Posts Tagged ‘zombies’

 Peter Welmerink
Featured Book Release:
Transport
June 23 to June 29 , 2014

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Most of you know of my addiction to zombies! I can’t resist when I spot a new story.

And I just fell in love with the cover art for Transport.

When I discovered the author was from Michigan, that sealed the deal. I was born there and wouldn’t mind revisiting, zombies and all.

Author Peter Welmerink has put together a really fun Top Tens List.

Take your time, browse the post, and check out the awesome illustrations!

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Peter Welmerink’s

Top Ten Things You SHOULDN’T Do

When the Zombie Apocalypse Happens

(In the World of TRANSPORT)

 

  1. Stand in front of oncoming military vehicles, which are there to protect and assist you, to protest their presence. Plus, they might not stop and, if you are unfortunate enough to be standing before the HURON, 72 tons of armored vehicle will reduce your waist line to, ummmm, about a millimeter or so.

 

  1. Wear a dress, pants, shirt, or undergarments made of raw meat, even if you are a big fan of Lady Gaga.

 

  1. Ingest a lot of beans the night before, and then try and sneak through a quiet, zombie-infested, poorly-soundproofed auditorium the next day. Okay, one of my kids came up with this one. Still, sounds like something NOT to do.

 

  1. Move out to the country. You will eventually either get attacked, or someone will “crop dust” your homestead with flesh-eating chemicals, reducing you and the undead into piles of red goo.

 

  1. Run out to the big university communal. There might not be zombies within its walled confines, but the crazed geneticists inside may want to combine your biological essence with a dead cat or mutated bull. Unless you’re into that sort of thing.

 

  1. Use “weapons” which shoot foam bullets. Nerf guns are fun to shoot and play with, but not recommended for use in repelling actual undead.

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  1. Buy a house on Grand Rapids west side. It becomes an enclosed retention area for the city’s undead populace once the outbreak is in full bloom.

 

  1. Use any type of two-wheel or four-wheel vehicle to drive over and through a pile of zombies. Tires will spin on the gore-slop, unless you can totally floor it and run your rubber right down to pavement before being overwhelmed by flesh-biters. Try to spray a crimson rooster only if you have the horsepower and ample time for such shenanigans.

 

  1. Have a staring contest with a local Grand Rapids undead civilian. You’ll lose. They either don’t blink or do not have eyes to stare into. And the idea is just insane anyway. If you are silly enough to do such a thing, try it on a Feral zomb. You’ll still lose… along with your face, neck, appendages and, most likely, your life. Okay, one of my kids came up with this one too.

 

  1. Die, or become infected and die. The name of the game is live and survive, or, if not, make sure you go out with a big enough BANG to put yourself into some type of subatomic form.

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Book Synopsis for Transport

The HURON, a 72-ton heavy transport vehicle and an army of four; tracked, racked and ready to roll, to serve and protect the walled metropolis of Grand Rapids—both her living and her undead. Captain Jacob Billet and his crew patrol the byways, ready for trouble.

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William Lettner, the North Shore Coalition High Commissioner, has enemies from the mainland to the lakeshore and needs to be covertly transported home after his helicopter is shot down en route to Grand Rapids. He has no love for a city that gives unliving civilians the right to survive. Lettner’s venomous outbursts assaults Billet and his crew along every mile travelled as they are assigned to safely bring him through the treacherous landscape outside the city back to his hometown.

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The HURON and her crew will have to face domesticated zombies and the feral undead; marauders holding strategic chokepoints hostage; barricaded villages fighting for survival, and a group of geneticists who’ve lost control of one of their monstrous experiments if they want to complete their mission.

The crew will need to stay strong and trust one another in order to finish the mission and bring their “precious” cargo home, even knowing, all the while, the terrible deeds Lettner has done.

Travelling through West Michigan was never so dangerous.

Amazon Links for Transport

Print Version ~ Kindle Version

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About the author: Peter Welmerink was born and raised on the west side of pre-apocalyptic Grand Rapids, Michigan. He writes Fantasy, Military SciFi, and other wanderings into action-adventure. His work has been published in ye olde wood pulp print and electronic-online publications. He is the co-author of the Viking berserker novel, BEDLAM UNLEASHED, written with Steven Shrewsbury. TRANSPORT is his first solo novel venture. He is married with a small barbarian tribe of three boys.

Find out more about his works and upcoming projects at:
http://www.peterwelmerink.com

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Author Links:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

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Tour Schedule and Activities

6/23 The Rage Circus Vs. The Soulless Void Review
6/23 The Tiffany Apan Blog Interview
6/23 Beauty in Ruins Guest Post
6/24 Come Selahway With Me Character Post
6/25 Deal Sharing Aunt Excerpt
6/25 Sheila Deeth Post on Art of Transport
6/27 Bookishly Me Review
6/27 fuonlyknew ~ Laura’s ramblins and reviews Top Ten’s List
6/28 Bee’s Knees Reviews Review
6/28 Alexx Momcat’s Gateway Book Blog Top Ten’s Llist
6/29 L. Andrew Cooper’s Horrific Scribblings Review

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

 

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More zombies you ask? Yep. You all know me by now. If it says zombies I’m going to check it out. And I’m glad I had the opportunity to read Euphoria – Z. It’s unique and packed with zombie action.

Check out the excerpt.

Read my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Oh yeah! What about that cover art? It’s spectacular isn’t it?

Look and see.

Euphoria – Z

Book 1

Luke Ahearn

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Genre: Thriller/Zombie Apocalypse

Publisher: Luke Ahearn / Date of Publication: May 19, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-1497497382 / ISBN-10: 1497497388

Number of pages: 409 / Word Count: 118,099

Cover Artist: Steven J Catizone

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MY REVIEW

You’ll get a strong dose of zombie gore in this book. Nothing you can’t handle though.

I was all excited about the comet that was going to strike. Then, once it hit, I was as disappointed as the characters. Nothing happened. But then it did. Just not how I expected.

People got happy, strangely happy, then they died horribly and rose again. The author got creative with this. It’s nice to find a new idea on how people came to be zombies.

You’re then in the beginning of the apocalypse, but the story focuses mostly on after it starts. You follow the characters as they first realize what’s happening and then through their struggles to survive.

There are lots of bad guys. Still trying to figure out why the rich dudes wanted to end the world.

One thing I had a problem with was the switching POVs. They happened suddenly and sometimes I had to go back and read again to see who I was reading about. Just got a bit confusing at times.

