Financial Collapse Brings Down US – The Surrendered by Case Maynard Giveaway @Case_Maynard @XpressoReads

Posted on September 21, 2016 by fundinmental

The Surrendered
Case Maynard
Published by: Blaze Publishing
Publication date: September 20th 2016
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult

After a financial collapse devastates the United States, the new government imposes a tax on the nation’s most valuable resource—the children.

Surrendered at age ten—after her parents could no longer afford her exorbitant fees—Vee Delancourt has spent six hard years at the Mills, alongside her twin, Oliver. With just a year to freedom, they do what they can to stay off the Master’s radar. But when Vee discovers unspeakable things happening to the younger girls in service, she has no choice but to take a stand—a decision that lands her on the run and outside the fence for the first time since the System robbed her of her liberty.

Vee knows the Master will stop at nothing to prove he holds ultimate authority over the Surrendered. But when he makes a threat that goes beyond what even she considers possible, she accepts the aid of an unlikely group of allies. Problem is, with opposing factions gunning for the one thing that might save them all, Vee must find a way to turn oppression and desperation into hope and determination—or risk failing all the children and the brother she left behind.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

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EXCERPT

A sinking feeling washes over me. “We’re going to Meadowood.”

He responds without opening his eyes, “I want answers.”

I start to argue that this will be a fool’s errand, but in truth, I want the same answers he does. “Do you think the man who rescued Oliver was with the Southies?”

“I don’t know who else it could’ve been.” He sits up and stretches. “It must’ve been them, and I want to know why they changed the plan without informing us. The Master and his Regulators got to the rooftop very quickly after I fired that shot. I have to wonder if someone told them we were there.”

“You think the Southies took Oliver to get the combination and then set the Regulators on us? Why would they do that?”

He rubs his face. “It doesn’t make any sense. But something’s not adding up.”

I ponder this, thinking about my brother’s strange plea. “I know you think I’m insane, but I can’t help but feel like Oliver knew someone was going to take him; I swear it felt like he was speaking to me when he said not to interfere. But that doesn’t make any sense, either. He’s been behind the fence for years.”

Cason yawns and tries to shake off the effects of the Papaver. “I don’t think you’re crazy; his message did seem odd for someone who was about to hang for a crime he didn’t commit. I don’t know, but hopefully he’ll be at Meadowood and you can ask him yourself.”

My mood elevates as I realize I may only be hours away from a reunion with my brother. The pain in my arm forgotten, I try to concentrate only on this knowledge, confident we’ll have our answers soon enough. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you for earlier. You could’ve just turned me over to the Master and walked away, but you didn’t. I’m grateful for that.”

I feel a little embarrassed as soon as the words leave my mouth. Normally I’m not one to share my feelings, but the Papaver Flower makes me breathless and lightheaded and loosens my tongue.

He reaches for me, careful not to jostle my splinted wrist, and pulls my face to his. “I’m probably going to ruin that sentiment by telling you the Master would never have let me go anyway, but know this—” he runs the pad of his thumb along my lower lip and meets my eyes “—if everyone else in the entire world leaves you to fend for yourself, if your father, your mother, your brother disappoint you, if God himself decides you aren’t worthy . . . you’ll still be able to count on me. I’ve got your back, Vera.”

Video reading by the author of the first chapter here.

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Author Bio:

With over 20 years’ experience in the legal and medical fields, Case Maynard decided to trade in her briefs and reports to write the stories that have been floating around in her head since childhood. She lives with her two teenagers and husband in South Georgia, while maintaining a long-distance liaison with her oldest daughter and partner in crime in Alaska. When not writing, she enjoys reading as often as possible, binge watching anything good on Netflix, and all things NCAA football (Go Noles!). You can learn more about Case and her stories on her website.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

$15 Amazon Gift Card (INTL)
Blaze Publishing Swag Pack (INTL)
Blaze Publishing Ultimate Swag Pack (US Only)
Rise of the Dystopians Book Set (3 Dystopian Novels) US Only

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Free Book & Giveaway – Ghost Hope by Ripley Patton @rippatton @XpressoTours

Posted on June 15, 2016 by fundinmental

Ghost Hope
Ripley Patton
(The PSS Chronicles #4)
Publication date: June 15th 2016
Genres: Paranormal, Thriller, Young Adult

Olivia Black does not feel safe. Nightmares plague her sleep and haunt her days. If she has to endure one more minute stuck in a safe house in rainy Portland, she’s going to lose it. When Mike Palmer sneaks off to find her sister Kaylee without her, it’s the last straw. She has to do something.

