Tag Archives: post-apocalyptic

BOOK BLITZ: My Only Friend, The End by Steven Owad

Posted on by



My Only Friend, the End
Steven Owad
Publication date: December 2nd 2024
Genres: Adult, Literary Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic

Everyone in town has dropped dead. Maybe everyone everywhere has. Surviving the flash extinction was easy. The hard part—living alone—starts now.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I spent the next two days nursing a chill fever and watching the fires engulf pockets of the city—more slowly than you might expect, with prodigious walls of steam wherever fire met the Missouri floodwaters. Despite the vivid show, there was something anticlimactic about the way the town died so gradually after everyone in it had died so fast.

The amoxicillin and painkillers aided the convalescence, but they did nothing for my mental health. Whether awake or asleep, I obsessed over my wife and son. I also immersed myself in a sea of questions that had no answers, questions that begat other questions, borne of illness of the body and mind. Some of the more obvious ones:

What to do now? Go find survivors? Stay here and make sure I’m visible when the National Guard comes?

Some were darker: Did Ronnie and Evan suffer, or did everyone everywhere really drop dead at the same time?

The biggest question of all, which I asked myself every few minutes: What the hell happened?

And that question’s obvious cousin: Why didn’t it happen to me?

A fact that ruled out positive answers: No rescuers had come to the aid of the 60,000 souls of Great Falls, Montana. This, combined with the death of all radio signals from near and far, told me this plague or, I don’t know, supercharged virus or whatever had a potentially planet-wide scope. But since I was alive, other people were alive too, right? At the very least another skydiver. A deep-sea diver. Someone who was immune to this … to this what? Was it a virus? Bioterrorism? How could it kill the people on the ground and the people in my plane but spare me? Did my high-speed fall—115 miles per hour—was that what saved me? My unique movement within a certain pocket of air pressure shielded me from a blast from an otherwise apocalyptic pathogen or radiation pulse or microwave beam? If so, were other jumpers still breathing? Or climbers up on Everest? How about miners and spelunkers and sailors in submarines? I couldn’t be the only one left.

Author Bio:

Steven Owad is an award-winning writer and editor living in Calgary, Canada. His novels have been praised in publications such as Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Kirkus Reviews, and his stage plays have been produced in theaters throughout North America. In his previous life as a newspaper editor, Steven lived in Thailand and Poland, where he begged journalists not to use “impact” as a verb. Before that, there was a degree in English, with a lot of thousand-page Victorian novels. These days shorter modern novels and plays are more his speed. Steven loves the outdoors when there’s no risk of frostbite. Connect with him on Facebook or at stevenowad.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

BOOK BLITZ: The Fortress by T.A. Styles

Posted on by

The Fortress, Book 1

 

A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller

Date Published: August 29, 2023

 

 

We are the fortress, and the fortress is us.

 

Sim was a teacher in his old life. Now he’s the savior of orphans.

He isn’t their father. God knows he has already failed in that role. But he
is their guide. And the kids? They are his penance. His redemption.

For three years Sim has prepared his orphans for the hard realities of life
after the plague that wiped out most of the global population. Theirs is a
life without laws or creature comforts. He has trained them to forage and
grow their own food, to be vigilant, and to protect themselves and each
other by any means necessary. In building a fortress of brick and mortar,
they’ve become a fortress of flesh and blood.

These allegiances and ideals are put to the test when a man named Zagan,
who believes himself to be on a mission for the devil to bring about the
destruction of civilization’s remains, gathers hundreds of marauders and
confronts Sim and his orphans in a merciless siege.

Will the fortress hold… Or will it collapse under the pressure of
evil?

About the Author

T.A. Styles earned his B.S. in Elementary Education and Mathematics and his
M.S. in Developmental Reading. He taught in elementary and junior high
schools for twelve years before launching his own childcare enterprise, TSL
Kids Crew, which he has operated since 2009. He has had a passion for
writing stories since he was a teenager, as it was a hobby and skill for
which he realized at a young age he had a knack for and loved. He has two
grown children and has traveled extensively including to Iceland, Australia,
Greece, Italy, South America, and many other places nationally and
internationally.

