Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Daniel Sharpe survived the end of the world. Now he lives alone, fearful that he may be the last living person on earth. It’s too dangerous for him to venture outside – to try and find other survivors – with that ominous black cloud of death still looming in the sky above.
When a manila envelope mysteriously arrives with an invitation to join “The Continuance Agency”, an organization on a mission to save mankind, Daniel has to decide if it’s worth the risk to try to join up, to see if he can help to save whatever’s left of the world. But deep inside he wonders: is “The Continuance Agency” really what it claims to be?
I added The Continuance Agency by Adam Light to my TBR on 12.19.12. I quickly learned that he writes awesome horror stories and grab his books whenever they are available.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
In a desperate attempt to escape destruction decades earlier, humankind was forced underground, into the depths of the earth, creating a new society called the Tri-Realms.
After her parents and sister are abducted by the Enforcers, seventeen-year-old Adele, a member of the middle-class moon dwellers, is unjustly sentenced to life in prison for her parents’ crimes of treason.
Against all odds, Adele must escape from the Pen and find her family, while being hunted by a deranged, killing machine named Rivet, who works for the President. She is helped by two other inmates, Tawni and Cole, each of whom have dark secrets that are better left undiscovered. Other than her friends, the only thing she has going for her is a wicked roundhouse kick and two fists that have been well-trained for combat by her father.
At the other end of the social spectrum is Tristan, the son of the President and a sun dweller. His mother is gone. He hates his father. Backed by only his servant and best friend, Roc, he leaves his lavish lifestyle in the Sun Realm, seeking to make something good out of his troubled life.
When a war breaks out within the Tri-Realms, Tristan is thrust into the middle of a conflict that seems to mysteriously follow Adele as she seeks to find her family and uncover her parents true past.
I added Moon Dwellers by David Estes to my TBR on 12.4.12 and I don’t know why it has taken me so long to read it. I do remember seeing it everywhere at one time and I do love apocalyptic/dystopian novels. Throw in some science fiction for good measure. Have you read any of the series?
We begin Day 7 with Dan, my favorite guy, and my heart breaks for him. I have been with him every step of the way, from Day 1, of the apocalypse.
I will warn you about the characters and Nick Clausen’s ability to kill them off, no matter how brave, courageous and selfless they may be. So be leery of falling in love with any of them.
“…the human body can go three weeks without food, three days without water…and 3 minutes without oxygen.”
Does that whet your appetite for suspense?
Iver, who we met in Book 6, is still alive. YAY! He is a wonderful character, putting his life on the line to do the right thing. Getting away from the ferry was pretty amazing, but, now, they are stranded on an island…with zombies outnumbering them.
“Paranoid people live longer.”
William….When he was stranded in the car, I thought of Cujo, but he has it worse. Will he survive? I really want him to…BUT…it’s up to Nick. Is there a way, Nick?
OMG…you are killing me Nick! From beginning to end, my heart was in my throat. BUT, when I reached the cliffhanger ending, it dropped to my gut and I think it will drive me crazy having to wait until Day 8.
So much happens in each terror filled Day, it feels like weeks, months, or even years have passed. People’s true nature rises to the surface, their humanity…or inhumanity…exposed.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 7 by Nick Clausen.
5 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
The dead have awakened. The world is ending. Can the disaster still be stopped?
Our
survivors are facing daunting odds in their quest to find a way to save
the world from the brink of collapse. The dead are growing in numbers
rapidly, and hope seems like a distant dream.
This is Day 7 of the zombie apocalypse.
Fans
of Mark Tufo, TW Piperbrook, Bobby Adair and Camille Picott will devour
this action-packed zombie book. And if you liked The Orphans, Dead
State or The End of Everything, you’ll love Dead Meat.
What readers are saying about Dead Meat:
★★★★★ “like reading an episode of The Walking Dead” – Amazon review
★★★★★ “I’ve read a lot of zombie series, and this is the best” – Amazon review
★★★★★ “terrifying, nightmare-inducing, impossible to put down” – Amazon review
ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN
Born 1988 in North Jutland,
where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest
childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up
until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been
studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of
psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a
much more powerful pull on me.
I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In
fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book,
Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at
14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got
praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and
trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should
be an author.
That day I made a promise
to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and
started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a
half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the
rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could
feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The
thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the
publisher and came out a year later.