This is not a quick read. It took me several sittings to finish it. Not that I was bored by any means. The author gave me plenty of action, great characters to care about, and lots of zombies. I just needed to sleep sometime.

The only thing I’ll tell you about the ending is that it isn’t over.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a good zombie story.

4 STARS

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Book Description

 

Civilization shuts down as throngs of speechless hedonists fill the streets in deadly revelry. They feel only pleasure and never pain, even as they are injured, maimed, and mutilated. Few people remain in the world unaffected, left to witness the madness unaware that things are about to get unbelievably worse.

 

Cooper is among the few survivors of a conspiracy to depopulate the world. One week ago, college was his biggest concern. Now he is on a dangerous journey to find his sister as an ever-present threat of nightmarish proportions engulfs the world, throwing him in the path of some of the most malicious people that ever walked the earth.

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Excerpt:

 

The present, Monterey, California

“Fuck!” The wiry, gray-haired old man felt his eyes go wide with surprise, but he quickly got his shit together. Jasper scowled; now he was very pissed off. He might stoop and shuffle when he walked, but he didn’t take any shit.

Some big fat bastard was bear-hugging him from behind. He could see white mountains of wet flab before his eyes, and he smelled vomit. He felt a massive wet belly and man tits pressing against his back. Large folds of cold wet flesh engulfed him, and he shuddered at the sensation.

He hated hugs, especially from men, and hugs from big fat sweaty bastards were absolutely unacceptable. He carried his best spiked hammer, an old-school Craftsman from back in the day, before the gooks were making them. He was just itching to use it. The fat bastard was yelling something in his ear.

“I love you! I love you, man!”

“Ahhh, geez!” Jasper twisted out of the flabby cocoon and took a few steps back. What he saw disgusted him. It was a giant fat kid, a head taller than himself, who looked like a giant baby, all hairless and soft. The kid was smiling like an idiot, and that made Jasper even more pissed off. Food smeared the kid’s face and ran down his chins in greasy streams between his man tits and over his belly. All Jasper could think was that all that shit was all over his back. Now he would have to burn his shirt and take a long, hot shower.

The kid wore nothing but baggy white underwear soaked in sweat. Jasper shuddered at the clammy coldness on his back. His flannel shirt clung to him and felt like a cold, wet bathing suit.

“I love you, man!” The big fat kid smiled as he came at him for another hug.

“Ahhhh! Fuck you!” Despite his advanced age, Jasper moved with an efficiency and force that spoke of his many years as a carpenter. He brought the spiked hammer down on the kid’s skull, and it collapsed inward with little resistance. He liked the sensation of cracking a head but hated wasting the time to do it.

The kid dropped to the concrete like a wet sack. He was still smiling, which made cracking his skull less enjoyable. Jasper wished he could bash every asshole around with his trusty hammer. He looked around to make sure another shithead wasn’t looking for a hug.

A woman came at him, hooting so loud he could hear it over the crowd, waving her tits at him. He took her out too, with an easy smack between the eyes. He had enough of this shit. He cracked a few more skulls for fun, but he got bored. It was always the same: an easy tap to the skull and the moron dropped, still smiling.

The streets were crammed with people, and they were all acting crazy. Jasper just wanted to get home. It seemed everyone was congregating downtown, streaming in from the surrounding neighborhoods. People were walking in large groups, arm in arm, naked and clothed, dancing, running, and hugging. It all made Jasper sick, just god-awful sick.

He tried to go all the way downtown and almost got caught up in the crowd. People were pushing and jamming each other into doors until they cracked open. He heard the crash of large plate-glass windows, but no one reacted. In fact, he saw people just getting pushed through the windows in a wave. He could tell that people were getting seriously injured and killed, and he just wanted to get the hell out of there.

He left at the right time. The press of the massive crowd smashed and suffocated, ground and trampled, and killed many—and the party continued to grow. No one screamed in panic or pain. No one yelled for help or dialed 911. And no one stopped to offer assistance, an apology, or true human interaction of any kind. Everyone was bent on doing exactly what they wanted to do, and what anyone else wanted didn’t matter to them in the slightest.

In any place where people gathered for a good time, the crowds were thick. The mall was packed, but the hospital was empty. The wharf was so full that hundreds fell into the icy waters of the bay. The office parks and businesses were dark and silent. Some groups formed parties on random streets for one reason or another.

A large majority of the city was empty, devoid of people. Most left their homes and walked away, leaving doors unlocked and often wide open. They would join a group and wander away.

There were still a few souls hiding indoors who were anything but euphoric. They watched with fear and horror the goings-on outside their windows. Jasper had been one of these, but he needed his goddamned pills and had to drive through all this crazy shit to get them. Of course, when he got to the damn pharmacy it was closed. He had tried to call ahead, but no one answered the phone. He was pissed. He wanted nothing to do with this crazy shit. He didn’t want to see any of it and certainly didn’t want to walk through it. He saw quite a few people doing things he had only seen in his buddies’ dirty magazines. But there was one thing every single person was doing: smiling like a retard with a lollipop—every single one.

At first, he thought all the outlandish behavior was confined to idiots, kids, and queers. It had to be some new drug to get them this nuts, he thought. But too many people were acting bonkers, too many people who just didn’t fit the behavior.

He walked as quickly as he was able away from the crowd and back to his car. He’d seen some shit in his day, but in the last few the world had descended into pandemonium. There were reports that almost everyone around the world was walking away from their jobs, no matter how critical. Everything was grinding to a halt. Transportation, communication—private or military, trivial or critical—everything was just going belly up. Jasper had known this day was coming ever since the blacks were allowed to vote.

And the crooks in Washington didn’t know anything. They said it was an unknown virus and creatively named it Euphoria-Z. Z because they didn’t know what it was, only what it did. And their advice? Stay indoors and away from crowds, bunch of geniuses.

Jasper had never expected he would need to kill people, not since the war, but in the last few days he had been forced to. The streets were crazy, and he wouldn’t even be outside if he hadn’t needed his pills. He felt as if he were the only sane person for miles. He looked at his feet and wondered, only briefly, if something were wrong with him? No, couldn’t be, he thought. None of this was right. The world had gone crazy.

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About the Author:

 

Luke Ahearn has over 20 years of professional game development experience and has authored numerous nonfiction books on the topic. He ran his own computer game company for ten years and currently owns MasterWerxStudios, an animatronic prop shop in Monterey, CA.