Then Palmer’s hackers find the Dome on a satellite feed: dark, abandoned and smack in the middle of the Oregon desert three hundred miles from where it started. If they can reach it before anyone else, they can crack the computer systems and access every piece of information on PSS the CAMFers and The Hold have ever collected.

But in order to do that, Olivia must return to the origin of her fears in a race against all the forces that have ever pitted themselves against her. She must unravel decades of deceit to reveal the true origins of Psyche Sans Soma to the world at last.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Previous books in the series:

**Grab Ghost Hand (book 1) for FREE! Plus, book 2 & 3 are on sale for 99cents – until the end of June only!**

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EXCERPT:

“Olivia!” My mother’s voice jolted me awake.

I sat up in the rental van’s passenger seat, wiping drool from my cheek. Chase and T-dog’s Westfalia had stopped in front of us at a massive gate rising out of the darkness, topped with barbed wire and sporting several Danger: High Voltage and No Trespassing on Federal Land signs.

We had arrived at Umatilla, and I’d fallen asleep, like I always did in a moving vehicle, before I’d explained to my mother that I’d lied about our destination. We were not on a scenic over-nighter up the Columbia River Gorge. That had just been a cover story.

“Olivia Anne Black,” she said, pointing at the gate. “What is that?”

“Um—I don’t know,” I stammered. “We must have taken a wrong turn.”

“Is this the motel?” Grant asked groggily from the back. It sounded like I wasn’t the only one who’d taken a nap.

“No, it’s not,” my mother answered testily. “What the hell is he doing?”

She was referring to T-Dog, who had gotten out of their van carrying something bulky under his arm. When he set it down and started fiddling with a controller in his hands, I realized it was one of those personal drones. Suddenly, the little thing lit up and went whirling into the air, kicking up dust and flying over the gate. On the other side, it dipped down and stopped, a green light flashing on its undercarriage as it hovered over some kind of control panel. As I watched, a green light began flashing on the panel too, like they were communicating with one another. Because they were. T-dog was hacking into Umatilla. He was breaking into a federally-owned chemical depot.

I could feel my mother turning toward me, a question in her eyes, her lips parting to ask it.

Headlights, high and wide, flashed in the rearview mirror, blinding me. They were barreling down on us, but I only heard the rev of the engine just before the crunch of impact.

The whole van jerked forward, shoving us toward the back of the Westfalia and stopping only inches from its rear bumper.

“What the—?” Grant yelled, and I heard cries of alarm from Passion and Samantha.

My seatbelt dug into my waist and my shoulder, but the airbags hadn’t deployed, so that was good.

In front of us, T-Dog scrambled back into their van and slammed his door. The gate started to open, the drone hovering on the other side, still blinking green.

There was another crunching sound and a slight tug backwards. Then, more revving.

“Hold on. They’re coming again,” my mother said, jamming the van into drive and laying on the horn like a mad woman. We couldn’t go anywhere. The Westfalia was right in front of us and some lunatic was behind us, gearing up to rear-end us a second time.

“We have to go through,” I told my mom, gesturing at the gate.

“I know,” she said, glaring out at the windshield and revving our engine now. “Get out of my way, you two. What are you waiting for?” she mumbled under her breath, laying on the horn again and not letting up.

The vehicle behind was almost upon us. I could hear it coming.

Up ahead, T-dog glanced at me in his side view mirror, but it was too dark to read his expression. Had he and Chase set us up? Was this their doing?

The gate was open wider now, maybe wide enough for the Westfalia, but would it be enough for our bigger van?

“Hold on,” my mom said, glancing in the rearview mirror and slamming her foot on the gas.

I braced myself, this time for impact from the back and front, but it didn’t come.

We surged forward, gently kissing the back bumper of the Westfalia, both of us racing through the still opening gate. I heard a horrible sound, metal screeching against metal, and sparks flew in a shower away from us as the huge closures of the gate scraped down both sides of our van.

As soon as we were free and clear, Chase veered off to the right and pulled to a stop. As we drove past, I could see T-Dog holding the drone remote out his window, working it frantically, trying to close the gate before our attackers made it in. But he wasn’t fast enough. The pick-up truck that had rear-ended us roared forward, squeezing through just like we had. For a moment, I thought it had a really weird hood ornament, but then I realized it was the drone, flying low and toward us in front of the truck.