I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot
of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more
free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That
way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the
characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come
from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.
Yeah, I know, another virus novel…but Jason Parent has the ability to spin a tale that can rock my world, so I am very happy to read and share his version of research that is out of the control of those who TRY and contain it. Lives will be lost..and maybe…
As I write the review, I had to scrap my notes and write on the fly. I enjoyed the story so much, I sure don’t want to spoil anything for you, Experiencing the horror around every corner is worth finding out for yourself.
I know with Jason Parent, I’m going to have a wild ride into the depths of Hell, and I gladly buckle up, clench…well…everything, and settle in.
As each body falls to Molli, I keep hoping some will survive. Jason Parent creates characters that I quickly become involved with, and keeps me wondering if they will survive what is coming at them.
So…prepare yourself. Watch for that movement out of the corner of your eye. Is it Molli? How about that feeling that something is caressing your skin. Is it Molli?
Will anyone survive?
The ending…took my by surprise and I loved/hated it. I sat for a while, thinking about it. LOL Even though the story is told, my mind keeps going, anticipating what comes next. Is it really over? Great job, Jason.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Apocalypse Strain by Jason Parent.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A multi-national research team, led by a medical genomics expert suffering from MS, study an ancient pandoravirus at a remote Siberian research facility. Called “Molli” by the research team, the organic substance reveals some unique but troublesome characteristics, qualities that, in the wrong hands, could lead to human extinction.
The researchers soon learn that even in the right hands, Molli is a force too dangerous to escape their compound. But the virus has a mind of its own, and it wants out.
FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
ABOUT JASON PARENT
In
his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he
calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings
for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He
currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his cuddly corgi
named Calypso.
In a prior life, Jason spent most of his
time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he finally
tired of Latin phrases no one knew how to pronounce and explaining to
people that real lawsuits are not started, tried and finalized within
the 60-minute timeframe they see on TV (it’s harassing the witness; no
one throws vicious woodland creatures at them), he traded in his cheap
suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the
next day, and he’s back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that’s
another story.
When he’s not working, Jason likes to
kayak, catch a movie, travel any place that will let him enter, and play
just about any sport (except that ball tied to the pole thing where you
basically just whack the ball until it twists into a knot or takes
somebody’s head off – he misses the appeal). And read and write, of
course. He does that too sometimes.
I have been reading Ken La Salle’s work for some time now and he never ceases to amaze me with his creativity and ability to spin a tale…and some of them are pretty far out there. LOL And I love it.
I was very curious about the cover, because I knew Ken La Salle just couldn’t find the right thing, so I asked him to write up a guest post and share his thoughts about it. The story is very original, unique and…well, it’s very hard to describe, but if you like something that can shock you and make you stretch your mind, this could be for you.
So….welcome Ken.
IN HIS OWN WORDS…
“Seat
of the pants” is much more than a style of writing; it really is a way
of life. And this is especially true in the writing world where book
release dates and cover reveals are just as strategic as the handsome
stranger entering in the third act.
For
me, though, strategy can get boring sometimes. I was working on Heaven
Enough when I was first captured by this strange notion of art as
torture, which was only my first glimpse into the world of Little Mike.
As strange as this notion was, I knew I couldn’t create a traditional
outline or structure – or anything. Little Mike revealed itself much
like a sculpture locked in stone, freed by the tiniest chips.
Because
Little Mike was such a different kind of book, I talked up the idea
with some friends just to see their response to some of the ideas
presented and, after I wrote the novel, I managed to corral my first
beta readers. I knew there would be pushback to some of my ideas but I
was pleased to see the story connect in such a powerful way.
Agents
and publishers turned Little Mike away in droves, however. Still, I had
to believe that the reactions of my readers meant far more than the
publishers and agents who turned their noses up at the mention of a
Muslim prostitute. This was, of course, before my editor asked, and I’m
paraphrasing, “Are you sure?” This was before two cover artists told me
the cover was impossible to create and a third cover artist told me he
couldn’t “draw funny.” (Not that anyone asked…)
Seat
of the pants style, my wife and I bought a doll, found a place to shoot
the cover, and brought Little Mike to life ourselves.
“Seat of the pants” is not a guaranty of success; it is an offer of adventure, a ticket to unexpected destinations. I hope Little Mike takes you someplace unexpected, just as it did for me.
