn<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighyphenhyphenpKdDW2dSylLORP4fPp1FLCdR8dDVYv0GHNRUYLvXNKjSFn4BwRs06as-k6Z3VS7CuyuCUInCE5LNGklixdt8TW3JybcAz4QOywMVEUVa-HToUgTwXjg4c63A1wCqjW5m6JW8mdzRE/s1600/me+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighyphenhyphenpKdDW2dSylLORP4fPp1FLCdR8dDVYv0GHNRUYLvXNKjSFn4BwRs06as-k6Z3VS7CuyuCUInCE5LNGklixdt8TW3JybcAz4QOywMVEUVa-HToUgTwXjg4c63A1wCqjW5m6JW8mdzRE/s1600/me+(1).jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sometimes the Story Picks You</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">by Jay Wilburn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My greatest breakout success to
date has been a weird little zombie story titled “Dead Song.” I never intended
it to be great even as I was writing it. Maybe it is really not. There have
been some less than stellar reviews. Maybe it is just some strange, mass
delusional halo effect that has some people thinking it is good. I’ve tried
more than once to leave it behind along with zombie stories, but time and again
opportunity pulls me back into the genre and this story keeps shambling onward.
I working on a novelized version of “Dead Song” now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I used to only write zombie
stories. My first story ever published was a zombie story. I got a check with the
note line reading “Payment for Zombies.” I slowly ventured out into other
stories. I would eventually be writing full-time on the back of several genre
and ghostwriting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I write zombies whenever the
opportunity arises. The genre, fellow writers, and publishers have pulled me
back again and again even as I worked to expand in other areas. I have theory
that my zombie stories actually got better and sold better because I was
writing other things which expanded my tool box and improved me as a writer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Dead Song” was a strange idea. It
hatched from a thought of creating a screenplay as a short story. It would
evolve into a narrative format, but just barely. The concept is that a
documentary is being made about the evolution of music during the zombie
apocalypse. In reality, the story is a guy in a sound booth doing a voice over.
If I have ever been accused of telling and not showing, this is my masterpiece
of that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This story was going to be
published nowhere and I knew it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Elektrik Milk Bath Press put out a
call for strange zombie stories for a charity anthology. This one was strange,
so I submitted “Dead Song” and forgot about it. The anthology came out and was
full of zombie weirdness as advertised.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKfCBHIKd7NbhAAQvf-JLkn7wagxCv7RhvHG8zFcs8Y1ehCOQkJ6MFH5VAqv6nTN8yzylQOMlROjsOMSgwjSArNlpWmfNEpf1iR4SaXTNPX1aE9W3VGP-aXY5pCQ70VfsQPFUstg6ey0/s1600/zombie+collection+cover+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKfCBHIKd7NbhAAQvf-JLkn7wagxCv7RhvHG8zFcs8Y1ehCOQkJ6MFH5VAqv6nTN8yzylQOMlROjsOMSgwjSArNlpWmfNEpf1iR4SaXTNPX1aE9W3VGP-aXY5pCQ70VfsQPFUstg6ey0/s1600/zombie+collection+cover+2.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Some time later, I started getting
messages from Ellen Datlow. I thought I was being scammed. I was offered forty
dollars to have the story reprinted in <i>Best
Horror of the Year volume 5</i>. It turned out to not be a scam.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After the book came out, a few
reviewers mentioned my story positively. I actually went back a read the story
to try to see what was in it that I had missed. It was better than I
remembered. The horror sort of snuck up on you in it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some time after that, Prime Books
approached me and asked to pay me forty dollars to reprint it again in their <i>Zombies: More Recent Dead</i> featuring the
best zombie stories of the last few years. The book features work by Neil Gaiman, Joe McKinney, Jonathan Mayberry,
Joe Lansdale, and more. I read the story again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I began outlining a novelized
version of the events and characters described in the story. As I went into the
actual world detailed in “Dead Song,” I realized how dark, campy, twisted, and
gritty that world was going to be. This place is full of zombies, drag queens,
epic landscapes, Southern gothic, mystery, and magic. As I have churned out
short stories while neglecting novels, I realized this story was choosing me
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have already been surprised
myself by what has been revealed in the first few thousands words. I’m just
more convinced that this story has more to offer still. I hope you get a chance
to check out “Dead Song,” the weird little zombie short story that won’t quit
and eventually the novel, <i>Dead Song: The
Legend of Tiny “Mud Music” Jones</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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* * *
* *<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Jg9uno2l4fFYKIyIX29t_iFG1-Zv3NLiqq0ciP5AmyU5q8ikPJpw9hOWwobHw9rVGlXtYdEN4bpuS1HaF-bxsWVvd5w744XswmZBNPZjBcjS5fxH3s4Q4GT9a4qk820Z57yS1MTlH-Y/s1600/1926759_10202903482088672_4630710665427646186_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Jg9uno2l4fFYKIyIX29t_iFG1-Zv3NLiqq0ciP5AmyU5q8ikPJpw9hOWwobHw9rVGlXtYdEN4bpuS1HaF-bxsWVvd5w744XswmZBNPZjBcjS5fxH3s4Q4GT9a4qk820Z57yS1MTlH-Y/s1600/1926759_10202903482088672_4630710665427646186_n.jpg" height="167" width="320" /></a>The stench of frozen rotted meat is in the air! Welcome to
the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour 2014, with 10 of the best zombie authors
spreading the disease in the month of November. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Stop by the event page on Facebook so you don't miss an
interview, guest post or teaser… and pick up some great swag as well! Giveaways
galore from most of the authors as well as interaction with them!
#WinterZombie2014<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1524813084430035/?ref_notif_type=plan_user_joined&source=1">https://www.facebook.com/events/1524813084430035/?ref_notif_type=plan_user_joined&source=1</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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AND so you don't miss any of the posts in November, here's
the complete list, updated daily: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://armandrosamilia.com/2014/11/01/winter-of-zombie-post-list-winterzombie2014/">http://armandrosamilia.com/2014/11/01/winter-of-zombie-post-list-winterzombie2014/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-90271490775110071862014-11-09T11:58:00.001-08:002014-11-09T11:58:37.831-08:00All Things Zombie: The Gathering Horde by ATZ Publications<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMk8H_gVzoJ2rwm5Zkx3HDhNg20seKk__ZXtHTcaoKnhW02i8cQLO2hyphenhyphen7zd2AUdHOtvtiX4h2W1X4R2b2DDWRRK1zYe9MMJiBMJPo3LINoJOY9cP15XhGHDs0YAEzPS31TArQnxySfl2o/s1600/atzpub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMk8H_gVzoJ2rwm5Zkx3HDhNg20seKk__ZXtHTcaoKnhW02i8cQLO2hyphenhyphen7zd2AUdHOtvtiX4h2W1X4R2b2DDWRRK1zYe9MMJiBMJPo3LINoJOY9cP15XhGHDs0YAEzPS31TArQnxySfl2o/s1600/atzpub.jpg" height="320" width="221" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Synopsis</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br />
</b> <span style="background-color: white;">This collection of zombie stories features some of the top zombie authors in the genre; T.W. Piperbrook, A.J. Brown, Chris Philbrook and Eric A. Shelman. There are many newcomers here too, having had their dream of being published realized for the first time. You will find that telling them apart may be difficult - we had hundreds of submissions, and this is the cream of the crop. We hope you enjoy this romp through the apocalypse.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: ATZ Publications, November 7, 2014</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I give <i>The Gathering Horde</i> Five out of Five Stars</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">*Disclaimer one of the stories in this book was written by me, but my story is just one of the awesome stories in this book.*</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">I'm going to keep this review short. I've been super busy with my novel and need to get back to it. I just had to take the time to share this gem of a book. There are stories here by some well-known names in the zombie/horror genre as well as some new authors. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">The publishers and editors did a fantastic job selecting the best stories out of over one hundred that were submitted. I am truly impressed with the talent of the authors who wrote for this book as well as in the editing that was done. This is ATZ's debut publication, but the quality and professionalism put into this work are first-class.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">If you're a fan of <i>The Walking Dead</i>, horror, zombies, or just being entertained, this is the book for you! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">It's only $2.99 or free if you have Kindle Unlimited. Get it by using the link below:</span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-21902284906054826772014-10-13T00:42:00.000-07:002014-10-13T16:18:29.942-07:00Gateways by Brian Gottheil<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsimwtzs8vbMqjR04kwXhePzB2kMZ0eFVSKixx3oNS_qZgLz6i3rwmByevFqICbT1TcXP069v66oP4hIINUad2oCCcWujFOUKF6_k_PkdDnRV32zvy0tf3iZfl7Oj1sBBnCG9EoPFGfGU/s1600/Gateways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsimwtzs8vbMqjR04kwXhePzB2kMZ0eFVSKixx3oNS_qZgLz6i3rwmByevFqICbT1TcXP069v66oP4hIINUad2oCCcWujFOUKF6_k_PkdDnRV32zvy0tf3iZfl7Oj1sBBnCG9EoPFGfGU/s1600/Gateways.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Synopsis</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For months, the Continent has been mired in a devastating war: artillery barrages lasting days, the death rattle of machine guns, toxic chemical gas, futile charges across no-man’s-land toward enemy trenches. Caryn Hallom, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Deugan and the first woman to have achieved such a powerful position in the fledgling democracy, is horrified that she failed to prevent the war from breaking out on her watch. <br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">When Caryn finds herself trapped together with Michael Ravencliffe, a member of the royal family of Deugan’s main enemy in the war, she seizes on the opportunity to try to negotiate an end to the fighting. Little does she know that a new faction is about to enter the conflict, armed with a frightening magical weapon … or that it will be led by the one person on the Continent who knows the truth about Caryn’s past. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Gateways has been described as a fantasy novel that reads like historical fiction. Set in an alternate world that resembles Europe during the First World War, the novel combines geopolitics with plots, counterplots and magic, and ultimately asks the question: how far are we prepared to go for peace?