 

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads 

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Tour giveaway

4 life-sized, handmade, zombie heads.

One of a kind and made by the author.

Click on the Rafflecopter to enter.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Welcome to my Monday Minis.

This is where I review short stories and flash fiction.

For today I’ll be telling you about Just One Day

by Jacob Prytherch

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My Review

This story reminds me of the movie Ground Hog Day.

A man relives the same day over and over. Except this goes on for years!

Trapped on a space station overrun with flesh eaters, the engineer begins each day the same as the one before. He navigates obstacles and zombies, trying to keep more people alive each time.

While he knows he’s repeating the same day all over again, the other survivors don’t and it doesn’t seem to help when he explains it to them. Each morning he begins again.

“His calm demeanor was the resignation of the damned.”

Each time he anticipates what he learned the previous time, making it a bit further towards safety and keeping more people alive.

“It was just one day, one more, then it would be over. How many times has he said that?”

But the engineer begins to doubt whether he can do what he wants. Whether he can get most of the people to the escape pod and safety. He’ll just have to keep going through it until he reaches an end, if there is one.

For a short story this has a lot going on. Black holes, time travel, and space zombies!

The beginning is a calm introduction to the engineer and what’s going on. Then it quickly becomes a nail biting adventure with people screaming and fleshies gnawing on the poor saps that don’t survive that day.

It’s hard to find a zombie story with a unique spin on it. Kudos to the author for doing just that, plus giving me an ending that had me reading it twice. I wanted to be sure I got it right.

3  Stars

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Synopsis

The engineer awoke to the sound of the failing air conditioning, knowing four things above all else. He knew who would be beating a monotonous rhythm on the door, he knew that he had to kill them, he knew that they would already be dead and rotting, and he was painfully aware that they would not be alone…

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Happy days! Halloween may be over but it’s always zombie time on fuonlyknew!

Just check out Emma Shortt’s Waking Up Dead

I’m loving her cover art and the poster makes me think MOVIE!!

I have a fun giveaway for ya too.

You could win a Waking Up Dead T-shirt!

Keep reading to learn all!

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 Waking up Dead

End of Days Love

Book One
Emma Shortt

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Genre: Horror romance

Publisher: Entangled Select

Date of Publication: 22 October 2013

ISBN: 9781622660353 / ASIN: B00BMKRLXG

Number of pages: 372 / Word Count: 104,000

Cover Artist: TK Designs

Amazon /  BN

Book Description:

You know your life has hit rock bottom when you’re living off cooked rats and showering once every few months—if you’re lucky. But for Jackson Hart things are about to get a whole lot worse. When her best friend, Tye, disappears hunting for food, kick-ass Jackson’s ‘head south to safety’ plan looks like it’s dead before it’s even begun. But then she meets ex-mechanic Luke Granger, who takes her to his bunker, feeds her with non-rat based food, and offers her protection against the zombie hordes—not that she needs it. She knows how to use a machete and isn’t afraid to.

Jackson was tempted to stay in the city with her rescuer. Food, shampoo and the possibility of finally getting laid, what more could she ask for? But the flesh eaters are getting smarter and the bunker is compromised, so Jackson and Luke have no choice but to make the journey south.

Luke and Jackson team up to find other humans in a road-trip romance for the ages. They travel for thousands of miles with zombies shadowing their every move. They must utilize every resource at their disposal…and then some. On the way, they discover that even if flesh eating zombies are knocking down their door, there’s always time for sex and even love.

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About the Author:

Image of Emma Shortt

As a kid Emma wanted to be an astronaut, or maybe Captain Janeway. Because she didn’t really think her career choices through very well she ended up in an everyday geek job, crunching numbers and sighing over syntax. It seemed a long way from the stars, and in an effort to escape Emma decided to get serious about her other passion. Writing.

Several years later and Emma has yet to walk on the moon or sit in the Captain’s chair, but she is still writing. She scribbles stories in all sorts of genres, contemporary, paranormal, post-apocalyptic, historical, sci-fi…if she hasn’t tried it yet she will before long. The only common theme is the romance. A hopeless romantic, everything Emma writes has a love story in there somewhere.

She lives on the west coast of England with her very Greek husband and teenage kiddos. Apart from all things geek reading is her main hobby and she likes nothing better than getting home from a hard day at work and curling up with a book, though sometimes she gets home and writes one instead.

www.endofdayslove.com

www.facebook.com/AuthorEmmaShortt

www.twitter.com/EmmaShortt

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You can win a Waking Up Dead T-shirt!!!

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways click on the zombie survival plan below.

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CRAZY EX-GHOULFRIEND Tour Sidebar Button

I’m a pushover when it comes to quirky titles and cover art.

 Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend. How quirky fun is that!

Then look at the cover. I just can’t resist this one!

Check it out, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

 

BOOK SPOTLIGHT:

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CRAZY EX-GHOULFRIEND

Release Date:  September 17, 2013

Genre:  YA Zombie Standalone

 

Janie Parker is in love with the boy next door, but he’s dating Miss Popular. That is, until she wraps her car around a tree and bites the dust. Just when things settle down and Janie thinks that she might have a shot at going to prom with the boy next door, Miss Popular comes back from the grave, and she’s one crazy ex-ghoulfriend.

Available at:

Kindle Nook / Smashwords Paperback

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About Angela Roquet:

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Urban Fantasy Author Angela Roquet lives in Sedalia, Missouri with her husband and son. When she’s not swearing at the keyboard, she enjoys painting, goofing off with her family and friends, and reading books that raise eyebrows.