You accomplished your mission, Ken. You definitely took me somewhere I couldn’t have gotten on my own and I LOVE IT!Keep up the great work.
“The country needed more pollution and dumber children, I guess.”
WOW! I mean…WOW! Ken La Salle blew me away with this grotesquely hilarious glimpse of what our future could behold.
Ken La Salle writes some of the most wildly entertaining, unique, and creative stories I have ever read and Little Mike hits all the marks.
I love the simple cover and it sure doesn’t give anything away. He worked on the cover for quite some time.
Ken La Salle’s version on the have and have nots, and the decline of the human race is…
BEWARE: There is graphic violence and his version of the end of the world, man, oh man…bereft of all hope, surviving while waiting to die…sure don’t see much to live for.
Perversion, depravity. Totally twisted. Laughs and disgust. Need a strong stomach…and maybe a puke bucket. LOL
A satire on the state of the union and what the future could hold for us. Think you have it bad…these characters show that it can always be worse.
Who is better off? An optimist? A pessimist? A realist?
Thought provoking. Soul crushing. Hopeless and hopeful. Had me questioning myself and my responsibilities towards the world we live in.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Little Mike by Ken La Salle.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
He’s come to destroy the world. We beat him to it. Welcome to a world where you have to suck the KKK for breakfast and people fight for the right to be warehoused. Welcome to a world where television is free just as long as you never turn it off, where opioids are delicious and safe, mostly, where the streets are filled with the bodies of the dead, worms are blessed, and children are tortured for the sake of art. And into this world awakens Little Mike. Little Mike is a doll. Little Mike doesn’t know why he’s woken up. He doesn’t know that he means the end of humankind. He’s too busy being traded for sexual favors, watching Reality TV, and searching for the last shreds of human hope in the same landfill where they’d deposited their decency and their intelligence. Dystopia is a word that gets thrown around a lot but what do you call a world where the future has been stripped of its meaning? Where the petty greeds of humanity eclipse survival? Where corporations have data-mined the human heart… and no one can see beyond the latest distraction… and human history culminates in silent surrender? You’d call that the world of Little Mike. It only sounds like the world where you live.
ABOUT KEN LA SALLE
Born on an 18th century mining ship, Ken La Salle is not his name. He just likes it. He writes about whatever he damn well pleases, hoping to build more of a cult following than a readership just for a cut on the robes. Looking for the mainstream but sticking to the shore, you can find out more about Ken La Salle at the imaginatively named www.kenlasalle.com.
GIVEAWAY
Want a glimpse into Ken La Salle’s world? Now is your chance. Ken is offering 3 ebook copies of Little Mike. Entry is easy peasy. All you have to do is leave a comment answering the question and leaving your requested format and email:
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Torn by Christine Hughes has an updated cover (the below one). I really like the first one. The covers pop and the wings make me think of angels. Which appeals to you most?
TORN With the sudden, mysterious death of her father, Samantha discovers her life isn’t what it seems. Not only isn’t she the normal teenage girl she thought she was, Sam must now take her father’s place in the fight between two groups of fallen angels, the Faithful and the Exiled, in a race to save humanity. In addition to dealing with a devastating betrayal—and having feelings for someone she’s forbidden to love—Sam must also fight the growing darkness within her as she struggles to make a choice between fighting alongside the Faithful or succumbing to the temptation of the Exiled. Both sides require sacrifices Sam isn’t sure she can make.
I added Torn by Christine Hughes to my Goodreads TBR on 10.30.12. I probably won the book, because I don’t see where I downloaded it from a retailer. Torn has so many elements I love in books, angels/demons, apocalyptic/dystopian, paranormal/supernatural, forbidden love…and the author being a Jets fan (like Mr Wonderful) caught my eye.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Clio Kaid may be 17 and just beginning the last summer before her senior year, but her life is anything but typical.
She’s just discovered she was genetically altered before birth and is now headed to a top-secret Army campus to explore the surprising results of the experiment.
Follow Clio and the other teens as they develop fantastic super-abilities, forge new friendships, and find love as they search for answers.