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: Self Published</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Print Length: 429</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I received a free, advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I give Gateways 5 out of 5 stars </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I am going to start this review with a confession: this is not normally the type of book I would set out to read on my own. When Brian Gottheil asked me to review his novel a couple months ago, I agreed because I was searching for something different than my usual story and <i>Gateways</i> looked interesting.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">It begins with a "excerpt" from a book or journal about the history of the <i>Great War</i>. Right away, the background for the story is established. I appreciate this unique and intellectual introduction to the story. I felt like I was reading a bit of history and then jumping into history-in-the-making as Gottheil took me to the action. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The book is a fantastic blend of war strategy, political relations, mystery, and magic. There is something for everyone here. I have to point out, as well, that the story is very well-written. It flows easily and if there are any errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar, I didn't notice. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The best part of Brian Gottheil's novel is the unpredictability of it. There are enough twists in the plot to keep the reader on his or her toes. The characters are multidimensional and full of surprises. Every time I tried to pin down the good guys or the bad ones, I found myself having to adjust my thinking.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I recommend <i>Gateways</i> to anyone who likes a good mystery, war story, or fantasy tale. It's one of those stories that will stay with you long after you finish reading the book.</span></span><br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpGNFa-ptEy0Ap2Jbk6UC2KP6YkaNJ5zGGVizGu-DtWzqpcJ0YlFWQAHXAZJuFG-xUQWnB7IqR9HO0cpuwfp0hp3inzH6KF_7GRaJyqcupOpyc2igFt-gWig1qX-pQEH4QnySdIOyyE4/s1600/brian-brick-wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpGNFa-ptEy0Ap2Jbk6UC2KP6YkaNJ5zGGVizGu-DtWzqpcJ0YlFWQAHXAZJuFG-xUQWnB7IqR9HO0cpuwfp0hp3inzH6KF_7GRaJyqcupOpyc2igFt-gWig1qX-pQEH4QnySdIOyyE4/s1600/brian-brick-wall.jpg" height="200" width="152" /></a></div>
<i>In his own words:</i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Myriad Pro', 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I’ve been writing as a hobby since, at the age of four, I penned an epic about my then-favourite sport, the charmingly mis-spelled “baceball.” Many years have passed, but I’m finally gearing up to self-publish my first novel, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Myriad Pro', 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Gateways</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Myriad Pro', 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">, and I’m very excited about it. It’s a fantasy novel that reads like historical fiction (or so I’ve been told). </span><br />
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I live in Toronto, Canada, or as we Torontonians like to call it, “the centre of the universe.” I’m just joking about that… mostly. I’m writing a novel at the moment in which the main character hates Toronto, so that’s been a bit of a challenge. At one point she describes it as a “frenetic smogscape.” To each her own, I suppose. </div>
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In my day job, I work as a labour and employment lawyer with Bernardi Human Resource Law. You might think that writing would be my biggest hobby outside of law, but actually, I spend most of my free time swing dancing and swing dance organizing. (I’m writing a novel based on dancing, too). Swing is an umbrella term for several different partner dances that are done to the big band jazz music of the 1930s and 40s, and it also includes some styles done to later music which evolved from earlier swing dances. I focus on the lindy hop, which was the original swing dance.</div>
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<a href="http://briangottheil.com/" target="_blank">Brian's Website</a> and <a href="http://briangottheil.com/blog/" target="_blank">blog</a>.</div>
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Follow Brian on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BGNovels" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8383590.Brian_Gottheil" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-20424123060052641602014-10-12T13:13:00.000-07:002014-10-12T13:13:47.661-07:00Tales of the Forgotten (A Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Novel, Volume Two) by W.J. Lundy<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjFIzUJAv_B9ZnEWO5L_0j9mz3G8lvIMZejt-OWT4YhFS7RvP0DFLK77aJk31W9IqIUkjDogFMRlsihvw37Cxv6nJ7qzyD5KpWUgSudqaJmqhqTCsF-XzZ-7wAUyFIxLxJpcYLd6dU5k/s1600/WTF+No.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjFIzUJAv_B9ZnEWO5L_0j9mz3G8lvIMZejt-OWT4YhFS7RvP0DFLK77aJk31W9IqIUkjDogFMRlsihvw37Cxv6nJ7qzyD5KpWUgSudqaJmqhqTCsF-XzZ-7wAUyFIxLxJpcYLd6dU5k/s1600/WTF+No.2.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The world is at war with the Primal Virus. Military forces across the globe have been recalled to defend the homelands as the virus spreads and decimates populations. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Out on patrol and assigned to a remote base in Afghanistan, Staff Sergeant Brad Thompson’s unit was abandoned and left behind, alone and without contact. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">They survived and have built a refuge, but now they are forgotten. No contact with their families or commands. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Brad makes a tough decision to leave the safety of his compound to try and make contact with the States, desperate to find rescue for his men. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">What he finds is worse than he could have ever predicted. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">This is a Zombie war story, The follow up to: </span><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (Escaping the Dead)</i> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Publisher: Phalanx Press (May 29th, 2014)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Print Length: 298 pages</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Edited by Monique Happy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">Kindle version p</span><span style="background-color: white;">urchased on Amazon</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I give </i>Tales of the Forgotten<i> 5 out of 5 Stars </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">This book has been on my "to read" list ever since I finished the first book in this series. For a review of <i>Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (Escaping the Dead)</i>, click <a href="http://underoakbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/07/whiskey-tango-foxtrot-volume-one-by-wj.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <i>Tales of the Forgotten</i> is quite a bit longer than <i>Escaping the Dead</i>, but it didn't feel like it. It is one of those books I couldn't put down. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I notice on Amazon that this edition is described as a "New Edited Version". I don't know what the previous version was like, but this one is flawless. I appreciate the professional "finish" of the book. If there were errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar, I didn't notice them. I don't usually give a lower rating for books with those types of errors, but when I see a book without mistakes, it tells me that the author respects his or her readers and takes pride in his/her work.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I like the pacing of the story. It's fast, but not to the point where the action becomes unbelievable. As I said above, I couldn't put the book down. I carried my Kindle with me everywhere. I read while brushing my teeth, cooking dinner, watching TV... well, you get the idea. I was invested in the four central characters and wanted to keep track of them, hoping they would survive from one scene to the next.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I noticed something about the main character, Brad, that makes him different from most main characters in this type of story: he is not the "leader" of his group of survivors. He defers to his more experienced, higher ranking counterparts, Sean and Brooks. Brad learns from them and there is absolutely no ego on his part. I point this out only because I find it refreshing to have a main character in this type of scenario who isn't also the leader with a seemingly endless supply of knowledge and extraordinary skills.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I have a long "to read" list and lots of books in my Kindle that are getting dusty (virtually). I will not wait to read book number three in this series. I need to find out what happens next!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Do yourself a favor: read this series!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
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Click the links above to purchase books 1 & 2-- You won't regret it.<br />
<br />
<b>About the Author</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY_382CT-tTgkZ2WuW1CwKEZ4iSjHRWJh-l7Nz6EuD5OIYFXC2u9m-UpGn_hKqi-kt6JYAR0G4r9FfFwkGdrwx52tFKQRO2GmaGnbKthyM0egxzr_hqeZF7EEp58gpHnWSplMnwTNUek/s1600/lundy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY_382CT-tTgkZ2WuW1CwKEZ4iSjHRWJh-l7Nz6EuD5OIYFXC2u9m-UpGn_hKqi-kt6JYAR0G4r9FfFwkGdrwx52tFKQRO2GmaGnbKthyM0egxzr_hqeZF7EEp58gpHnWSplMnwTNUek/s1600/lundy.jpg" height="178" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">W. J. Lundy is a still serving Veteran of the U.S. Military with service in Afghanistan. He has over 12 years of combined service with the Army and Navy in Europe, the Balkans and Southwest Asia. W.J. is an avid athlete, writer, backpacker and shooting enthusiast. He currently resides with his wife and daughter in Central Michigan.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I developed the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot series from notes and ideas I had put together while deployed to Afghanistan. I had been jokingly asked how we would defend against a zombie attack.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wanted to tell a story that portrays the military that I know, that displays our actual capabilities. These are my thoughts, I hope you enjoy them, and thank you for reading.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Follow W.J. Lundy on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wjlundy.wtf?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/WJLundy" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-24729317550496688352014-10-09T23:47:00.001-07:002014-10-10T00:15:47.254-07:00Happy Little Horrors: Freak Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWFfrvR1saN0KZi5REeuNVs_UnMC_GUf826SOWO06uHRqY2kGkK5I4IduBfjwjRlqn3nQG3uNpfKVqWplg8sSUmrwDBqC1wbPfuKJZV1vwq-umMfkBMWAQvcdUVVOH_ia3QyGhWAohZI/s1600/hlh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWFfrvR1saN0KZi5REeuNVs_UnMC_GUf826SOWO06uHRqY2kGkK5I4IduBfjwjRlqn3nQG3uNpfKVqWplg8sSUmrwDBqC1wbPfuKJZV1vwq-umMfkBMWAQvcdUVVOH_ia3QyGhWAohZI/s1600/hlh.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<h3>