Find Angela All Across the Interwebs…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Page | YouTube

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TOUR GIVEAWAY: 

Angela is giving away the following prizes at the end of her tour:

GRAND PRIZE: 

$20.00 gift card to Amazon, an autographed paperback of CRAZY EX-GHOULFREIND, a Ghoul Friend hand sanitizer and bookmark

3 RUNNERS-UP: 

THREE runners up will receive an eBook of CRAZY EX-GHOULFREIND

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

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Angela Roquet’s CRAZY EX-GHOULFRIEND Blog Tour – 10/21 – 11/09

 

10/21 – Roquet’s Reapings

http://angelaroquet.blogspot.com/

10/22 – Romance Junkies (Interview)

http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/

10/22 – Toot’s Book Reviews (spotlight)

http://tootsbookreviews.blogspot.com

10/23 – Fang Freakin’ Tastic Reviews (Spotlight)

http://fangfreakintasticreviews.com

10/23 – Must Read Faster (Spotlight)

http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com

10/23 – Stacey Clifford (Spotlight)

http://sassybooklovers.blogspot.com/

10/24 – Fundinmental (Spotlight)

http://www.fundinmental.com

10/25  – Eclipse Reviews (Spotlight)

http://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com

10/26 – For the Love of Bookends (Spotlight)

http://loveofbookends.blogspot.com/

10/27 – Coffee Talk Writers (Spotlight)

http://coffeetalkwriters.com/blog/

10/27 – Literal Addiction (Spotlight/Review)

http://www.literaladdiction.com/book-blasts-and-more.php

10/29 – Living an Eternal Fairytale (Spotlight)

http://jannatbhat.wordpress.com/

10/30 – Book Pages and Dripping Ink (Spotlight)

http://bookpagesanddrippingink.blogspot.com

10/30 – Mythical Books (Guest Post)

http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/

10/31 – Once Upon a YA Book (Interview)

http://onceuponayabook.blogspot.com/

10/31 – Mad Hatter Reads (Interview)

http://madhatterreads.com

10/31 – Notebook of Books (Spotlight)

http://bookishlover.blogspot.com

10/31 – Tome Tender (Spotlight)

http://tometender.blogspot.com

11/1 – FUONLYKNEW (Spotlight)

http://fuonlyknew.com

11/2 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! (Spotlight)

http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com

11/3 – Books Books and More Books (Interview)

http://booksbooksmorebooks.blogspot.com/

11/4 – Salacious Reads (Spotlight)

http://www.salaciousreads.com

11/5 – Book Lovin Mamas (Spotlight)

http://booklovinmamas.com

11/7 – Book Monster Reviews (guest post)

http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/

11/8 – URBAN FANTASY LAND (Spotlight)

http://urbanfantasyland.net

11/9 –  I Smell Sheep (Guest Post)

http://www.ismellsheep.com/

11/9 – A_TiffyFit’s Reading Corner (Spotlight)

http://tiffyfit.blogspot.com

11/9 – Close Encounters with the Night Kind (Spotlight)

http://closeencounterswiththenightkind.blogspot.com

11/9 – Dalene’s Book Reviews (Spotlight)

http://dalenesbookreviews.blogspot.com/

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go HERE.

Happy Release Day for Dead Plains!

This is Book Three in The Zombie West Series and I can’t wait to read it.

This is such good news as I’ve just finished reading Survivor Roundup, Book Two, and I’m so ready for more.

I have a love affair with many of the characters and Angela just keeps on with her amazing world building and placing her characters in difficult situations.

In celebration, Angela has an awesome giveaway and tis the season ya know. Halloween is right around the corner and The Walking Dead is back on the air!

Keep reading to learn more about this exciting series, find out where to get the books, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Amazon / Smashwords

Blurb:

“…Sometimes, the ones you least suspect are the ones that should worry you the most….”
People aren’t always what they seem, as Red has experienced all too well. Strangers are feared, towns are avoided, and everyone’s intentions are scrutinized… even those closest to her. Her coveted ability has been revealed to far too many people, and now that a tiny heartbeat thumps and grows beneath her own, the risk has never been greater.
As the group of ten searches for a safe haven, a place to finally call home, the sobering reality of it all finally settles over them: nowhere is safe, nothing is permanent, and death is everywhere. One by one, Red’s reluctant posse grows smaller, as death claims some, and circumstance claims others.
It couldn’t be a worse time to bring a newborn into the world… but the baby is coming.

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The other books in this amazing zombie series:

WANTED: Dead or Undead (The Zombie West Series, #1)

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Evolved Publishing presents the award-winning Wanted: Dead or Undead
(Book 1 of The Zombie West Series) by Angela Scott. (Young Adult, Zombie
Western Romance)Trace Monroe doesn’t believe in luck. He never has. But when a fiery-headed cowgirl saunters through the saloon doors, wielding shotguns and a know-how for killing the living dead, he believes he just may be the luckiest man alive. Trace wants to join “Red’s” posse, but she prefers to work alone—less messy that way.

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In order to become her traveling companion, Trace has to agree to her terms: no names, no questions, and if he gets bit, he can’t beg for mercy when she severs his brain stem. He agrees, knowing only that Red is the sharpest shooter he’s ever encountered. The fact she’s stunning hasn’t escaped his attention either.

What he doesn’t know, is that Red has a very good reason to be on top of her game. She not only has the answer for how they can all outlive the plague taking over the wild, wild west, she is the answer.

Click on the link below for my review.

My Review

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Survivor Roundup (The Zombie West Series, #2)

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Red always knew she would have to face the man who nearly destroyed her. She just didn’t figure it would happen so soon…

With the plague sweeping across the nation, destroying many and turning others into walking corpses, survivors head West in search of a chosen land, a place designed to keep the infected out, while sealing survivors inside. In theory, the idea seems the only way to keep humanity alive. In practice, it doesn’t matter whether a person is on the inside or the out—there is no humanity.

…And even though John Gatherum hunted her down and instigated their reunion, Red’s no longer the passive girl he once manipulated. This time, she has a hidden agenda of her own.

Kill him. Save her family. Save herself.

Reviewing Soon!

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Angela Scott

deadplains angela scott

I hear voices. Tiny fictional people sit on my shoulders and whisper their stories in my ear. Instead of medicating myself, I decided to pick up a pen, write down everything those voices tell me, and turn it into a book. I’m not crazy. I’m an author. For the most part, I write contemporary Young Adult novels. However, through a writing exercise that spiraled out of control, I found myself writing about zombies terrorizing the Wild Wild West—and loving it. My zombies don’t sparkle, and they definitely don’t cuddle. At least, I wouldn’t suggest it.
I live on the benches of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains with two lovely children, one teenager, and a very patient husband. I graduated from Utah State University with a B.A. degree in English, not because of my love for the written word, but because it was the only major that didn’t require math. I can’t spell, and grammar is my arch nemesis. But they gave me the degree, and there are no take backs.
As a child, I never sucked on a pacifier; I chewed on a pencil. I’ve been writing that long. It has only been the past few years that I’ve pursued it professionally, forged relationships with other like-minded individuals, and determined to make a career out of it.
You can subscribe and follow me on my website, where I blog obsessively about my writing process and post updates on my current works. I’m also on Twitter and Facebook, but be forewarned, I tweet and post more than a normal person.