 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Instagram

 

Purchase Link

Amazon


BOOK BLITZ: The End of Never by Tamara Grantham #SciFi #postapocalyptic @XpressoTours @TamaraGrantham

Posted on by



The End of Never
Tamara Grantham
(Chronicles of Ithical, #1)
Publication date: March 7th 2023
Genres: Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction

The riveting sequel to Rone-award winning The 7th Lie.

When her worst fears come true, Sabine Harper must fight to save the only world she calls home.

Six months after Agent Harper stopped a deadly solar flare from destroying Earth, she’s sent back to the world of Ithical, where a mysterious civilization lives hidden under a dome. She’s tasked with finding the person responsible for stealing cerecite—a rare ore with near-magical capabilities. While cerecite can heal and provide energy, Sabine suspects the one stealing it may be using it for more sinister purposes.

After one of the world’s shield generators is destroyed, Sabine travels with Prince Morven to search for the perpetrator. They’re accompanied by the palace gardener, Cade MacDougall, and the princess, Vevina. When they locate the destroyed generator, they make a shocking discovery. The one who demolished the generator has plans to ruin the next three, which would not only devastate their civilization, but completely erase it.

But not all is as it seems. Sabine suspects her employer, Vortech, may not have the best intentions. Worse, the culprit may be closer than she realizes—close enough to kill if she gets too near to the truth. If Sabine and her companions can’t find the culprit in time, they could not only lose their world, but lose everyone they hold dear—including one another.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

The metal cable burned my palms as I dangled from the two-hundred-foot drop. Long strands of dark hair stuck to my sweat-dampened face, but I refused to loosen my hold on the cord.

“Sabine.” Cade’s voice cut through the static of my headset. “Fifty feet to go.”

“Understood.” I slid down an inch, then another. The lights on my helmet didn’t illuminate the cave’s floor. I could’ve been descending into the abyss of Hades for all I knew. There was a reason thieves had picked this place to mine cerecite—it was nearly impossible to access, which made me wonder how they planned to get their stolen ore topside.

“Almost there,” Cade said. “What do you see?”

“Rocks,” I answered.

I couldn’t find it in my heart to be polite to Cade MacDougall, who’d nearly killed me six months earlier. Though it turned out he’d had his reasons, I found it hard to trust him. And I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to that point.

My light shone on the granite stones enclosing me in their tomb. I breathed through the panic of claustrophobia tightening in my chest. My hands slipped on the cord, and I dropped a foot. My stomach bottomed out, and I cursed as I caught myself. The harness tightened around my ribs.

“You okay?” Cade asked.

I ground my teeth. “Fine. Lost my grip. Next time we do this, remind me to wear gloves.”

“Next time? This is the last time I’m doing anything like this. Sorry, but I’ve got better things to do than chase criminals.”

“Like plant flowers?” I asked.

“Exactly.” His voice held a hint of humor. “You know me too well.”

Author Bio:

Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series, the Shine novellas, and the Twisted Ever After trilogy. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB’S Book of the Year Awards, a RONE award for best New Adult Romance, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon with over 200 five-star reviews.

Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Lamar University. She has been a featured speaker at multiple writing conferences, and she has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.

Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks–which fuel her inspiration for creating fantastical worlds–and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at http://www.TamaraGrantham.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

BOOK BLITZ: Blackout Trail by Linda Naughton #Dystopoan #PostApocalyptic @XpressoTours @lynnnoton

Posted on by



Blackout Trail
Linda Naughton
Publication date: January 10th 2023
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic

Doctor Anna Hastings is no stranger to disasters, having spent much of her career as an aid worker in conflict zones around the world. Yet when an electrical phenomenon known as an EMP brings down the power grid, Anna faces catastrophe on a scale she never imagined. She must learn what it means to be a doctor in a world deprived of almost all technology.