<span style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> No review... just shameless self promotion:</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></i> <i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is an awesome, new book available... </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">just in time for </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Halloween! </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=undtheoakbo0b-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00NPR9WCW&asins=B00NPR9WCW&linkId=33EWPBEQ3YS5UIQO&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">&lt;br /&gt; </iframe></span></h3>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Description</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Happy Little Horrors</i> is an anthology of short stories, produced by author David Reuben and editor Monique Happy. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some of the best authors in the horror genre are represented, including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Robertson/e/B00DK2PRLM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_3" target="_blank">Michael Robertson</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Craig-A-McDonough/e/B00G9FZW26/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1412924976&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Craig McDonough</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Derrick-LaCombe/e/B00GBFOO1E/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_9" target="_blank">Derrick LaCombe</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/David-Reuben/e/B00IZN71VU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">David Reuben</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/C.L.-Hernandez/e/B00K0S3N3I/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_10" target="_blank">C.L. Hernandez</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Coley/e/B007YJLJT6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_4" target="_blank">Joseph A. Coley</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/James-Michaels/e/B00NSFV1VG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_11" target="_blank">James Michaels</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tania-Cooper/e/B00IOBWNDO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_5" target="_blank">Tania Cooper</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eila-Oakes/e/B00NQRN8FI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_12" target="_blank">Eila Oakes</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brandon-Ryals/e/B00NT8FRAI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_13" target="_blank">Brandon Ryals</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Clary/e/B0068RR9EE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1412924329&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Michael Clary</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kya-Aliana/e/B00HCQDQV0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1412924370&sr=1-3" target="_blank">Kya Aliana</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Gamboa/e/B00NRIEH3S/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_14" target="_blank">Allen Gamboa</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dean-Wild/e/B00OAVF8Z2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_15" target="_blank">Dean Wild</a>, <a href="http://johnmcilveen.com/" target="_blank">John McIlveen</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Toni-Lesatz/e/B00NQAK0BU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_6" target="_blank">Toni Lesatz</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Craig-A-McDonough/e/B00G9FZW26/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1412924976&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Brandon Cracraft</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Steven-Bynum/e/B00BRZ1MTU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1412924676&sr=1-2-ent" target="_blank">Steven G. Bynum</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you look closely, you might notice my name sharing space with seventeen other amazing authors. It is an honor to be featured in this book!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Don't miss out. Get your copy today! Available in paperback and Kindle format. </span></span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-5830219907551811552014-10-06T15:12:00.002-07:002014-10-06T15:16:43.438-07:00Time of Death: Induction (A Zombie Tale) by Shana Festa<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYlMCuBd1qxsOcfX4ZPrVB9D465sUrXn_dNPP8fIoA6-apdSk8Rz5kDKF7_F_m0g1Kvj0azgNuBlmDtJ2qiKclCJZfqz6WP2D9MKTWXPNur7jvFv-KApAzb7jWyeKPn0eE_80-CcQzt8/s1600/TOD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYlMCuBd1qxsOcfX4ZPrVB9D465sUrXn_dNPP8fIoA6-apdSk8Rz5kDKF7_F_m0g1Kvj0azgNuBlmDtJ2qiKclCJZfqz6WP2D9MKTWXPNur7jvFv-KApAzb7jWyeKPn0eE_80-CcQzt8/s1600/TOD.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">When no one or nowhere is safe, where do you go to escape the monsters? </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">In a few short days, 37 year old Emma Rossi’s hard work will finally pay off. She will don her cap and gown and graduate with a degree in nursing, but not before she loses her first patient and is confronted with a new reality. In Cape Coral, Florida, a storm approaches. The dead are coming back to life. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">And they’re hungry. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Infection ravages the Eastern Seaboard with alarming speed while attempts to contain the spread of infection fail. Within days, a small pocket of panicked survivors are all that remain of civilization. Fighting to survive the zombie apocalypse alongside her husband Jake and their dog Daphne, Emma comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Relying on snarky wit and sheer determination, she is forced to commit atrocious acts to protect her family and avoid joining the ranks of the undead.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: Permuted Press</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Print Length: 198 pages</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I purchased </i>Time of Death: Induction<i> from Amazon (Kindle Version)</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I give this book 5 out of 5 Stars (5= I love it)</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Shana Festa's debut novel <i>Time of Death: Induction</i> is a fun, fast read. I thoroughly enjoyed every page! The story's easy flow, plot, and intensity kept me engaged from the beginning to the end. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white;">The characters are likable and highly believable. There are no superheroes in this story and no guarantee that the main characters will survive from one scene to the next. This makes for an exciting, emotionally rousing read. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">There are plenty of humorous moments in the book, especially having to do with the main character, who is also the narrator of the story. The humor balances out the intensity of the story-line just enough to create a few chuckles in the midst of all the gore, death, and horror. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">The zombies in the story are true zombies. Understandably, many authors are trying to make their zombies a little different for the sake of originality. This is the first book I've read in a while that doesn't stray from the traditional idea of a zombie. It's refreshing and made the story that much more fun for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">I recommend <i>Time of Death: Induction</i> to all fans of zombie books, movies, or television shows. It's a fantastic book filled with all kinds of zombie goodness!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=undtheoakbo0b-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00KLLB3V8&asins=B00KLLB3V8&linkId=JSTSAEDC2A2LADKO&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<b>About the Author</b></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidX_Rq8AfFNTsXJ6P5Rl4HafZ0ydgLGdnf172L0XnqIQpBQuCo460DLY-XThHng0TJApyq-Oetl8hWAnjFdG-n7zxS6bnqvt-tFDPOs1FuR7MBhyddNTnLCw3u-LRRPrbMFSoCvjP2tIc/s1600/ShanaFesta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidX_Rq8AfFNTsXJ6P5Rl4HafZ0ydgLGdnf172L0XnqIQpBQuCo460DLY-XThHng0TJApyq-Oetl8hWAnjFdG-n7zxS6bnqvt-tFDPOs1FuR7MBhyddNTnLCw3u-LRRPrbMFSoCvjP2tIc/s1600/ShanaFesta.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="clear: left; display: inline !important; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Shana Festa was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on October 17, 1976 and grew up in Northboro, Massachusetts. She currently lives in Cape Coral, Florida with her husband and two dogs, Daphne & Casey.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Shana is a registered nurse with clinical experience in mental health, geriatrics, HIV and substance abuse. In addition to her clinical background, Shana possesses over 15 years of experience with project management and data analytics.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Under her alter ego, The Bookie Monster, Shana reviews horror and paranormal books, with an emphasis on (but not limited to) zombie fiction. With a background in Psych Nursing, Shay brings her unique perspective to the literary community.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Shana loves hearing from readers. Visit her author website, www.shanafesta.com for more information on Shana and her writing. She can also be found on Twitter, @BookieMonsterSF, and Facebook, www.facebook.com/timeofdeath.book.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-3113697755527795392014-09-25T23:47:00.000-07:002014-09-25T23:47:05.383-07:00The Chest by Michael Robertson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFE-PuGZ-tsGxlV5n7KfGPJpX1bLwoRYOTrMO46NRRsWot89knyERaCy4Pg54bjKsVrE-9-jFFUg2K0vqmJ58j8T8mg5ghYlmJGwFfXVWVMZyLZg2l5PErn009lz4ORywiiXy7ctRfFSg/s1600/chest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFE-PuGZ-tsGxlV5n7KfGPJpX1bLwoRYOTrMO46NRRsWot89knyERaCy4Pg54bjKsVrE-9-jFFUg2K0vqmJ58j8T8mg5ghYlmJGwFfXVWVMZyLZg2l5PErn009lz4ORywiiXy7ctRfFSg/s1600/chest.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br />