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I have one ebook copy of Wanted: Dead or Undead or Survivor Roundup to give away, winners choice.

To enter please leave your email address so I can contact you and answer this question,

” What is your favorite zombie movie, show, or book?”

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways click on the zombie survival plan below.

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Sanctuarybanner

I’m so excited to be a part of the tour for Sanctuary!

It’s October, the season for tricks or treats.

This was a treat for sure!

There’s so much to show you.

Read the early praise for Sanctuary. Watch the book trailers.

Check out the peek inside Sanctuary and enjoy the note from the author.

And enjoy my review.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Did I mention I had a lot to show you?!!!

Sanctuary cover1

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                      ISBN-13 – 9781491072066

Title – Sanctuary

Author – Pauline Creeden

Pub Date – October 10, 2013 (Paperback)

                   September 30, 2013 (eBook pre-release)

Price – $9.99

Description

“Left Behind for the Hunger Games Generation”

In a heart-racing thriller described as Falling Skies meets The Walking Dead, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it…When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?

Advance Praise

“Pauline Creeden managed to mix more genres into one book than I could possibly imagine. The overall concept, aliens attacking the earth, is straight out of Science Fiction, but then you throw in a few zombies and post-apocalyptic fiction with how the dead/sick humans are acting. Overall, the entire story was charged with the adrenaline and thrills of a suspense/thriller novel, but the mood was terrifyingly eerie like a Horror story. There was almost too much sensory information for my primitive human brain to handle. Still, all of these genres combined made for one unique and fascinating story. This kind of book is of the same flavor as The Hunger Games with its originality, which I really appreciated.” – Katelyn Hensel for Readers’ Favorite

“Sanctuary is a fast-paced Christian fantasy thriller that is original and quite entertaining. The story revolves around Jennie and her family, Pastor Billy and his wife, and two brothers who are polar opposites of each other. Each chapter is presented in the point of view of Jennie, Brad or Hugh (the brothers), which gives Pauline Creeden’s Sanctuary, a multidimensional feel. The three different story-lines merge into a full-fledged fantasy/horror novel that never sags or lets up on the action. While there are Christian themes present in Sanctuary, and Jennie’s faith is an important part of who she is, I, a non-Christian, did not feel I was being preached to or proselytized. I recommend Pauline Creeden’s Sanctuary — it’s well-written and a lot of fun to read.” – Jack Magnus for Readers Favorite

*****

My Review

As the story begins, the aliens have already damaged the sun, causing perpetual twilight during the day, making it difficult to grow crops. And they’ve contaminated the water supply, which has killed off one-third of Earth’s population.

As the aliens don’t do anything further for quite some time, just hover in the skies, people try to go about their daily lives.

But the aliens unleash something horrific, something beyond imagination, and it has serious repercussions, killing off another third of the population.

This is where things really get dicey.

What comes next? Are they planning on wiping us out completely? Or do they have something else in store?

Once I started reading Sanctuary I happened to glance at the cover and realized how perfectly it represented the story. The church is in the background and Jenny is prominent, just as she is in the book.

Jenny never did get to return for her second year of college. The aliens attacked again and life as she knew it crumbled.

Now, she’s separated from her parents and has to protect her five-year old brother.

I admire Jenny. She’s a young woman, alone, facing something we couldn’t even imagine. What she focuses on is getting her and her little brother to safety.

She’s scared to death as she navigates the streets. But she has keen instincts and stays sharp when things get really bad. She’s a natural nurturer and has a heart of gold.

You’ll get to know Hugh and Brad, the brothers.

Hugh was a teacher at Jenny’s old highschool. He was trapped in his apartment building. When people were being attacked in the street, his first instinct was to go outside and help, but the apartment manager wouldn’t risk unlocking the doors.

When he finally does leave his apartment, he ends up at the church. There he runs into his younger brother Brad.

There is no love lost between these two.

Brad is lucky when he stumbles upon the church. But he didn’t much like the fact his brother was there.

I liked Hugh. He was a quiet, introspective man. Willing to help in any way he could.

Brad was another story all together. Every story needs a villain and he seemed to wear the title proudly. He was arrogant and self-serving. Quite the spoiled brat. And he never missed a chance to get under Hugh’s skin. One thing he did had me thinking he might be redeemable but I can’t spoil it for you.

Each chapter is told from the points of view of Jenny, Hugh, and Brad, but they flow easily and you quickly recognize their individual voices.

This is listed as a christian thriller, but it’s not like any you’ve read before. There are aliens, dog/lion creatures that bite you and turn you into zombies, and the disturbing situations you have to deal with when in a group, struggling to survive.

I was kind of reminded of Stephen King’s The Mist, when they are all confined in the grocery store. Not everybody likes each other or gets along. Life and death situations make people do weird things.

While Jenny draws on her religious beliefs to get her through this, I never felt like I was being preached at. If anything, she had me asking myself how I would hold up, what would I turn to. And with so much going on, I was kept busy following the action, trying to stay one step ahead of the horror.

The religious tones in this story are a natural progression and make it more real. Look at all of the disaster movies and books out there. So many of them have people gathering at a church, either for spiritual strength or just solace in the company of others.

If you like a mix of genres, some science fiction and fantasy with your horror, I recommend you read Sanctuary. It keeps you connected, never bogs down, and there’s plenty of action and danger.

5 STARS

*****

YouTube book Trailers:

http://youtu.be/tVQNvPzk3rc

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ05XgVBy24?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent]

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A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

Why on earth did I write a Christian novel that has both aliens and zombies in it?

When I was a teen/young adult and my faith was wavering at best, there were several movies out with the likely design to shake faith even more. End of the world movies were in their hay day. Alien invasion was another big one. And I couldn’t help but wonder. If something like this actually happened, would anyone be able to maintain their faith?

And now today, Zombies are on the rise.

Could aliens be reconciled with the Bible? Zombies? This is the purpose of Sanctuary.

Because of its poetic nature, the book of Revelation lends itself to a plethora of interpretation. I am not saying that my book is the only true possibility, but it could be one. Could not demons be misinterpreted as alien life forms? Might not Satan use this mirage to his advantage to explain the bitter water or the blotting out of the sun, moon, and stars?  And then there’s Revelation 9:6 – “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

Zombies?

If anyone reading this book at least opens themselves up to the fact that yes, a biblical interpretation could resolve the problems between faith and an apocalyptic reality, then Sanctuary has completed its purpose.