I won Solid by Shelley Workings and added it to my TBR on 10. Everything about the book appeals to me. It is a YA novel, which I do read a lot of when they are also the paranormal and supernatural type. Apocalypti/dystopian/science fiction/fantasy makes me want to know about these kids and their powers. I love a simple cover that says a lot and this one stands out. I wonder how much it pertains to the story and I shall find out. How about you? Do you every get a bit peeved when the cover in no one matches the story inside?
The Dead Meat series started out as novellas and I am so excited that Nick Clausen has so much to share that now he has a full scale novel.
Nick Clausen takes a view from current events and expands on his Zombie virus, crossing borders and hop skipping across the water. He introduces new characters, some that I quickly grew to care for, and, of course, he is not afraid to kill them off. Goes to show ya, when your time is up, it is up.
Bloody, gory, horrific, people come and people, go, zombies walk and zombies fall, everything I look for in a good zombie story. Non stop blood and guts action, killing those who get bitten or scratched.
City to city, country to country, the virus spreads like wildfire, with no one able to curb the spread, let alone stop it.
You will want to read the series in order and I can hardly wait to see where Nick Clausen takes me next.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 5 by Nick Clausen.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Mille is aboard the ferry headed for Sweden, and so is the living dead. She tries desperately to stop the infection from spreading before the ferry reaches its destination.
By Day 5, the infection has reached several countries across Europe, leaving death and chaos in its wake. The fate of the world seems still closer to the brink.
ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN
Born 1988 in North Jutland,
where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest
childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up
until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been
studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of
psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a
much more powerful pull on me.
I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In
fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book,
Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at
14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got
praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and
trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should
be an author.
That day I made a promise
to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and
started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a
half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the
rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could
feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The
thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the
publisher and came out a year later.
I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot
of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more
free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That
way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the
characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come
from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.
All I had to do was look at the awesome cover for The Rose by P D Alleva and know I want to read it. I have high expectations and my fingers crossed that it will be a good dystopian thriller.
As soon as I saw the cover for The Rose by P D Alleva, I had to have it. Alien vampires…don’t see a lot of those and I am looking forward to finding out WTH is going on.
Sandy, who is pregnant, and Phil are hiding out in a demolished hotel, watching the American, Russian, and Chinese soldiers kill everyone, men, women and children.
Phil tells Sandy his mission is to find her and bring her to Atlanta. Why is she so special? Or is it her unborn child? No matter, he will lay his life on the line for them.
So far, I am loving where this is going…Alien vampires with evil intent. And the government? No surprise they sell out the little guy is there? What are the ancestor Dracs true intentions, the ones kept hidden from humans and their subordinates?
The Rose is magic and both humans and Dracs have access to it. Indigo is a threat to the Dracs, a human threat they are determined to find and eradicate.
Tesla, a Drac, immediately caught my attention. I think she could be one of the good guys, but we will have to wait and see if I am correct.
Well, that was an action packed adventure that had me quickly flipping the pages, wondering what was going to happen to who.
Alien vampires, werewolves, and other wicked creatures, and the humans who have become involved with them since the war and destruction of Earth. Why are they here? What do they want? Creatures, battles, fights for their lives, caves and pits…It will take another novel to tell the tale and I am very curious to know.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Rose by P D Alleva.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A masterful, dystopian science fiction thriller of, telepathic evil greys, mysterious rebellion, martial arts, and Alien Vampires.
Sandy Cox believed WWIII was over. But for those Alien Vampires, War Has Just Begun.
Forty-eight hours after a World War III treaty is signed, Sandy Cox awakens in an underground compound unable to move. Tied to machines she screams for help but no one answers. At least no one human.
And they’ve taken her unborn child.
Phil is a rebel freedom fighter who has had more than his share of Alien Vampires. Armed with THE BLADES, a sacred alien martial art, he enters the compound on a mission to find Sandy. But as he battles through the compound, Phil discovers Sandy has her own agenda. Finding her stolen child is all that matters.
But the vampires have their own plan and Sandy’s baby is at the heart of their diabolical plot. Joined by a crew of rogue soldiers, they must navigate the underground compound, battling genetically mutated humans, aliens and monsters.
When battling Alien Vampires, one thing is certain…Get Ready To Bleed!
Fans of The Hunger Games, George RR Martin, VE Schwab, Star Wars, and Ancient Aliens will be fascinated by this high-powered, intelligent, edge of your seat dystopian sci-fi action thriller.