</b></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Waking up in a hostile environment, paralyzed from the waist down, and unable to see any further than the end of his nose, James has to work out where he is and what the hell he's doing there.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Publisher: Self Published</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Print length: 29 pages</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Format: Kindle (Kindle Unlimited)</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I give </i>The Chest<i> 5 out of 5 Stars (I love it!)</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once again, Michael Robertson has blown me away! I read this book in one setting because once I started, I didn't want to stop. I had to find out how it ends. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like most readers, I made assumptions about what was going on and why the character found himself in the situation he did. All of my assumptions were wrong. I love stories that do that to me! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The book is also very well-written. Robertson has a beautiful way with words... almost poetic, but without any pretentiousness. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The ending is what sealed the "wow" deal for me: totally unexpected and meaningful. I recommend this book highly.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Buy The Chest on Amazon!</b></span><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=undtheoakbo0b-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00NVR60CG&asins=B00NVR60CG&linkId=I72HYJ4CANQWQZHJ&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About the Author</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6grrkTiSGe31T_xSf8HWU60iC453-lD8JXCBbXdwHMPIxrqbfoZPZMMWbfRwOAnCkKtmu_UBtvBuA05a_eUVBIwcvM2rhqhd-BgOBy66PapJCGbTct1zC1tFzCG348zYWGCeAX_rcpu0/s1600/Michael+Robertson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6grrkTiSGe31T_xSf8HWU60iC453-lD8JXCBbXdwHMPIxrqbfoZPZMMWbfRwOAnCkKtmu_UBtvBuA05a_eUVBIwcvM2rhqhd-BgOBy66PapJCGbTct1zC1tFzCG348zYWGCeAX_rcpu0/s1600/Michael+Robertson.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Michael is a writer from the UK with several publications to his name both online and in print. He has recently won a competition with HarperCollins for his zombie short story 'In the Name of Science'. He writes because he needs to. He writes dystopian, sci-fi, and apocalyptic fiction. <i>Crash</i> is his first ebook release.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Follow Michael Robertson on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=629181457&fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MicRobertson" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Website: <a href="http://www.michaelrobertson.co.uk/" target="_blank">Michael Robertson</a></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-15744838276329124932014-09-24T20:38:00.001-07:002014-09-24T21:04:29.995-07:00Gone Feral by Ted Nulty<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyK_UJQwOrX0lXbjjARRDw9727AV49XgCD6CrcO8L2tuTZgCqZxRrUO2JxTld_B97hfA25g1it0s0JpBEjzgRkQljOxXVSNQrg3FfrzNzy4FKAscojfkS2OLmXmdRoic92-TQvWS2sDuc/s1600/Gone+Feral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyK_UJQwOrX0lXbjjARRDw9727AV49XgCD6CrcO8L2tuTZgCqZxRrUO2JxTld_B97hfA25g1it0s0JpBEjzgRkQljOxXVSNQrg3FfrzNzy4FKAscojfkS2OLmXmdRoic92-TQvWS2sDuc/s1600/Gone+Feral.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A world wide chemical attack has left society in ruins. The chemicals used not only affect humans, but all mammals. The cannibalistic rage brought on by the toxin soon destroys almost everything man has built. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In San Diego a group of survivors struggle to survive and rebuild. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In Bemidji, Minnesota another group fights their way through ground zero, and then begins to fight back...with the help of a 12 year old boy. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In Atlanta the CDC has been virtually destroyed, but a female Doctor is determined to find the answers everyone is looking for.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As these groups come together to deal with the catastrophe, they have to find a way to prevent the next attack, which will mean the end of them all.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Publisher: Self Published (July 25, 2014)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Print Length: 310 pages</span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Review</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I obtained a copy of this book via Kindle Unlimited</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I give </i>Gone Feral<i> 4 stars (I really like it)</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ted Nulty's <i>Gone Feral</i> is a unique take on zombies. First of all, I've never read a book in this genre where animals are infected and respond the same way people do to whatever agent turns them into cannibalistic beasts. I use the word "zombies" for lack of a better word, but his zombies aren't zombies in the traditional sense. They are scarier in many ways. I am not going to say why. I don't like spoilers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The characters in <i>Gone Feral</i> are a lot of fun. They're the kind of people I'd like to be friends with... especially since they are so well-prepared for any sort of catastrophe. There are a lot of characters, so it's important to keep up with them, but it's worth it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Ted Nulty seems to have a sense of humor, based on the dialogue and descriptions in the story. This makes the book even more fun to read. The humor comes across especially well with his main character, Mark.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">My favorite character comes a little later in the story. He is a preteen feral killing machine (rhyme not intended there). Barry loses his whole family and ends up on his own for a while but becomes an unlikely hero. Mr. Nulty has<i> just </i>published his second book in the <i>Gone Feral</i> series called <i>Barry's Walk</i>. I'm looking forward to reading more about this character. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">There is a very strong militaristic theme in <i>Gone Feral</i>, which I like. For me, the drawback in this case is the amount of military-style dialogue found in the book. It was difficult for me to follow certain scenes because I had no idea what the characters were talking about. For readers with a military background, I'm sure this won't be an issue at all. I do hope the dialogue is more mainstream in <i>Barry's Walk.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I am also going to point out that there are quite a few punctuation errors and capitalization issues in the book. This doesn't affect the rating I gave the book. I point it out with the hope Mr. Nulty will fix these issues because it is a great book and it deserves to look as professionally "polished" as the story is.</span></span><br />
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Buy <i>Gone Feral</i> from Amazon.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About the Author</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvDeb_3pylOc3Zsr7ErykV63njMq1Q1Ev1V-98nsov2mzzSw-0WObV9VWwngWbS8bZclrxiVJ_IPMTFpDt51YsPyPVn66RWcF-yb_KjGRSzm0TM8uZQM2paFp-a8IPKvCczsjJMDsV7s/s1600/ted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvDeb_3pylOc3Zsr7ErykV63njMq1Q1Ev1V-98nsov2mzzSw-0WObV9VWwngWbS8bZclrxiVJ_IPMTFpDt51YsPyPVn66RWcF-yb_KjGRSzm0TM8uZQM2paFp-a8IPKvCczsjJMDsV7s/s1600/ted.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ted Nulty graduated from Coronado high school before attending Northern Arizona University on a "Seven year, drink beer" graduation program. Having never received a grade above a 'C' in English in high school, his life was changed when his first year English professor got him into creative writing and actually gave him an 'A'. After serving in the United States Marine Corps, he began a second career in Law Enforcement and then Private security. Having an entrepreneurial streak, Ted has invented several items and started several moderately successful businesses. A lifelong horror and zombie fan, he began writing <i>Gone Feral</i> in 2013. Discovering that the best cure for writers block is to have another book in the works to distract him. He began and completed his second book <i>The Locker</i> shortly thereafter. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Follow Ted Nulty on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/tednulty" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-63007542977455196542014-09-16T18:41:00.000-07:002014-09-16T18:41:30.741-07:00E by Kate Wrath<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8jv8YENdRvyaIlJyhn0F4ZY-8ZvKiduGgPUT1QLMaGS4puphgHwUKe-mGBZIFT1cq21-rEIf6n8xHqH5xGVd2WYXug_Nz1vc1qL0TCU23OF3RyoegxRN0KFKvrJyZF-1uuRfZKLbIEs/s1600/E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8jv8YENdRvyaIlJyhn0F4ZY-8ZvKiduGgPUT1QLMaGS4puphgHwUKe-mGBZIFT1cq21-rEIf6n8xHqH5xGVd2WYXug_Nz1vc1qL0TCU23OF3RyoegxRN0KFKvrJyZF-1uuRfZKLbIEs/s1600/E.jpg" height="320" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Synopsis</b></span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A poignant tale of love and friendship in a world beyond hope… <br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Outpost Three: a huddle of crumbling buildings choked by a concrete wall. Cracked pavement, rusted metal, splintering boards. Huge robotic Sentries police the streets, but the Ten Laws are broken every time one turns its back. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Eden is determined, smart, and a born survivor. Stripped of her memories and dumped on the streets of the Outpost, slavers and starvation are only the beginning of her problems. A devastating conflict is coming that threatens to consume her world and tear her newfound family apart. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Life is harsh. It makes no exceptions. Not even for the innocent. </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: Self Published</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Print Length: 351 pages</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I give </i>E<i> 5 out of 5 stars (5 stars= I loved it)</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Fans of dystopian fiction are in for a treat with Kate Wrath's<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>E</i>. The setting is dark and cruel, the characters are memorable, and the story is full of surprises.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">I didn't know what to expect from this book. I read the synopsis and was interested in the description of the story and the setting. At the same time, I was concerned it was going to simply be a glittery romance novel with dark undertones. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">I discovered quickly that this story is anything but glittery. The characters are complex and well-developed. The main character, Eden, is smart and tough, but she also has her vulnerabilities. She makes friends and enemies throughout the story, each one unique and important to plot. </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The futuristic world in which the story takes place is a frightening one, putting the characters in potentially deadly situations everyday. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">In this world, people must break laws and moral codes just to survive. Food is scarce, the streets are unsafe, and those with power abuse it. Laws are enforced by robotic creatures who deal with suspected offenders violently and swiftly. All this adds up to a book that is hard to put down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The story is written very well-- it's intelligent, fast-paced, and if there were any editing or proofreading problems, I didn't notice them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Kudos to Kate Wrath for an excellent story!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Purchase <i>E</i> on Amazon!