EXCERPT:

When Jennie reached the back door, she saw them. Four large dog-like creatures with pinched faces like bulldogs and lion-like manes. They snarled, and one of them leapt at the window on the top half of the door when it saw her. Jennie jumped back and fell hard on the cold tile floor. The bottle of painkiller bounced across the kitchen tiles. The creature slammed against the window a second time, cracking it. She blinked hard. Her heart sunk, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. A horrendous gargling howl rent the air, causing a shiver down her spine. She held her breath and waited for the creature to slam into the door again.

“What on earth?” she whispered to herself.

When the third attempt never came, she scrambled toward the door. Blinking hard, she used the door knob to help herself stand. Out the cracked window, her mother was still out of sight, but the last of the dogs headed across the field behind her backyard.

“MOM?” Jennie called out.

The rumbling faded, and the vibrations in her chest receded with the dogs. She pulled open the door and rushed onto their back deck. “Mom, where are you?”

When she reached the banister, she looked over the side. Her mom lay sprawled with one hand on the lattice. Blood gushed from Mom’s leg and her opposite arm. Jennie’s ears rang and flooded with every beat of her heart.

Jennie didn’t know how she got to the second floor of her house, but she found herself shaking her sleeping father. How had he slept through the rumbling? “Outside, it’s Mom…”

Her father leapt from the bed. Mickey, her little brother, lay asleep and undisturbed. Dad ran down the stairs and outside in his flannel pajama bottoms and white t-shirt. He scooped Mom up to his chest and carried her inside. Blood stained his shirt in crimson.

“Jennie, call 911!”  Her father had said it at least three times before it finally registered in her brain.

She pulled the cell phone from her pocket, but it refused to connect. With a groan, she grabbed the cordless from the wall receiver, glad her heart stopped pounding in her head so she could hear.

“All operators are busy at this time,” a mechanical voice deadpanned, “Please stay on the line, and the next available operator will take your call.”

“They have me on hold, Dad. Should I hang up and try again?” She held the phone in both hands away from her face.

“No, just stay on the line.” Her father lifted the shredded jeans from Mom’s leg. “It looks like a shark bite. What on earth happened?”

Jennie took in the damage through tear-filled eyes. A huge chunk was taken from her mother’s calf, exposing the fibrous tendons that covered the bone in her leg. A bloodstain grew on the beige couch. Was she going to die? Panic rose up.

“What happened, Jennie?”

“I…I…They looked like lions, or dogs, or something. The rumbling shook the whole house…I tried to go outside to get Mom, but—” A sob blocked her throat.

Her father grabbed a throw pillow and held it against the leg. Mom’s exposed forearm laid across her chest in much the same condition as her calf.

“Grab me the duct tape.”

Jennie suddenly remembered the phone, put it back to her ear, and headed to the hall closet. She reached for the shelf above the jackets and grabbed the junk basket next to the toolbox.

“Please stay on the line. An operator will be with you shortly.”

She shoved the phone in the crook of her neck and fished through the box.  Half the contents dropped around her feet. Who cares? When her fingers wrapped around the silver duct tape, a short-lived relief sent prickles down her arms. But the urgency gripped her chest in less than a heart beat, and she threw the junk basket on the ground with the rest of the items.

“Hurry, Jennie!” her father called from the living room. “And turn on the TV. Maybe they’ll have something about what’s going on.”

She handed her father the tape and turned toward the TV. The mechanical voice on the phone came through again, followed by more easy listening.

When she clicked on the TV, the shouting and wailing began before the picture warmed up on the screen. A sideways picture of New York City broke through, with the shaky voice of the newscaster voicing over.

“What we are watching now – I can’t believe it – is live footage of Times Square,” the newscaster’s voice paused for a deep breath. “We’ve lost our man on the scene and his camera man to what appears to be some kind of new alien creature. Just a short half-hour ago, the doors to the ship that hovered above Central Park opened and these dog-like creatures flooded out.”