As the blackout causes planes to fall from the sky, Anna crosses paths with devoted father Mark Ryan in the chaos at the airport. Mark convinces Anna to travel with him and his seven-year-old daughter Lily to their family’s cabin in remote Maine. There Mark hopes to reunite with his wife, and find a safe refuge from a society on the brink of collapse.

Journeying across a thousand miles of backcountry trails, they will face a daily struggle against nature. Their biggest peril, though, may come from their fellow survivors. As Anna grows closer to Mark and Lily, she resolves to see them safely home. But can she hold onto her humanity in a world gone mad?

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I lowered the phone and narrowed my eyes at the blank display. No indicators, no clock —nothing. How could it be dead already? I’d charged it before I left Jess’ house last night, and the damn thing was barely a month old. I scowled. “Oh, come on.”

The nearby baggage carousel ground to a shuddering halt. A collective groan from the other passengers drew my attention away from the useless brick in my hand. Snatches of disjointed conversation reached my ears.

“Can you hear me? I think we got cut off. Frank?”

“The hell? I had plenty of charge left.”

“Moooommy! My movie stopped!”

A growing sense of dread pooled in my stomach. It wasn’t just our baggage carousel that had stopped; they all had. Both the overhead lights and the computer screens showing the baggage carousel assignments had gone dark too. The only light streamed in from the floor-to- ceiling windows lining the perimeter of the baggage claim area. Why hadn’t the emergency lights kicked on?

The automatic sliding doors had also stopped, confounding a gaggle of college kids trying to leave. Beyond the doors, an ominous stillness had replaced the constant bustle of parking shuttles, cars, and taxis creeping along the pickup lane. There should’ve been engine sounds. Horns. Something. Now there were just a bunch of confused and pissed-off people getting out of their vehicles.

Grumbling from the other passengers gave way to a stunned hush. Panic bubbled just beneath the surface. You couldn’t set foot in an American airport these days without being bombarded with reminders of terrorism. Everyone looked at each other, the same question written on our faces: Was this some kind of attack? What should we do? I expected some sort of alert or explanation over the loudspeaker, telling everyone to remain calm, but none came.

A thunderous crash from the opposite end of the terminal had me ducking and covering my head. Metal screeched on metal, accompanied by the tinkle of shattered glass and an ear- splitting grinding sound. A chorus of terrified cries erupted around me. I’ll admit it—I screamed too. I caught a glimpse of a plane fuselage crashing through the airport ceiling before plowing into the ground.

The plane flattened the south end of the building as casually as a child knocking over a stack of blocks, and the resulting fireball sent flaming debris flying in all directions. At the opposite end, the shock wave knocked me off my feet. A rush of hot air stung my face and hands.

People started picking themselves up off the ground. Dozens of survivors made a mad dash for the exits. Their screams sounded distant to my ringing ears. Non-functioning doors proved to be a mild hiccup for the exodus. The lucky ones smashed through or pried the doors open before they got smashed against the glass.

Catching my breath, I rose to a crouch. The putrid smell of aviation fuel mixed with acrid smoke tickled my throat and made my eyes water. Heart hammering, I surveyed the destruction in slack-jawed horror. The rectangular terminal stretched for the length of a football field, and nothing remained of the south half but fiery rubble. Between here and there was a wide stretch where it looked like a bomb had gone off.

Author Bio:

Linda Naughton is a writer, software engineer, paramedic, and mother of two. She’s the author of several novels, gaming products, and the blog Self-Rescuing Princesses. A proud geek and gamer girl, she enjoys TV, movies, video games, and role-playing games. Visit her website at https://lindanaughton.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

BOOK REVIEW: Demon Defeat – Part One by MJ Haag #bookreview #paranormalromance #apocalypsefiction

Posted on by

Only the strong survive.

It’s been months since the earth opened up and unleashed hell on us. Months scouring the decimated Midwest in search of a way to stop the spreading plague and save what’s left humanity.