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">About the Author</span></b></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSJRyP1Vn7pP-KQVtOi8-rlHVOANXhrZjCoyfR-lLpOSSyD8x5BTvOcWTtG5tpMma_Rz46ZjH0j6rNhNDhfyQNchwtk0dKZn1msh_XjjVYTv0495iH4bp09LqtWiSIzJJSO8mXC4YI_w/s1600/Kate+Wrath.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSJRyP1Vn7pP-KQVtOi8-rlHVOANXhrZjCoyfR-lLpOSSyD8x5BTvOcWTtG5tpMma_Rz46ZjH0j6rNhNDhfyQNchwtk0dKZn1msh_XjjVYTv0495iH4bp09LqtWiSIzJJSO8mXC4YI_w/s1600/Kate+Wrath.png" height="200" width="158" /></a><br />
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kate Wrath is a science fiction and fantasy author. The first book in her series, E, debuted in May 2014. The second book is anticipated later in the year.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Kate Wrath's <a href="http://www.katewrath.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Read Kate's <a href="http://www.katewrath.com/blog-blog-blog/" target="_blank">blog</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Follow Kate on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katewrath" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/KateWrath" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-15734642244425229802014-09-15T23:42:00.000-07:002014-09-15T23:42:37.837-07:00Mace of the Apocalypse by Dan Williams<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3zWeWQeiWzoTjG_6rs0sqoHROea-iLsWn0Ta9mrK8auG4PME_FSBc-OEqxJHAkx3jrP3DOZt8n034BGEhxpc9F8xX6aI8Lqmb9NQRU1ZlSHif2uA2Fk4pr-s4tNMIM62LU0fhW4A4Hw/s1600/dan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3zWeWQeiWzoTjG_6rs0sqoHROea-iLsWn0Ta9mrK8auG4PME_FSBc-OEqxJHAkx3jrP3DOZt8n034BGEhxpc9F8xX6aI8Lqmb9NQRU1ZlSHif2uA2Fk4pr-s4tNMIM62LU0fhW4A4Hw/s1600/dan2.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Mace Marconi is a man haunted by his past. Operating as a bounty hunter in San Francisco, his life is slowly gaining meaning as he falls in love for the first time and becomes mentor to a lonely child. As things start to fall in place for him, a deadly toxin is released in the City's transit system, causing the dead to rise and rage against the living. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">When a man with anger issues and a dark past is compelled to fight for the very existence of mankind, all hell is gonna break loose!</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">J Ellington Ashton Press (February 10, 2012)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Print Length: 338 pages</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I purchase this book from Amazon in Kindle format</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span><br />
<i>I give </i>Mace of the Apocalypse<i> 4 stars (4 stars= "I really like it")</i><br />
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</i> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As indicated by my star rating, I really like Dan William's first book in his<i> Mace of the Apocalypse</i> series. Most of the story takes place after a suicide bomber targets the transit system in San Francisco. The toxins released by the bomb cause people to turn into flesh eating, zombie-like creatures. The number of infected grows and soon, the world is overtaken.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I like the protagonists in the story. Mace is a man with a rough past. His girlfriend, Jade, is tough and smart. My favorite character is the priest who plays a pretty big role in the story. He is edgy and very likable. Some of the other survivors include a brother and sister and a single mom with a young daughter. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are also some very bad people in the story. These characters are actually scarier than the monsters created by the blast of the bombs. There is an ample supply of drugs and alcohol, no law enforcement, and a seemingly endless supply of weapons. All this brings out the worst in certain groups of people. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The story starts with a bang and the action doesn't let up. I will definitely be reading to find out what happens next to Mace, Jade, and the rest of the survivors.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Purchase <i>Mace of the Apocalypse</i> on Amazon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About the Author</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cTxt2PI6cJIy0Vj7ixOyFcM63BGcaFIpXGWqY1zB8q6yd7XGlRCQjHP9x2xox54Zg7bqRW-ariucHh05jKUycvn0XFT1cLUua_tiCNAIrWQ10Gn0b25qvl4_2zXiUa-7_o1UOBD9ujk/s1600/dan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cTxt2PI6cJIy0Vj7ixOyFcM63BGcaFIpXGWqY1zB8q6yd7XGlRCQjHP9x2xox54Zg7bqRW-ariucHh05jKUycvn0XFT1cLUua_tiCNAIrWQ10Gn0b25qvl4_2zXiUa-7_o1UOBD9ujk/s1600/dan.jpg" height="200" width="151" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Daniel J Williams grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. Some of his favorite activities as a kid included scaring the bejesus out of kids on Halloween, terrorizing neighbors playing doorbell-ditch, and excelling in the ultimate sport of Dodgeball. He somehow managed to score a business degree and wasted years toiling in the business world, writing technical sheets and marketing materials.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He finally realized what was missing in his life: Zombies! Spending several years working on his breakthrough novel, <i>Mace of the Apocalypse</i>, he then couldn't help himself and penned three more novels with the same characters in a continuation of the story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Follow Dan on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=520407433&fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-27093977819450219742014-08-30T15:40:00.000-07:002014-08-30T15:59:36.524-07:00A New World: Storm<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
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</b></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOvxWgxXVjDhlLP7nSwdrbKIsWv8vn7MwJ2nUd1Zd2JE-OgFUlqEv_zBh91qFGJn-x6NN2l-y8Tkq5P0Ea62xGhnXz1SXvAoZ91ptpsNRc2mJoCZZeGcM20ZvAWIhRYwixvWSmK-WI9s/s1600/Storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOvxWgxXVjDhlLP7nSwdrbKIsWv8vn7MwJ2nUd1Zd2JE-OgFUlqEv_zBh91qFGJn-x6NN2l-y8Tkq5P0Ea62xGhnXz1SXvAoZ91ptpsNRc2mJoCZZeGcM20ZvAWIhRYwixvWSmK-WI9s/s1600/Storm.jpg" height="320" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">A vengeful darkness… </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Gathers in the night… </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">One threat has been destroyed - another grows stronger. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Even though Jack and the teams have won a major confrontation, their lives still hang by a thread. There are decisions to be made, and ones that have never been more critical. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Leonard continues to try to keep his crew together after being hit by another soul-shattering blow. They’ve only recently become aware of this new world, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon as they silently plunge through the Pacific, looking for answers Leonard knows they may never find. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Michael knows he can no longer stand idle and wait as he feels thousands of his kind disappear from his mind night after night. The weight of the survival of his kind weighs heavily on his shoulders and he pushes forward to end the threats to their existence. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">The new world must find its balance… </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">And the scales are about to tip… </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: Self</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Print Length: 264 pages</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I purchased this book from Amazon for my Kindle.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I gave </i>A New World: Storm<i> 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I finished reading <i>A New World: Storm</i> a few minutes ago. I was going to wait to write the review until I had a chance to process the story and its ending but decided not to. I want to write while my mind and emotions are still bound to the story. </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I am simultaneously "wowed" beyond words and feeling something else that I will not describe. If I try, I will fail miserably and will most likely end up creating an unintentional spoiler.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">In past reviews, I think I have made it clear that John O'Brien is my favorite writer in this genre. I hope I've also made it clear that he is one of my favorite writers of all the genres I've read. <i>Storm</i> solidifies that conviction for me. Why? The answer is simply this: John O'Brien is a talented writer and an amazing story-teller.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The first part of the book is dedicated to tying some loose ends together and setting the stage for the rest. There is not much action during this portion, which is unusual for most of the books in the series. Rest assured, the necessity to slow down for a bit does not mean it's boring. I mean, this is John O'Brien. Are his stories ever boring? No.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The action picks up once Jack hits the <strike>road</strike> sky in order to take care of some unfinished business. It continues through the rest of the book as he and his group encounter new threats, as well eliminate some old ones. In addition, a couple new groups of survivors are introduced and plans to work with them are established. Meanwhile, Jack is doing his best to lead, although he is tired and not always certain he knows the direction he needs to take.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">It is the last part of the book that made me clench my Kindle in a state of tightly-wound emotions and caused me to scowl at any poor soul who dared to interrupt my reading. As I write this, I am still reeling from the roller coaster ride Mr. O'Brien created. The ending packs a punch so be prepared, but do NOT read ahead. You will be kicking yourself forever.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">As with all of the <i>A New World</i> books, I appreciate the hard work and pride O'Brien obviously poured into writing <i>Storm</i>. He is a first-class writer and can tell a story with the best of them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">If you have not read A New World series, you can find a chronological list of his books <a href="http://underoakbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-new-world-series-john-obrien.html" target="_blank">here.</a></span></span><br />
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</span></span> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=undtheoakbo0b-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00N4LO8I2&asins=B00N4LO8I2&linkId=7R5NJSWBDBB2Y3ER&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>About the Author</b>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4UK1zZLIfIl_P2hON1whoOXIHU64aWhP14XqWbb3J2rbCx4Wec1gkiZfu5duI3RU3bqU2LcVn9iEBxgQTmsla-D9vPEvkN2-rHWh4GJLrfHwRgQj1-vDgw4YR7tD8YDMO3jRrcbgjFY/s1600/O'Brien.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4UK1zZLIfIl_P2hON1whoOXIHU64aWhP14XqWbb3J2rbCx4Wec1gkiZfu5duI3RU3bqU2LcVn9iEBxgQTmsla-D9vPEvkN2-rHWh4GJLrfHwRgQj1-vDgw4YR7tD8YDMO3jRrcbgjFY/s1600/O'Brien.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">John O'Brien is a former Air Force fighter instructor pilot who transitioned to Special Operations for the latter part of his career gathering his campaign ribbon for Desert Storm. Immediately following his military service, John became a firefighter/EMT with a local department. Along with becoming a firefighter, he fell into the Information Technology industry in corporate management. Currently, John is writing full-time on the series, A New World.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As a former marathon runner, John lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and can now be found kayaking out in the waters of Puget Sound, mountain biking in the Capital Forest, hiking in the Olympic Peninsula, or pedaling his road bike along the many scenic roads.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://anewworldseries.com/" target="_blank">A New World</a></span><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJohnOBrien" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Facebook</span></a></div>