Jennie couldn’t pull her eyes from the screen. She straightened and dropped the phone on the hardwood. The battery popped out and skidded across the floor.

~~~~~

Pauline Creeden

In simple language, Pauline Creeden breaks down Biblical stories and applies them to real life in new ways. Her methods of teaching have brought new light to old scriptures. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.

She is the Admin for Spirit Filled Kindle and an administrator for Readers’ Realm. Her articles, reviews, and devotionals have been featured in RUBY FOR WOMEN Magazine, Devotionals for Bloggers, Faith Filled Family Magazine, and Christian Fiction Book Reviews.

One of Pauline’s short stories has won the CCW Short Story contest. Other short stories have been published in Fear & Trembling Magazine, Obsidian River and Avenir Eclectia. An urban fantasy short will appear in The Book of Sylvari: An Anthology of Elves from Port Yonder Press, and a vampire short will appear in Monsters! from Diminished Media Group. She is currently editing and drafting several novels at various stages.

 

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Prizes:

Swag Pack

Signed Paperback of Sanctuary

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

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~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go HERE.

Entangled Ever After Releases Tour Banner 450 x 169

Wow! I’m thrilled to have discovered this book!

Killing zombies is her day job and her night job is spent chained to a wall telling stories to her captor.

Do you recall Scheherazade, the Persian Queen?

The author is here to tell you all about this exciting story!

One Thousand and One Nights

Ruth Browne

One Thousand and One Nights - cover

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ISBN: 9781622663316

Book Description:

Sheri spends her days fighting zombies and her nights chained to a wall, earning her every breath by telling stories to her captor Aleksy—stories that make them both forget the ruined world. Sheri could put up with the conditions—at least she knows her sister is safe in the community Aleksy leads—until she realizes she’s falling for him…even though he wants her dead.

When Aleksy allowed Sheri and her sister into his compound, he didn’t know about the zombie bite on her back. It’s only a matter of time before she turns into one of the rising dead and threatens their existence, but Aleksy has a secret need for Sheri and her stories. For everyone’s safety, he chains her to his bedroom wall, hoping for just one more day. But how long will the community allow Aleksy to ignore his own rule: always kill the infected. Always.

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Excerpt:

“He had meant to go straight to the basin to wash, but instead he stood watching the woman sleep. Did she dream? The coppery hair covering her face likely concealed shallow fever-dreams of blood and slaughter, but the arm curled defensively around her head made her seem vulnerable—a captive no older than her teenaged sister. Rays from the sun reached in through the window, and where they touched her skin a blush rose to the surface, pulsing as though kindled from within. Her dressing-gown had fallen open. Aleksy’s eye was held by the way her breasts pushed against the severe under wiring of her bra.

On her, it didn’t look pre-packaged. The charcoal-grey cups matched the high waisted briefs she wore; the cotton bunched a little where one thigh had slipped over the other. Only when her finger twitched and she resettled her head on her arm did he find the self-discipline to shut his eyes and turn away.”

Entangled Ever After Releases Button 300 x 225

Guest Post:

Fairytales, Zombies and Romantic BDSM

Hello, hello. I’m the author of One Thousand and One Nights, soon to be published by the Ever After line of Entangled. I live in South Africa, which is a country, and I write and review fiction while studying law.

1001 Nights adapts and retells the story of Scheherazade, the mythical Persian queen who escaped beheading at the hands of her jilted, homicidal husband Shahryar (in Persian, “king”) by telling him bedtime stories. In his original form, Shahryar inspires about as much empathy as Ted Bundy. Surrounded by man-eating corpses, protecting his own tiny island of the living, Aleksy (in Greek/Polish, “defender of mankind”) was my attempt to salvage the King from his misogynistic past. He hates and fears his Scheherazade, Sheri, because she’s tainted by a zombie-bite, but still human. The feeling of just subsisting from day to day translates well to an updated version: Aleksy tries to keep going in a world that’s betrayed him, and Sheri lives with the constant fear of death and undeath.

I first called it One Thousand and One Corpses, but the publisher wanted more romance, less out-and-out horror. I also gave it a subtitle, Sheri and the King, which probably tells you more about my upbringing on Broadway musicals than you wanted to know. I balance that out with a zombie obsession that gave me chills all the way through Max Brooks’ World War Z. In fact, I’d pay to watch a zombie musical, preferably written and directed by Richard O’Brien. It’d take about twenty years for a decent production to find its way to Cape Town, South Africa, but I’ll fund the Kickstarter campaign and wait.

Doing research for this story was a pleasure. I read the tales of Sinbad, explored the different translations and took a closer look at some traditional fairytales. These stories and their Disney reboots cause me equal amounts of delight and righteous anger. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, The Little Mermaid: if there’s any message there, it’s that women should be hetero, beautiful and probably silent. Even better, asleep. One of my favourites is Beauty and the Beast, which tells the story of a spoilt daydreamer, imprisoned and blackmailed until she falls in love with her abuser. I’m writing the BDSM version right now. It’s empowering. At least a Belle who reads the Marquis de Sade and dreams about whippings wants everything she gets.

Sure, I’m a feminist. I believe in “the radical notion that women are people”, in the words of Cheris Kramarae. I had some interesting discussions with my editors on this point, especially as regards Sheri and her boundless enthusiasm for sex. I adore the erotica written by Remittance Girl, who takes a similar approach to liberated female sexuality as Greta Christina, a fantastic atheist blogger and sex writer. I wanted my story to reflect these concerns of mine, and I’d welcome any comments on this subject.

Fairytales, zombies, (romantic) BDSM and feminism are themes that run through 1001 Nights. But the story’s also just playful pop fiction that I wrote for fun. I hope you enjoy the reading as much as I enjoyed the writing.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ruth.browne.39

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23797326-ruth-browne

~~~

The story goes that every day Shahryar (Persian: شهریار‎, “king”) would marry a new virgin, and every day he would send yesterday’s wife to be beheaded. This was done in anger, having found out that his first wife was unfaithful to him. He had killed 1,000 such women by the time he was introduced to Scheherazade, the vizier’s daughter.

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The Chronicles of Orlando Banner 450 x 169

Can you feel it? Fall is here and that means Halloween is coming!

What better way to get in the mood than with some zombies.

I have four stories for you. A fun, YA series about one of my favorite undead, zombies!

Check out The Chronicles of Orlando.