“Get higher,” I murmured to the little thing. As if hearing me, it did, rising above the front of the truck only to plummet a second later just as the vehicle overtook it.

And then it was gone, sucked under the huge wheel of the big truck with a soft crunch and a shower of shrapnel spraying from its undercarriage.

“Stop the van,” I told my mother, but she’d already turned and was pulling up alongside the guys.

“Who is that?” I shouted out my window at Chase, pointing at the truck as it pulled up, headlights blinding us all, the gate clanging shut behind it.

“I have no idea,” he shouted back. “But I think we’re about to find out.”

A truck door slammed.

A dark form moved, crossing the dusty swathe of its high beams, and a man emerged, tall, wrinkled, and tan, a long rifle dangling from his right hand.

Author Bio:

Ripley Patton lives in Portland, Oregon with one cat, two teenagers, and a man who wants to live on a boat. She doesn’t smoke, or drink, or cuss as much as her characters. Her only real vices are writing, eating M&Ms, and watching reality television.

Ripley is an award-winning short story writer and author of The PSS Chronicles, a young adult paranormal thriller series. The first book in the series, GHOST HAND, was a semi-finalist for The Kindle Book Review 2013 Best Indie Book Awards and a Cybil Award Nominee.

The second book in the series, GHOST HOLD, was released in September 2013.

The third book in the series, GHOST HEART, was released in October 2014.

And GHOST HOPE, the final book of the series will be released in the Spring 2016.

You can find out more about Ripley and her fiction on her website at ripleypatton.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Fantastic Giveaway for State of Alliance by Summer Lane

Posted on January 31, 2015 by fundinmental

StateOfAllianceBlitzBanner1

fundinmental would like to welcome Summer Lane and State of Alliance.

Thanks so much for the Guest Post, Summer.

I love learning the extents an author will go to do their research.

The Carmel Mission and State of Alliance

By Summer Lane

When I was writing State of Chaos in 2013, I did a lot of hands-on research to get a feel for what Cassidy Hart would be experiencing when she began fighting with a guerilla-war rebel group. I went to a range and took a rifleman course (the longest day of my life! I’ve got the scars to prove it!) to make sure I wrote about weaponry and marksmanship as accurately as possible. What’s my point? I love research, and if I’m going to write about something, I’m going to get as close to the subject as possible.

For State of Alliance, I went to Monterey to research geographical locations for the fifth installment of Cassidy’s story. One of the places that really resonated with me was the Carmel Mission, perhaps the most famous mission on the California coastline. Father Junipero Serra – the Father of the California Missions – is buried here. It is a gorgeous, deeply spiritual place. I connected with it. I loved the atmosphere and the architecture. As I visited, I saw Cassidy coming here for an integral part of the story. I took about five hundred pictures, stowed them away, then scurried home. The Carmel Mission makes a lovely cameo in State of Alliance, providing Cassidy Hart with something important that she’ll need to survive the storyline!

Look at that gorgeous cover.

I can only guess at what is to come.

Add Me To Your Goodreads now.

Book & Author Details:

State of Alliance by Summer Lane
(Collapse Series #5)
Publication date: January 30th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic

SYNOPSIS

There is no such thing as safe.

For Commander Cassidy Hart, staying alive is only one of her day-to-day problems. As a newly minted Senator of the State of California, she must travel to Monterey Bay with the hope of bringing an agreement between the militia forces and the Pacific Northwest Alliance as the United States desperately battles against the shadow invasion forces of Omega.

But Monterey is not what it seems. The threat of another Omega attack looms on the horizon, and Commander Chris Young – the love of Cassidy’s life – is not the only important person in Cassidy’s life who is keeping secrets. Assassinations, betrayal and startling revelations lie ahead.

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The war is now. Fight or die.

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Choose your side.

The fifth installment in the international bestselling Collapse Series, a YA/NA post-apocalyptic romantic adventure.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Summer Lane is the author of the international bestselling Collapse Series and Zero Trilogy. She owns WB Publishing and Writing Belle, an online magazine dedicated to the Art of Storytelling. Summer is also an accomplished creative writing teacher and professional journalist. She lives in the Central Valley of California where she creates her stories and shares them with the world.

Blog / Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

If you must have it now, grab your copy here.

GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

13 eBooks:
- The Soul Thief, Majanka Verstraete
- Trigger, Jill Meengs
- Dead Girl Walking, by Ruth Silver
- Spirit Warrior, by DEL Connor
- Fractured Dream, by KM Randall
- The Green Dagger, by Kelly Hess
- Jacob, King of Portalia, by Casey Cubb
- A Reaper Made by Liz Long
- The Road by G. Michael Hopf
- The Death, by John W. Vance
- Last Woman by Jacqueline Druga
- Realm of the Unknown by James McPike
- Element Wielder, by Cesar Gonzalez
1 paperback of The Lost and the Wicked by Cesar Gonzalez
1 signed copy of Day Zero by Summer Lane
$10 Amazon Gift Card

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Show the authors some love and let us know which one you would choose if you win.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Friday 56 #33 & BB #10 ~ FREE Short Story ~ Firefly by Jen Minkman

Posted on December 12, 2014 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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I have been reading and reading and reading.

I finish one book and immediately begin on another.

I can’t seem to stop myself long enough to write the reviews.

Here is a free holiday read.

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FIREFLY

A dystopian story of Christmas

Jen Minkman

This short story was still free at the time of posting.

Check for the “0”.

GOODREADS

(page 56% on Kindle)

There was a hidden layer of society dabbling in something forbidden, and it was providence that had brought her to this place to find out more.
~~~~~~~~~~~

(Book Beginnings)

The first time she heard the peculiar sound, Zlata was getting back from a long day of work at the National Labor Office.

Curiously, she peered into the narrow, dark alleyway off Noah Boulevard. It was a sound she’d never heard before in her life – reminiscent of a cat meowing, but more appealing and far more beautiful. The sound made her feel sad and elated at the same time.

What do you think the sound is?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

SYNOPSIS

As decreed by the State, the Citizens of Ebrus are not allowed to:

Visit the ocean surrounding the Walled City.
Ignore curfew and stay out after seven.
Call in sick more than three times a year.
Sing.

A short, dystopian story about the spirit of Christmas.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Day Zero by Summer Lane – Book Blitz Giveaway

Posted on October 11, 2014 by fundinmental

DayZeroBlitzBanner1

Day Zero is a novella, the first installment in The Zero Trilogy, a novella series complementing the international bestselling Collapse Series.

Welcome to my stop for Day Zero.

Read the synopsis and guest post, then enter the giveaway.

Enjoy!

Add ME to your Goodreads reading list now!

Book & Author Details:

Day Zero by Summer Lane
(The Zero Trilogy #1)
Publication date: October 10th 2014
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

SYNOPSIS

Elle is a survivor.
Since the collapse of modern society, she’s been living in the remains of downtown Hollywood, California, foraging for food and fighting for her life.
And then everything changes.
After she is forced out of her home, she heads north. What she finds is a group of bunker survivors, unlikely comrades, and the hope of a safe haven. Together, they journey toward the dregs of civilization, facing starvation, imprisonment and death.
They are alone, but they are ready.
Day Zero begins today.

GUEST POST

The Delinquents – Who are they?

Day Zero was fun for me to write because I finally got to add characters that I never had a chance to include in my ongoing Collapse Series. I was able to explore the personalities and characteristics outside of the military environment in which Cassidy Hart – the protagonist of The Collapse Series – finds herself.

I explore the survival mentality of people who are not militarily inclined, but rather the average of the average: teenagers. Elle herself is a hardened survivor, but other characters in the book are just learning the ropes of staying alive after the apocalypse, and it was fun to test out their resilience, so to speak. The Delinquents – as I call them – are the survivors that Elle teams up with in Day Zero. Without giving anything away, I can say that the group is diverse, and I loved creating the backstory for each and every character.

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Createspace

AUTHOR BIO

Summer Summer Lane is the author of the international bestselling Collapse Series, which includes State of Emergency, State of Chaos, State of Rebellion and State of Pursuit. The fifth installment, State of Alliance, is releasing January 2015. Summer is also the author of The Zero Trilogy and an upcoming survivalist/science fantasy series coming in 2015. She owns WB Publishing, Writing Belle Magazine, and is an accomplished creative writing teacher and journalist.

Summer lives in the Central Valley of California, where she spends her time writing, teaching, and writing some more. When she is not writing, she enjoys leisurely visits with friends at coffee shops, dates to the movies, hiking in the mountains and strolling on the beach.

Author Links: Website / Twitter / Goodreads

Click here to get your Amazon copy of Day Zero by Summer Lane.

GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

A pack of eBooks including:

Dead Girl Walking, by Ruth Silver
Fractured Dream, by K.M. Randall