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</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-11638450461279771332014-08-23T10:39:00.000-07:002014-08-23T10:56:11.346-07:00The Orphans by Mike Evans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSzHgn7cT7Sotr0kQUOY9NiVvg417JaSRiEcYg60kYGxwm9YNKadAEcjtkY_GldAWtbmvaezxFZBavCfEj74jHIAMR-5PTy527FQjHhcwQhGkrGYW4n-lJQTsyGv3KH8PCce4_cZLDvI/s1600/Orphans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSzHgn7cT7Sotr0kQUOY9NiVvg417JaSRiEcYg60kYGxwm9YNKadAEcjtkY_GldAWtbmvaezxFZBavCfEj74jHIAMR-5PTy527FQjHhcwQhGkrGYW4n-lJQTsyGv3KH8PCce4_cZLDvI/s1600/Orphans.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Source: Amazon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Bio chemist, Frank Fox, has been single since losing his first wife to cancer eight years ago. There is a constant struggle between himself and his son Shaun, who blames him for not being home when his mother passed. She passed while he was working on the cure to help soldiers. He went home a broken man to care for a young child. He misses what happens with the cure developed in the army. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Now, eight years later, Frank finds new love but receives news that she is losing a battle to cancer. Frank takes the cure from the army not knowing what happened eight years ago with it. His cure is anything but that; it is hell unleashed. <i>The Orphans</i> is an intense ride, suspenseful and emotionally charged!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: Self Published, June 2014</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Print Length: 363 pages</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I gave </i>The Orphans<i> 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Purchased from Amazon in Kindle format</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><br />
</i></span></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have expressed this in past reviews, but I'm going to say it again-- the most important part of any story, to me, is character development. That means I get to know the characters well enough to form an emotional connection to them. Sometimes the connection is negative, sometimes it is positive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>The Orphans</i> is a book that satisfies my desire to grow attached to the characters perfectly. The story starts out with a very brief introduction of two of the main characters in the midst of firing at a large group of zombies. Then, Mike Evans does something somewhat unique; he spends the rest of the book telling the story of the main characters and the events leading up to the apocalypse. By the time I finished <i>The Orphans</i>, I knew the complete story behind the spread of the zombie outbreak, I got to know the characters thoroughly, and I grew to care about them. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">In addition to Evan's impressive ability to build up his characters, he's also a talented writer. He has a natural gift for the craft, with a style that is straight-forward. He doesn't add unnecessary descriptions or dialogue. He seems to know his audience and delivers a story that flows with consistency, making it a fast-paced and enjoyable read.</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The author is currently working on the second book in this series. I will definitely be picking it up as soon as it is published. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">To purchase a copy of this terrific book for yourself, click on the box below!</span></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>About the Author</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lDfJ5GdKrat35s9lXuAN2Zx4nY_gT4oZH9yq3BTYsofz4CZ3lDnvGifYn8dX3zgSHXAEbA7ZU0Z5or-NXAwDGmrcJGuj6UIadRz2kMGoFA-hG9ORz3APoOX47QZWEL-GH7iTdgHVGG0/s1600/Mike+Evans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lDfJ5GdKrat35s9lXuAN2Zx4nY_gT4oZH9yq3BTYsofz4CZ3lDnvGifYn8dX3zgSHXAEbA7ZU0Z5or-NXAwDGmrcJGuj6UIadRz2kMGoFA-hG9ORz3APoOX47QZWEL-GH7iTdgHVGG0/s1600/Mike+Evans.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As a fan of suspense and all things that go bump in the night, Mike Evans believes readers should be pulled in, made to feel for the characters, and always be left wanting more. He hopes that, by reading his work, you will laugh, cry, and be terrified ... love, hate and worry for the characters and their predicaments, but, most of all, he hopes you've enjoyed what he's written and had the opportunity to laugh out loud, especially in a public place, where other fans of science fiction will want to see what you're reading.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Follow Mike Evans on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MikePEvans?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/mikee1123" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</span></span><br />
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</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-27285445160428179592014-08-19T11:00:00.000-07:002014-08-19T12:23:25.221-07:00Outage by T.W. Piperbrook<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmLb4pfYNs53ADHb6B4l7JirGVXXBHGNNqvIjN7H6BUPYCYckI8EyyOtTAIFxREnlv0GVX071HcKYpaFd9JEuN_1caHYdOLgZmPvXcl_yU5Si5MkfnJztV9phHDlG8jQTnu8R6EXPD0w/s1600/outage+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmLb4pfYNs53ADHb6B4l7JirGVXXBHGNNqvIjN7H6BUPYCYckI8EyyOtTAIFxREnlv0GVX071HcKYpaFd9JEuN_1caHYdOLgZmPvXcl_yU5Si5MkfnJztV9phHDlG8jQTnu8R6EXPD0w/s1600/outage+cover.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">When newlyweds Abby and Rob awaken, the power is out, the neighborhood is covered in snow, and the house is freezing. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">They'll soon find out that the storm is the least of their worries. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Somewhere outside, something else is lurking. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Waiting for the chance to strike...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Publisher: </b><span style="background-color: white;">Post Script Publishing (June 16, 2014)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Print Length:</b> 99 pages</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br />
</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Review</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This review can also be found on <a href="http://bookie-monster.com/" target="_blank">The Bookie Monster</a>. For more great book reviews, visit their site!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars on <a href="http://bookie-monster.com/" target="_blank">TBM</a> and Amazon.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion or review of the book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The beast watched her through the trees. It could smell her scent from several hundred yards away— the odor of fear and sweat, cutting through the air like the sharp edge of the knife she was holding. It didn’t care about knives. There were a lot of things it didn’t care about. It didn’t have to. It could heal from most of them. Ever since the start of the storm, the neighborhood had become the beast’s playground, its hunting quarters, and it would do whatever it pleased. The snow was little more than a prop in its game, a backdrop for the kill. It had waited for this moment for what seemed like forever, and now that it was here, the beast could barely contain itself. -- </i>Excerpt from<i> Outage.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">T.W. Piperbrook's <i>Outage</i> is a quick read, and not just because it's shorter than most novels. I read it quickly because I couldn't put it down. The story oozes creepiness from the very first page and doesn't let up until the final word at the end of the book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In many ways, the telling of this story is reminiscent of Stephen King. Like King, Piperbrook creates tension through the thoughts and feelings of his characters. When it's done right, the reader's fears rise and fall right along with the characters' fears... and T.W. Piperbrook does this very well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was not expecting the story to end how it did and it definitely left me wanting more.<i> Outage</i> is scary, intense, and a lot of fun-- sort of like a roller coaster ride for the mind. And like any great roller coaster, once you're off, you want to get back on! Fortunately for us, Piperbrook is supposed to have <em>Outage 2</em> out very soon. I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I recommend <i>Outage</i> to anyone who enjoys a well-written story filled with heart-pounding thrills and chills!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About the Author</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">T.W. Piperbrook was born and raised in Connecticut, where he can still be found today. In addition to writing, the author has also spent time as a full-time touring musician, touring across the US, Canada, and Europe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He now lives with his wife, a son, and the spirit of his Boston Terrier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Follow Piperbrook on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004797393276&fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sign up for T.W. Piperbrook's <a href="http://blogspot.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=23d0c0b81d007dce3427c4915&id=0ccc332f5d" target="_blank">Newsletter</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Visit his website <a href="http://www.twpiperbrook.com/" target="_blank">here</a>!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-57098049789506299522014-08-15T19:51:00.000-07:002014-08-19T11:08:14.528-07:00The Edifice (Drifter Book #1) by R.K. Holliday<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Age Level: 10-18</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3W4Xf0LTK37m5M1i6MbklCFsaZV-PoNXCxsnqITYwVhMwgMudoGUFy-2DeooNFJi5D6ZKwoCtIM4YkcgAQMU8JTMg5VaCD-gvnK2S1uQ3uMtfI-MeL2uTkdXVbe31ZwGgzkgRdhE2Obg/s1600/edifice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3W4Xf0LTK37m5M1i6MbklCFsaZV-PoNXCxsnqITYwVhMwgMudoGUFy-2DeooNFJi5D6ZKwoCtIM4YkcgAQMU8JTMg5VaCD-gvnK2S1uQ3uMtfI-MeL2uTkdXVbe31ZwGgzkgRdhE2Obg/s1600/edifice.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Grade Level: 5th-12th</span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">In <i>The Edifice</i>, Connor Laurel, a normal boy, lives in a neighborhood with his mother and father and an energetic neighbor, Samantha. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">One day before his thirteenth birthday, he receives shocking news that he may have a rare medical condition. Two men from the Greater Coalition visit his happy home and schedule to take him to a hidden facility for treatment. Once Connor leaves home he finds that events unfolding aren’t what they seem. Dr. Ferdinand Finn and his stern ally, Colonel Albert, explain that he has a mysterious ability called Impetus. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Now he will be taken to a large spacecraft named Eden, where the leader of the facility is the dark operator Malinda Marks. Connor is introduced to the facility by receiving an exciting device called an ornament. Once he arrives he is befriended by the comical Liam Hudson and the loyal Natalie Finn who each have unique powers of their own. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Connor is given dark brown robes and soon is assigned to many challenging classes such as combative training and aviation. He soon learns that Eden is a miraculous place full of mysteries. If he is to solve the mystery of his ability and this hidden craft then he must dig deeper to find out the agenda of those around him. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Connor must find out the truth of the Edifice. </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: Self Published, July 17, 2014</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Print Length: 304 pages</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I gave </i>The Edifice<i> 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">On Amazon, the age range suggested for this book is ten through eighteen. In my opinion, it's probably more appropriate for ages ten through fourteen. I kept the audience in mind as I was reading and deciding how I would review <i>The Edifice</i>. This is the first juvenile book I have reviewed and hope it's helpful to parents and teachers who are considering purchasing this for their child or students.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>The Edifice</i> is a great read. R.K. Holliday does a nice job presenting and developing the characters in the story. The main character, Connor, has qualities that make him very likable. He is respectful, thoughtful, unselfish, and loves his parents. At the same time, his emotions and concerns are realistic. The story places high value on friendship, loyalty, and trust. All of this adds up to being a nice contrast to many of the characters young viewers see on television these days.</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The story itself is fun and suspenseful. I found myself engrossed in the story, even though my age is not the target audience. There are enough twists and turns to keep it moving, but not so many that the plot becomes confusing. Overall, I think most young readers would enjoy <i>The Edifice. </i>I mean, what kid (or adult) doesn't dream of having a super power? </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">As former teacher and a current homeschooling parent of the age group this book is suitable for, I would like to make this appeal to the author: please consider investing in an editor or a proofreader. The book is filled with punctuation errors and has a few places where the incorrect words are used. The amount of errors would be the only thing holding me back from adding <i>The Edifice</i> to my classroom or home library.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I would like to see more from this author and hope <i>The Edifice</i> and its sequels find their way into the hands of many young readers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Follow R.K. Holliday on <a href="https://twitter.com/R_K_Holliday" target="_blank">Twittter</a></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-84462346966950490512014-08-13T22:44:00.000-07:002014-08-16T10:16:16.337-07:00A Shrouded World-- Whistlers by Mark Tufo and John O'Brien<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">When two worlds collide… </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Jack Walker and Michael Talbot come from two worlds; the same, yet different. They both find themselves transported into an alien one, where things aren’t as they seem. While it appears similar to the ones they come from, there are some terrifying differences. Is it a dream? Or has reality been somehow warped? </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Jack comes from a world filled with nocturnal creatures that were once human, but now seek to destroy the last vestiges of humanity. Mike, living under a constant threat from hordes of the undead, arrives with a companion, John the Tripper. Ripped away from their family members and thrown into the unknown, they find that the nightmares from their worlds have preceded them. Survival becomes moment to moment as they encounter old dangers, and new. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Each wants nothing more than to be reunited with their loved ones. With dangers lurking around every corner, they seek to unravel the mystery that brought them. It may be a long road ahead, but they begin by taking the first step, hoping the next one will be the one that takes them home.</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: Devil Dog Press, August 6, 2014</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Print Length: 242 Pages</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I gave </i>A Shrouded World-- Whistlers<i> 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Purchased from Amazon for the Kindle</i></span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I know I am not the only one who was eagerly waiting for Mark Tufo and John O'Brien to finish and publish this joint venture. Apparently, it had been in the works for quite a while. Two of my favorite zombie fiction writers? My favorite characters? Together? There was no question: I would be getting this book.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then I read the synopsis. My initial reaction was something along the lines of, "How the heck are they going to pull this off?"</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There's a reason Tufo and O'Brien are among my favorite authors. The simple truth is, they are talented at their craft. They successfully intertwined their characters and antagonists, making an entertaining-- and often comedic-- story.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What I enjoy most about this book, besides... well... everything, is clearly seeing each author's unique "voice" with the alternating perspectives of Mike and Jack. Tufo and O'Brien each bring their own style to the book and they complement each other well. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mark Tufo's overt sense of humor is not lacking as he tells the story of Michael Talbot in this strange, new reality. John O'Brien's more subtle sense of humor also shines through brightly as he tells the story through Jack Walker's experience. The two styles together are refreshing and make the story a fun, exciting read.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Speaking of humor, it was great to see O'Brien's lighter side emerge once again. Although all of his books are amazing, the last couple books in his series have been very intense and I've missed his dry, subtle humor. He brought that side back in this book, and then some! There's this one scene where John the Tripper needs to... uh, well... you'll have to read it for yourself. I'm sure you will crack up as much as I did! I'm still laughing, just thinking of it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do I recommend this book to fans of Mark Tufo and John O'Brien? Absolutely! Do I recommend it to those who are unfamiliar with one or both of the authors? Again, absolutely! It would probably help to read a few of them first, just to get the gist of the unique stories behind the characters, but it's not mandatory. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Even if you've never read anything by either of these authors, you will not be disappointed. </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A Shrouded World-- Whistlers</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is able to stand on its own... just be prepared for a wild ride!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About the Authors</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Mark Tufo</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mark Tufo was born in Boston Massachusetts. He attended UMASS Amherst where he obtained a BA and later joined the US Marine Corp. He was stationed in Parris Island SC, Twenty Nine Palms CA and Kaneohe Bay Hawaii. After his tour he went into the Human Resources field with a worldwide financial institution and has gone back to college at CTU to complete his masters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He has written the Indian Hill trilogy with the first Indian Hill - Encounters being published for the Amazon Kindle in July 2009. He has since written the Zombie Fallout series and is working on a new zombie book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He lives in Maine with his wife, three kids and two English bulldogs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Follow Mark on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Tufo/133954330009843" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ZombieFallout" target="_blank">Twitter</a> Mark's blog: <a href="http://zombiefallout.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Zombie Fallout</a> and <a href="http://marktufo.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>John O'Brien</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">John O'Brien is a former Air Force fighter instructor pilot who transitioned to Special Operations for the latter part of his career gathering his campaign ribbon for Desert Storm. Immediately following his military service, John became a firefighter/EMT with a local department. Along with becoming a firefighter, he fell into the Information Technology industry in corporate management. Currently, John is writing full-time on the series, A New World.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As a former marathon runner, John lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and can now be found kayaking out in the waters of Puget Sound, mountain biking in the Capital Forest, hiking in the Olympic Peninsula, or pedaling his road bike along the many scenic roads.</span></div>
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Follow John on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJohnOBrien" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/A_NewWorld" target="_blank">Twitter</a> John's website <a href="http://anewworldseries.com/" target="_blank">A New World Series</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-28872472052822539652014-08-10T22:24:00.000-07:002014-08-11T08:04:34.646-07:00New Reality: Truth by Michael Robertson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDI-cUq8bJ1-dCuQnlc8-g8P4eEC22E5zkaoa0LTNM0D6zkq5pPmEFsOWxFpJF17g7vzA7vxBRPNO-_nME0qjL-3Qd1IL8donkJd4eeeXVrXugBx3z7R6yPgdHlWrP0aoR-D_HBWdQhJY/s1600/NewReality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDI-cUq8bJ1-dCuQnlc8-g8P4eEC22E5zkaoa0LTNM0D6zkq5pPmEFsOWxFpJF17g7vzA7vxBRPNO-_nME0qjL-3Qd1IL8donkJd4eeeXVrXugBx3z7R6yPgdHlWrP0aoR-D_HBWdQhJY/s1600/NewReality.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">#1 Bestseller in British Horror </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">A post apocalyptic / dystopian thriller.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">When New Reality, a fully immersive, five-dimensional entertainment experience, was introduced to the world, everyone logged on. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Everyone except Jake and Tom. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">It doesn’t take long for the world to crumble into ruin, leaving Jake and Tom wandering through leveled cities occupied by New Reality dreamers. In order to find one gamer among many, they must risk everything—going up against Rixon, the corporation behind New Reality. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Facing starvation, the New Reality headsets offer sustenance from a synthesized sludge pumped directly into the gamer’s body. With a headset, they’ll get fed and their only limitations are their own imaginations. They can have paradise, comfort, and peace. They have the power to realize their deepest desires. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">But for Tom, it’ll mean sacrificing his son to the false reality masterminded by Rixon. For Jake, it’ll mean sacrificing his dream of living a true existence, no matter how stark. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Wrestling with the decision, they soon find out they aren’t the only ones living in the ruins. Someone… something else, has taken an interest in the pair. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Turning from scavengers to prey, they have to make a decision. Family or self? Faith or fear? Truth or New Reality?</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Publisher: Self Published, June 21, 2014</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Print Length: 250 pages</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I gave </i>New Reality: Truth<i> 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Purchased from Amazon in Kindle Format</i></span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I started this book late last night and lost quite a bit of sleep because it was just too good to put down. I was halfway through it before I finally forced myself to stop and go to sleep. I eagerly read the second half as soon as I had a chance today.