Instead, I discover something far more vital.

Whatever hell unleashed is following us. He has the body of a gladiator and the cunning mind of a general. He also has the power to stop the plague at its source. And all he wants in return is me–willing or not.

But, in order to save what remains of the world, he’ll need to risk the one thing he wants most. Me.
Perfect for fans of dystopian romance, frightening dark fey, and heroines with fire, Demon Defeat will take you to the edge of humanity–literally. 

Add to Goodreads

My Review – 4 stars

I’ve loved every book in this series, but for some reason, this one just didn’t wow me like they usually do. I think I had a harder time connecting with the characters in this one. They weren’t quite as three-dimensional to me as the previous books. It just felt like it was lacking the usual intensity, and while all the right words were on the page, the passion behind them didn’t feel like it was there.

I did enjoy the interactions between Andie and Molev, even though I wanted to smack her a few times. The secondary characters I either loved or hated. There was no inbetween. I’m curious to see what happens next, so I’ll be picking up the next book in the series. This one just didn’t wow me like the past stories have. I didn’t have the same connection as I typically do with the characters in this series, but it was still a good story.

*Disclaimer: The author did not request a review of this title. I purchased the book from Amazon and the review above is only my opinion.

BOOK REVIEW: Demon Kept (Resurrection Chronicles) by MJ Haag #darkfantasy #apocalypse #bookreview @AuthorMJHaag

Posted on by

Sometimes the past won’t stay dead.

Shelby’s suffered at the hands of her husband for too long. Rather than endure another beating, she risks everything and escapes with the creatures who brought about the downfall of the world.

The fey aren’t as horrible as her husband made them out to be. Sure they can kill with a flick of their fingers, but they’re also loyal, built like gods, and craving female affection. With the fey, Shelby might finally find a sense of safety and even a second chance at learning what real love looks like.

But it’ll take more than one fey to keep her safe from a past that isn’t yet ready to be history.

Add to Goodreads

MY REVIEW – 5 stars

Another wonderful addition to the series. And I’m so glad Shelby wasn’t punished for the sins of her awful husband. It warmed my heart for her to get a happily-ever-after.

**SPOILER* ALERT*

I hate spoilers, but it’s really hard to review this book without one. Major plot point most won’t see coming.

This is the only book in this series that’s a reverse harem, and I LOVED IT !! It breaks my heart this series is nearly over. I would love to see another pairing of a human woman and two fae.

This book has all the feels. Heartbreak. Hope. Happiness.

I think it may be my new favorite in this series.

*Disclaimer: I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. The author did not request a review. The review above is only my opinion.

Release Blitz: Survivors by Amy Marsden #paranormalhorror #LGBTQ @ninestarpress @GoIndiMarketing

Posted on by

Title: Survivors

Series: Survivors, Book One

Author: Amy Marsden

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 08/16/2021

Heat Level: 1 – No Sex

Pairing: No Romance

Length: 88500

Genre: Paranormal Horror, LGBTQIA+, paranormal, bisexual, post-apocalyptic, dark, medical personnel, scientist, military

Add to Goodreads

Description

It’s Jennifer’s 24th birthday and she planned to spend it having fun with her friends. Instead, she ends up running for her life through the dark streets of London.

Her world is torn apart by a new disease, the likes of which have never been seen before. The government’s decision to conceal its deadly nature exacerbates the panic, and in all the confusion Jennifer is bitten by an infected person.

That’s it, right? Her life over.

Wrong.

Immune to the virus’s ravaging effects, Jennifer finds herself with a small group of survivors. Together they must fight to stay alive long enough for a cure to be found. Humanity won’t be beaten so easily.

But madness looms large, and safety seems forever out of reach.

Excerpt

Survivors
Amy Marsden © 2021
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One
January 11th

Going to protests had become second nature to Jen. The gatherings were numerous, loud, and full of energy, but so far none of them had achieved anything. The world remained in the dark. Uncertainty pervaded the air like it had a physical weight, heavy and viscous, and Jen had long since grown used to it. She would be more uncomfortable if things were normal.