Spirit Warriors: The Scarring by DEL Connor
Eyes of the Enemy by Kelly Hess
Jacob, King of Portalia by Casey Club
Destiny Gift by Juliana Haygert
Aftershock by Roberta Trahan

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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The World Has Ended – Where are The Cascade Preppers by A R Shaw

Posted on July 17, 2014 by fundinmental

I have watched TV shows about Preppers, so when I saw this, I had to jump on it.

I know this is Book II of Graham’s Resolution, but I’m willing to dive right in.

How about you? Have you watched any of the Doomsday Prepper TV shows?

MY REVIEW

This is book II of Graham’s Resolution and I have not read Book I, The China Pandemic. I felt have read enough of these books, that I could guess a lot of what happened in Book I and it wouldn’t affect me in my ability to read this one.

The Cascade Preppers is an apocalyptic novel that borders on reality. I quickly became familiar with the characters and the back story. I felt their fear and wondered who would live and who would die. I had a good idea of how it would end, plus or minus an event or two, but I had a good time with the gang. I immediately felt Addy would play an important part.

The China pandemic – a flu that wiped out the majority of the population leaving pockets of people that survived the initial onslaught. Some doctors today believe that will be our downfall.

The Preppers (who are clear of the virus) lived on one side of the river and the Carriers (those infected with the virus) on the other. No one knows the long term results, so they stay divided. They do not mix, because of the danger of passing the disease to those uninfected.

Clarisse was their hope of finding a cure. What if they found a vaccine? Would it create immunity and allow them to interact with their neighbors, the Carriers? Even if they found a vaccine, could the virus mutate and bring about the need for another vaccine?

Their doctor is a vet and everyone is thankful for his skills.

Graham and Tala are a couple. She found out she was pregnant. It raised questions some wouldn’t think about – what happens if you are pregnant and a carrier? What will the baby be? Would you have it or abort it? Would do what was needed to keep the majority safe at the sacrifice of the individual.

Would you want to be one of the first to go or one of those left to figure out how to rebuild the world? Would you be one of those people, you know, “Why Me?”

What about relationships? Would you choose what would be beneficial for the group, no matter your own needs and desires?

Inner hidden strengths people never knew they had would rise to the surface. People would learn what is most important in life. They would need to get past all the pettiness and accept people as they are, foibles and all. The need to work together, combining everyone’s strengths may enable all to survive. Rebuilding the world would be done one person at a time.

A lot about the The Cascade Preppers is pretty predictable, but I love these books. I feel they are bordering on the truth of what will be the worlds’ downfall. The writing is detailed and realistic. The shift of POV messed with me here and there, but I did like knowing what each person was doing and thinking through their own eyes.

Next, Sam checked the wind direction by lifting the end of his barrel into the air. The thread tied to the end of this gun barrel floated up and slightly behind them .

Now that is realism. It is descriptions like this that make the story so believable.

I have watched a lot of the Alaskan reality shows on TV and find it reminiscent of what people would need to do to survive an apocalypse. It makes it easier for me to imagine what these characters are going through and visualize their actions. An injury in such a remote area could end your life and that would be the same for the characters here. Damage or scarcity of their food supply could cause them to starve to death.

What would a psychologist think of a nightmare about being chased by a giant safety pin? LOL

I received this ebook in return for an honest and unbiased review.

3 Stars – Would Recommend To Others

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Virtual Book Tour Dates: 7/9/14 – 7/23/14

Genres: Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, SciFi

Series: Graham’s Resolution, Book 2

Tour Promo Price: $.99 Countdown Deal: 7/10/14 – 7/17/14

Cover: Keri Knutson

BLURB

What the world dreads most has already happened. Now, there is only survival.

In her dystopian and post-apocalyptic bestselling novel, The China Pandemic, A. R. Shaw created a realistic world after a much too plausible pandemic event. Now, the remaining must not only survive but thrive or risk complete extinction. The story moves forward with…

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The Cascade Preppers

Graham is back in book two of the Graham’s Resolution series. In the tiny town of Cascade, Washington, the members of Graham’s camp endure a severe winter season. Meanwhile, The Prepper community remains dedicated to isolation and maintains their benevolent relationship. Tensions rise when tragedy strikes. The human traits of community and compassion are pitted against instincts to survive. Will they be doomed by their own efforts to coexist? Read the ongoing saga of Graham’s Resolution, Book 2, The Cascade Preppers, for the startling revelation.