</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">First of all, I want to say that Michael Robertson is a talented writer. There are certain styles of writing that appeal to me more than others and Robertson's style definitely appeals. He is insightful and emotionally engaging with his use of words. His main character, Jake, has a ton of depth and I couldn't help but find myself wrapped up in his story.</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">When I finished reading <i>A New Reality: Truth</i>, it occurred to me that part of the reason I like it so much is because it reminds me of my favorite childhood show: <i>The Twilight Zone</i>. I felt like child again, engrossed in a creepy story, thinking I had it figured out, only to find that I was wrong, and the ending was even creepier and better than I could have imagined. In my world, that is a great book! </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">There is a little bit of repetition when it comes to certain phrases and dialogue in the story, but it is infrequent and minor enough that it does not take away from the overall awesomeness of the book. </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I highly recommend <i>New Reality: Truth</i> for readers who enjoy science fiction and dystopian stories. I also recommend it to anyone who wants a thought-provoking, creepy, well-written book to get lost in for a while.</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I will definitely be reading more from this author!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">If you found this review helpful and you decide to purchase this book because of it, please use the link above. Amazon throws a few pennies my way for purchases made through my blog. Thank you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About the Author</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5hOnUKD0VaagGZCc5Ek-leGx34TsIcXvXLpzzqKyUMoNLv6uAZWN-PU9wnoHK6vneJ8ezQiPnsAOu-7XfQ4gaZ2K-4p64iKf36ImuaOiemFaCV-zhORaqCMOpKLBGlJDZdUnEroRzb0/s1600/Michael+Robertson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5hOnUKD0VaagGZCc5Ek-leGx34TsIcXvXLpzzqKyUMoNLv6uAZWN-PU9wnoHK6vneJ8ezQiPnsAOu-7XfQ4gaZ2K-4p64iKf36ImuaOiemFaCV-zhORaqCMOpKLBGlJDZdUnEroRzb0/s1600/Michael+Robertson.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Michael is a writer from the UK with several publications to his name both online and in print. He has recently won a competition with HarperCollins for his zombie short story 'In the Name of Science'. He writes because he needs to. He writes dystopian, sci-fi, and apocalyptic fiction. Crash is his first ebook release.</span></span><br />
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Follow Michael Robertson on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=629181457&fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MicRobertson" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<br />
Michael's website: <a href="http://www.michaelrobertson.co.uk/" target="_blank">Michael Robertson-- Author</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-908022363640890235.post-56476829578846089222014-08-10T11:00:00.000-07:002014-08-10T13:31:20.916-07:00Girl Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie by C.A. Verstraete<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkgJWYHfUgooi7jqzNv8lh3m36ziLQMDRghDmDq9GTcfy4pmhlTSA0OSdJoDO4s_QlyAZ3o41qz8s9_wBloSrTTUO8SS8V3aZeQSiwsY8ryTGSTeajjC9DYgTYdAVNG2N7zyEelG5Qcw/s1600/GirlZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkgJWYHfUgooi7jqzNv8lh3m36ziLQMDRghDmDq9GTcfy4pmhlTSA0OSdJoDO4s_QlyAZ3o41qz8s9_wBloSrTTUO8SS8V3aZeQSiwsY8ryTGSTeajjC9DYgTYdAVNG2N7zyEelG5Qcw/s1600/GirlZ.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Life can suck when you're sixteen. It can suck even worse when you're not- quite- dead. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sixteen-year-old Rebecca Herrera Hayes faces every teenager's biggest nightmares: bad skin, bad hair, and worse . . . turning into one of the living dead.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Becca's life changes forever when her cousin Spence comes back to their small Wisconsin town carrying a deadly secret—he's becoming a zombie, a fate he shares with her through an accidental scratch.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">The Z infection, however, has mutated, affecting younger persons like her, or those treated early enough, differently. Now she must cope with weird physical changes and habits no girl wants to be noticed for. Then she meets Gabe, a good-looking part-Z like her, and fears falling for him. After all, how can he, who shows hardly any Z symptoms, be interested in someone like her?</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">But time is running out... Becca needs his help as she and her cousin Carm search for their missing mothers and fight off hungry Zs.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Most of all, she needs to find something, anything, to stop this deadly transformation before it is forever too late...</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>Publisher:</b> Intrigue Publishing (July 29, 2013)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Print Length:</b> 206 pages</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Young Adult Fiction</b> </span><br />
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</b></span></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: bold;"> </span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: bold;"><b>Review</b></span> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This review can also be found on <a href="http://bookie-monster.com/" target="_blank">The Bookie Monster</a>. For more great book reviews, visit their site!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars on <a href="http://bookie-monster.com/" target="_blank">TBM</a> and Amazon.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i> </i></span></div>
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</i></span> <span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: normal;"><i>I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion of this book or the content of this review. </i></span> <span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: normal;"> </span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">C. A. Verstraete's novel, <i>Girl Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie</i><em>,</em> is the first zombie book I've read that fits into the "Young Adult" category. Prior to this, I often wondered how an author would handle the zombie fiction genre when written for a younger audience. Although I have nothing to compare it to, I appreciate the approach taken by Verstraete.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In <i>Girl Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie</i>, Verstraete tells a scary tale without being overly gory or using language that is inappropriate for the audience. The issues that Becca, the main character, faces are realistic for someone who is sixteen-- realistic except for the whole zombie thing, that is. Her biggest concerns include school, being accepted by her peers, clothes, friendship, and boys. These become somewhat minimized, however, when she finds herself infected with a virus that turns people into zombies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For the most part, the values represented by the main characters are admirable. Becca and her cousin, Carm, are not only family, they are best friends whose relationship gets tested beyond the ordinary. Through it all, they remain fiercely loyal to each other. Family is also very important to these girls. They treat their aunt and moms respectfully, which is a refreshing change compared to much of what is portrayed on television and in other stories. The consequences of hooking up with the wrong friends and teenage pregnancy are addressed briefly and with sensitivity. As I read <em>Girl Z</em>, I asked myself if I would be okay with my teenager reading it. My conclusion: if I had a high school age child, this book would be appropriate for him/her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are humorous parts of the book when the main character tries not to take herself or her situation too seriously. The characters are endearing and fun. For a zombie story, it is quite positive and light-hearted. The book did not end the way I expected it to, making the story even more enjoyable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The last quarter of the book is where the action picks up. Prior to that, a lot of the story is spent discussing clothes, starting school, and makeup. I wouldn't have minded some of that since those are important parts of most girls' lives. There was just a bit too much of it for me, especially considering the world was supposed to be going downhill quickly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The story seemed to have a few inconsistencies in the first three quarters of the book, as well. For example, the television news footage showed hordes of zombies wandering the streets and being eliminated by the military, yet the main characters were able to take cabs, start school, and pretty much be out in public without seeing any of the undead in person. In addition, the girls' moms were unable to get home due to the zombie population. I found myself wondering why they didn't just call a cab. I'm not exactly a zombie purist, but these inconsistencies bothered me, which is why I give the book four stars instead of five.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I recommend this fun book to readers who are in their early to late teenage years.</span> <br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.5;">About the Author (in her own words)</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEt_d0JY-xOve1xPx_M1-xW2VtbAyNG638cMQEZ_Qo-tUY3cHlUVDCFizAytOA4n9_BN1ov-bNYJ0tGyKyFjN1mISSRvEtEqdKOFKlq2yaqLt5w5iGAtpxlz5yTl2kT5sCoPiJxcrHHZQ/s1600/verstraete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEt_d0JY-xOve1xPx_M1-xW2VtbAyNG638cMQEZ_Qo-tUY3cHlUVDCFizAytOA4n9_BN1ov-bNYJ0tGyKyFjN1mISSRvEtEqdKOFKlq2yaqLt5w5iGAtpxlz5yTl2kT5sCoPiJxcrHHZQ/s1600/verstraete.jpg" height="187" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.5;">As the family "bookworm," I think my writing desire was a natural progression. I always read and still do, enjoying books by Barbara Taylor Bradford, Debbie Macomber, Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, and many others. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.5;">My career has mostly been in newspapers and magazines, although fiction writing always called to me. Discovering online writing groups inspired me to get more involved in short fiction.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.5;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> A favorite pastime, building dollhouses and miniature rooms, has served as inspiration for nonfiction stories, my nonfiction book,<a href="http://www.cverstraete.com/in-miniature-style-ii.html" style="color: rgb(134, 64, 174) !important; text-decoration: none;" title=""> <em style="position: relative;">In Miniature Style II</em></a>, a Christmas <a href="http://www.cverstraete.com/ebooks.html" style="color: rgb(134, 64, 174) !important; text-decoration: none;" title="">eBook</a> and influenced my kid's mystery, <a href="http://www.cverstraete.com/searching-for-a-starry-night-mystery.html" style="color: rgb(134, 64, 174) !important; text-decoration: none;" title="">Searching For a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery</a>. Visit my <a href="http://www.cverstraete.com/miniatures.html" style="color: rgb(134, 64, 174) !important; text-decoration: none;" title="">Miniatures gallery </a>to see photos of some of my miniature projects.</span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Follow C.A. Verstraete on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/christine.verstraete" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/caverstraete" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Website: <a href="http://www.cverstraete.com/" target="_blank">Site of Christine A. Verstraete</a></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com