ABOUT P D ALLEVA
“This ambitious novel plays unashamedly in the pulp-SF sandbox. . . A conspiracy mavens dream, packed with gory alien-vampire action.” ~ KIRKUS REVIEWS
“An action packed no holds barred adventure with cinematic flair. Great for fans of Jeff Vandermeer’s Annhilation, L. Ron Hubbard’s Battlefield Earth, and John Ringo’s A Hymn Before Battle.” ~ Booklife Reviews
“Forget what you know about vampires and prepare to get a new bite from the tastefully different rules in The Rose Vol. 1. Bringing a new twist to a well-known genre is usually a riskWebsite, but PD Alleva has found a brilliant way to make it work. The Rose Vol. 1 is a fantastic recommendation for fans of vampire, fast-paced action, heart-racing, and dark-themed novels.” ~ Readers Favorite
Born in Brooklyn, New York, raised in Westchester County, New York, living in South Florida since 1992. A child of the 90’s PD has coined a new genre, Alternative Fiction. Why? Because Multi-Genre Author sounds like you’ve got marbles between your cheeks.
An avid reader who loves to talk books, PD will write short reaction reviews for the books he has finished and has not one issue answering questions from readers as they come.
MY REVIEW FOR THROUGH THE FURY TO THE DAWN BY STU JONES
Though I am not what I would consider religious, I love to read about angels and demons. I jumped on this series because I have read some of Stu Jones work and loved it. I am looking forward to reading what he says is a story of faith, conviction and redemption.
I can usually go wherever an author wants to take me and was easily lead into this series with Stu Jones’ ability to pen a great story and OMG, I am lost in this world. As I read, the pacing flows like a river and I am along for the ride. The evil is true EVIL and man descends to its basest levels. BUT…
God won’t forget his creation and has a chosen few that will rise to the occasion. Dark and gritty doesn’t begin to describe the levels Stu Jones goes to in order for us to join in the battle of Good vs Evil…and it will be a fight to the death.
Through the Fury to the Dawn reads like an apocalyptic/dystopian, paranormal/supernatural novel, with a heavy dose of religious influence. I immediately began reading Book II, Into the Dark.
All profits are donated to combat sex trafficking.
A huge thank you goes out to Amazon for the two months of free Kindle Unlimited, of which this series is not the only one I was able to finish.
5 Stars
MY REVIEW FOR INTO THE DARK BY STU JONES
I immediately began reading Into The Dark by Stu Jones as soon as I finished the first book in the Action of Purpose series, Through the Fury to the Dawn. I think this could be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend beginning at the beginning.
We start at mourning the loss of someone I will miss dearly, but each character has their role to play and Stu Jones has no qualms about killing them off for the good of the story…and it definitely creates some emotional backlash for me.
We get an indepth look at some of the characters and how they came to be who they are.
Life has changed drastically since the destruction caused by WWIII.
Unputdownable! The nail biting, spine tingling suspense made me unable to stop fretting, racing through the pages. Bodies falling in grotesque manners, the sick, Malak, who is much more than a man of evil, Kane, Courtland, Jenna, Tynuk and Az….
I love the blend of genres and was amazed at how easily it was for me to accept the religious angle because it fits so well.
OMG. I had tears in my eyes as the brutal battles rage through the pages, losing some of those I have come to care for deeply. I love a series that maintains the same level of intensity throughout. It doesn’t happen often. Kudos Stu. Keep up the great work. AND…I’ll be checking out Book III right now.
5 Stars
MY REVIEW FOR AGAINST THE FADING BY STU JONES
Each book of the Action of Purpose series begins where the previous book left of. With that being said, I am all in and can hardly wait to get to the conclusion and find out what happens to all my friends.
In Against the Fading Light, Tynuk’s story is told and I love this young man. He is a believer, never wavering.
Kane and the gang are what family is all about, though they are not related.
As the showdown approaches, God’s talking and the angels are listening.
I AM LOVING THIS SERIES. I am not religious, don’t go to church, but this story and Stu Jones’ ability to tell it has blown me away. Amazing, awesome, uplifting, hopeful, heartbreaking, devastating…
I must warn you…put aside some time, because once you start reading about this battle between good and evil, you won’t be able to stop! The ending was all I could hope for and he kept me entranced, riveted, unable to quit until the last page was read.