~~~

Excerpt

Chapter 1

The early winter sky cast in vibrant lavender led to piercing blue north of the horizon. It was as cold as hell is hot, if you can imagine the heat of hell as freezing. Graham pulled in the weighted line, hand over hand. He wrapped the twine from hand to elbow while staring down the murky blue ice hole of the frozen lake. The brown trout came squirming its way up the ice tunnel towards him, till it met its last fate.

Sam reached out and grabbed the greedy guy that currently hung in midair. Tearing the hook from its mouth, he dropped the frigid fish into a pail with its brothers. They went for quantity over size when fishing in the shallow waters beneath the ice, but the chore of getting enough to feed them all had taken a little longer than usual this morning. The sky had already gone from deep plum with a moon encircled in a fine mist to daylight so intense, eye protection and extra layers of fur to contain the fleeting warmth were called for.

Once they’d caught enough for everyone’s breakfast, they silently gathered their gear to make their way back up the trail to camp. Like any two men who’d worked the same routine, they would perform their job without uttering a single word with regards to the task. “Get your nose out of there, Sheriff,” Graham gently warned the dog in a worn, low voice as he caught him peering into the bucket. “You’ll get your share.” He tousled the dog’s head and picked up their morning haul. Sam came up behind him with the other lines after he’d covered the ice holes with spare plywood to keep them from freezing over too much.

“Ready?” Sam asked.

“Yeah.”

They crunched along the reliable crust as their boots echoed in the vast open until they met the trail between the trees. Mark had recently finished clearing the paths from that night’s continuous onslaught of snow.

As they walked up into the clearing, Bang, dressed in his snow gear from head to toe, tossed scraps to the chickens as they scampered all around him eager for their meager delicacies. Sheriff ran up ahead to help out his young friend. Amused that the dog didn’t understand why they kept the birds caged, nor why he wasn’t allowed to visit with them inside the coop, Graham laughed. The hens often ran away and rudely, collectively, scurried to the other end of their enclosure when Sheriff came to greet them each morning.

Graham called out to Bang, “Make sure you give them fresh water.”

“I always do,” Bang replied looking put out by the unnecessary reminder, then his expression changed. “Mark told me to tell you, Ennis isn’t up yet.”

“All right, thanks. I’ll give him a hand.” The two men walked in silence past the front of the cabin. Sam seemed to be pondering something which wasn’t unusual for the man. After spending the entire day with him, other than a nod or an occasional word, he didn’t say much, but Graham always suspected Sam was either thinking ahead or mourning his daughter. Whether he’d ever let another in on his thoughts, was anyone’s guess, so it surprised Graham when he spoke up.

“You know, he won’t see another winter. You might want to be prepared for that, Graham.”

Graham spoke softly. “Yeah, I’ve pretty much figured that out.” “We’re losing him a little each day. He rarely talks, but when he does it’s always warnings. Like, he’s trying to give us as much as he can before he goes.” Graham stopped in mid-stride and scuffed his boot at the ice, sending crystals a few feet forward. “I’m thankful we had him for as long as we did.”

Sam clapped him on the back in understanding. He liked Ennis too. The old man had even shown Sam a thing or two about carving the little wooden figurines he made for Addy, the daughter he could see and hear, but never again touch. If a man taught you something useful in life, he was a keeper in Sam’s book.

Buy Link: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A. R. Shaw, born in south Texas, moved to Washington State in the late eighties. Always writing quietly in what little spare time available while participating in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a Radio Operator and business owner. Only now embracing a writing passion full time and finding a place in the author’s community, Shaw has found a following of avid readers along the way.

Author Links

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Blog

Click on the cover below to pick up your copy of The Cascade Preppers by A R Shaw.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Teaser Tuesday #16 – The Shit Has Hit The Fan – The Cascade Preppers by A R Shaw

Posted on July 8, 2014 by fundinmental

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page.

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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THE CASCADE PREPPERS by A R Shaw

I have watched TV shows about Preppers, so when I saw this, I had to jump on it.

I know this is Book II of Graham’s Resolution, but I’m willing to jump right in.

How about you? Have you watched any of the Doomsday Prepper TV shows?

(Click on the cover to get your copy)

MY TEASE

(Page 74% on Kindle)

With only the rumble of the truck engine, the morning held a silent foreboding. She leaned farther out the broken window to peer through the hazy woods. The glow of the distant fire ceased along with the sound of the alarm right as she turned out onto the main road into town. Seeing no immediate danger, she assumed whatever had caused the fire was now under control, meaning her camp was no longer in any danger, meaning she was free to search for Graham.