Download the first book for FREE.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

~~~~~~

 

The Un-Dead Circus

The Chronicles of Orlando

Book Four

M.M. Shelley

 

A circus has arrived and it brought the Un-dead with it.

Since Orlando moved to Los Angeles he had been attacked by zombies, zombie bulls, ghost and now a band of immortals want him dead.
Betrayed by someone close and running low on resources Orlando has only one option– to join the enemy he had been fighting as he faces his biggest challenges– facing the mysteries of the Un-Dead Circus and keeping his friends alive.

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City of the Un-Dead

The Chronicles of Orlando

Book Three

M.M. Shelley

What would you risk for immortality?

The Day of the Dead is celebrated once a year, a day when those who have died are remembered. This year the dead are returning and they are returning as an army to seek vengeance against Orlando.

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Dead Relatives

The Chronicles of Orlando

Book Two

M.M. Shelley

After discovering what was hidden in Mexico and having to sneak back across the border Orlando returns to Los Angeles, but is unable to return to his home.

Instead of hunting Zombies he is now hunted.

Betrayed by those he thought he could trust, Orlando must keep the truth of what he knows to himself.

That is until dead relatives return with dire warnings.

 

Amazon

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The Zombie Story

The Chronicles of Orlando

Book One

M.M. Shelley

Unfolding on the streets of Los Angeles is a new breed of monster…
Orlando, fresh from the mid west, arrives at his new high school on his Harley Davidson.
All he wants is to make it through the day, and begin his training as a Zombie Hunter.

But someone has different plans for him.

Currently free for your Kindle

About M.M. Shelley

Image of M. M. Shelley

M.M. Shelley is a storyteller, word smith and dreamer. She has traveled the world extensively in search of the magic which is often overlooked in every day life. M.M. Shelley is a native of southern California, and a student of mythology from which she gets much inspiration.

Visit M.M. Shelley:

www.mmshelley.com

http://mmshelley.blogspot.com

Twitter   Facebook

Goodreads

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Enter for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card

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Welcome to Thursday Theatre

Here is where I’ll be posting video clips about books and movies and fun stuff.

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 I’m still waiting for Controlling the Dead

It’s the second book in the Famished Trilogy by Annie Walls.

Kansas is one of my fav kick ass chicks and I can’t wait to see what she’s doing now.

The good news is the expected release date is September 30th!

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With the help of her new companions, the path Kansas follows leads to more knowledge of the ever adapting famished.

The team finds help in unlikely places, meeting more survivors, and discovers the possibility of a new beginning.

When the team experiences a devastating loss, Kansas struggles to keep her humanity from fading and distorting like that of the surviving society around her. It begins with knowing who to trust and who to leave behind. First, she must trust herself – she won’t make the same mistakes twice.

As the answers to her questions are revealed, Kansas begins to understand the knowledge comes with a heavy price and great responsibility of controlling the dead.

In a trilogy plot thick with twists and turns, this adult dark fantasy is as emotional as it is horrifyingly gripping.

Check out this trailer!

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~~~

I’ve read Taking on the Dead and loved it!

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I’m reposting my review so you can see why I’m so excited for Controlling the Dead.

So here you are at the carnival, walking hand in hand with your boyfriend, anticipating a night of rides and games, taking in all of the sights, sounds and smells. Suddenly, zombies are everywhere, and you are in for the fight of your life.

That’s what happened to Kansas. She survived that night, but paid a heavy price.

Fast forward to four years later. Kansas City Sunshine Moore, also known as Kansas or Kan for short,  has been surviving, hiding out in her family’s underground bunk all alone. A betrayal by a group of people she offered shelter to forces her to leave her home and search for a new one. She quickly discovers there is much she doesn’t know about the zombies. There are the fresh ones, the Famished, and they are very fast and strong. What else doesn’t she know? She has been secluded for four years and now it looks like that wasn’t the smartest thing to do.

The first time Kansas meets Rudy, they don’t actually meet. With the long reach of his compound bow,  he helps clear zombies from her path, but Kan is still wary of strangers and jumps in her car and races away. It’s a good thing Rudy decides to follow her, because the next time they meet he saves her life.

Kan comes to in the back of Rudy’s van. Well actually, it is an armored truck, the kind used to transport money, and it’s perfect for keeping out the pesky zombies. It can also mow them down easily. After a brief scuffle, Rudy convinces her he means no harm. Through conversation, Kan learns about the Famished, the dangerously fast zombies, and how different they are from the others. She learns a lot about what’s been happening while she was isolated in her bunker the first four years. Staying with Rudy, at least for now, is her best bet.

My thoughts and Ramblins

I’m going to warn you, I feel this story is for the older reading audience. There are no graphic sexual scenes but there is some mature content.

I love my zombies and I sure did get plenty of them in Taking on the Dead. I also got one heck of a great story about survival and humanity, and the lack of it. Not everyone that survives is nice, just like before the apocalypse. The characters are diverse and all too human.

Of course, there is some romance in the story. It is subtle, creeping up on you, just like it does to Kansas. It is not the focal point, but it definitely makes the story better. Wouldn’t you want someone to have and to hold when your world is overrun with zombies? I know I wouldn’t mind having someone to care about, otherwise, what’s the point of surviving?

Kansas is strong-willed and independent, but not necessarily a loner. Enter Rudy and her life gets complicated. Who could resist a man like him. Strong and gentle, with a large dose of sexiness and endearing humbleness. They are a good fit.

Here are some of my favorite scenes:

I almost elbow Rudy to wake him until I see how he looks when sleeping…Despite all the fighting, his nose is straight. Small scars from past fights etch his skin. A small, wide one dresses his lower lip. One much longer goes from his lower jaw to underneath the chin, his stubble efficiently covering it up. A chipped tooth adorns his bottom row of teeth.  The scar on his right eyebrow no longer allows hair to grow, splitting the eyebrow in half. He might get another scar on his left eyebrow, the cut is scabbed over now, and it’s wider then the scar on his left side. Very small imperfections, not even noticeable unless you look closely. It doesn’t take away from his handsome face. It enhances his masculinity, as if he needs it. The small flaws have history and give him character. Flaws I want to know about, and could grow quite fond of if I’m not careful.

Jesus. This chivalrous barbarian is beautiful. What am I getting myself into?

And of course some humor

“I’m thinking of naming your truck. I must be out of it.” I prop my head on the pillow against the window.

There’s slight amusement across his features. “What did you have in mind?”

“I don’t know. Something domineering and associated with a big ass.” I motion with my hands.

He surprises me by saying, “Agatha. I had a teacher in the sixth grade, and that was her first name. She liked her power over us weaklings and she had a gigantic ass.” He starts laughing and shaking his head as if to clear the thought.

“Yeah, that fits. Agatha.” I say, trying it out.

“She was scary. I was glad when sixth grade was over.” We both laugh at this. I can’t picture him afraid of anything. It feels good to be laughing about something completely stupid. I can see he needed to laugh too.

The humor is well placed throughout the story, lightening the mood and giving you a break from the stress of survival, just as it would in real life. You know the scenes, where the cop makes a joke in poor taste about a victim?  That is a coping mechanism, and everyone needs one. The humor makes this story believable.

In one part Kansas poses an interesting question about zombies. One I am now curious about as well.

Do the souls get stuck to watch and feel their bodies decompose, all the while having an uncontrolled, insatiable craving? I guess that’s why I like killing them, just in case. No one deserves that fate.

There are some colorful characters you’ll be meeting.  There are the good, the bad, and the ugly. They all play their part, keeping you entertained and engaged.

This is my stopping point. I don’t like to tell much about the story past the one-third point. I like to draw you in and get you interested, much the way Annie Walls did to me.

I loved every second I was in it, and yes, it felt like I was a part of it. Fantastic job Annie!

Just one more thing and then you can go get Taking on the Dead.

About the ending!

I was talking to Mandy over on Goodreads. She is right about the ending! That’s all I’m saying.

5 Stars

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About Annie Walls

Annie Walls

Author of dark fantasy and sub-genres of horror. Voracious Reader and Googler. Lover of dark humor. Horror Buff. Zombie Apocalypse Enthusiast. Loyal Cracked follower. Pinterest Addict. Wife of adoring husband. Mother of a five year old Bruce Wayne. Cook. Maid. Kisser of boo-boos. Ultimate Time Waster. Perfect Procrastinator. Lolly Gagger. Trubie. Cake Decorator. Tea Drinker. Sculpey Sculptor. Girl Gamer. Perfectionist in the art of Facebook stalking. And now, God help me, a blogger. Oh yeah, and a twitter, twatter, tweeter. Well yeah, I’m one crafty bitch

You can find Annie here:

http://www.AnnieWalls.com

https://www.facebook.com/annie.walls

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5777960.Annie_Walls

http://www.twitter.com/TheAnnieWalls

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sign the end photo: The End the_end_sign_webpic.jpg