Fire threw orange light across the street, the shifting shadows dancing over riot gear as the crowd surged forward. Shouts and screams merged into a meaningless cacophony. Smoke hung over everything, obscuring people on the ground nursing broken noses, broken arms, broken legs. The camera spun in a disorientating way. Had the police attacked the news crew? Nothing would surprise her anymore. The roar reached a crescendo—

Jen switched the television off. Insecurity seemed constant, but she wasn’t going to let it ruin her twenty-fourth birthday. She’d seen it all before, anyway. The riots were becoming more and more frequent. She turned her attention back to the object in her hands and put all the confusion and dismay out of her mind.

The camera wasn’t the best on the market, but Jen loved it regardless, and she hadn’t been able to stop thanking her parents after they dropped it off yesterday. Jen liked the weight of it in her hands, ready to freeze everything away from the ravages of time. Her old camera had been damaged from years of use and abuse, and she vowed to take much better care of this one.

A sharp bang broke her concentration, and she jumped up as the door to the apartment burst open. What the—

“Jen? Damien?” Rhys’s strained voice sounded from the kitchen. What’s going on? He’d said he couldn’t make it tonight.

She entered the kitchen on light feet. If this was a prank for her birthday, she wasn’t going to be happy. She hated surprises.

“There you are,” Evelyn said. “C’mon, we have to go.” They were all there—Rhys, Evelyn, Amanda, and Rachel. Her friends. Instead of greeting her with smiles, hugs, and excitement, they looked scared, their bodies rigid as they stood in the kitchen. Rhys looked winded as he leaned on the kitchen counter, sweat running from his shaved head to his square jaw.

“What are you talking about?” Jen cut her laugh short as Evelyn threw a pleading look her way. This didn’t seem like a prank.

“Hey, guys,” Damien said as he entered the room, not a hair out of place. Jen had been ready for a good half an hour, but Damien had procrastinated and rushed to get dressed.

“Listen, we don’t have much time.” Rhys struggled to slow his breathing. Worry trickled down Jen’s back. This wasn’t like him at all. “I’m not even supposed to be here.” He still wore his army uniform. What are those stains?

“What’s wrong?” Damien asked slowly. Rhys wasn’t the type of person to play jokes on people.

Amanda shrugged. “I have no idea either. These two—” she gestured at Rhys and Evelyn as she shrugged out of her jacket and put her phone and purse on the counter “—found us walking up the stairs. Running like the devil was chasing them.”

“You all know about the new virus, right?” Rhys looked at them for confirmation, his dark eyes intense.

“Yeah, of course we do,” Jen said. People talked of little else. That and the less exciting news about a food recall and less on the shelves. “It’ll be okay. They’ll find a cure soon.” Conspiracies had sprouted up saying everyone who got the disease died, or the government had created it to stop overpopulation or some such nonsense. Fearmongering.

What worried Jen was how long they were taking to find a cure. With millions of people infected society had ground to a halt. Jen’s university had closed its doors last November, and she didn’t know when it would reopen. Restaurants and cafés had followed suit. It was a nightmare. Criminals became bolder too, with crime on the rise.

Quite a lot of the protests were about demanding to know what was going on. The majority of them devolved into riots these days, but the government kept assuring everyone they were doing all they could. Some people didn’t even believe the virus was dangerous.

“It’s much worse than the media is portraying—”

Rachel cut him off. “What do you mean ‘worse?’”

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

As a child Amy loved reading and writing, so naturally she graduated with a degree in biomedical science and has worked in a microbiology laboratory ever since. Her passion is writing however, and she started her first novel while still at university. When she is not writing about surviving apocalypses, exploring space, and conquering magic—all featuring LGBTQ characters—she can be found reading or playing games about those very things. She lives by the sea with her wife and fifteen-year-old cat who still runs around like a kitten.

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js