Thursday, July 31, 2014

Promo-topia Day: Mikhail Lerma's Z Plan: Blood on the Sand

It is with a heavy heart that we conclude "Promo-topia" but, as I promised, we are going out with a BANG! Today the spotlight shines on none other than Mikhail Lerma and his debut novel Z Plan: Blood on the Sand. If you don't already know Mikhail Lerma, get on board now because I suspect he is on the rise. To give you a little insight into our featured author, I did a little cyber-stalking on his Amazon Author Page (http://www.amazon.com/Mikhail-Lerma/e/B00919M4MI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1) and learned that he spent 10 years in the U.S. Army doing everything from driving trucks, gunning in a turret and being a combat medic. Now, he's able to focus his energies on his true passion....storytelling.

So, let's take a peek at the blurb for Z Plan: Blood on the Sand available at: http://amzn.com/B00M2C58Y2

Cale was sent to Iraq with the usual thoughts any Soldier going to war might have; being lonely away from his family, not wanting to take another human's life, and above all, the fear of never returning home. Although well trained, nothing could have prepared him for the horror he was about to face.

Cale never thought the thing that could keep him from ever seeing his wife and daughter again would be a zombie apocalypse. As he and a handful of fellow Soldiers escape their base after a massive zombie attack, becoming deserters in order to survive, he begins the long and unexpected journey home through the harsh terrain of the desert; a barren landscape now swarming with not only undead cannibals, but also the enemy he was originally sent to fight.

The newly formed group plans to travel west, find a boat and maybe, with a bit of luck, make it back to America. Cale is tested beyond his imagination and brought to the brink of insanity as he loses friends while fighting the flesh eating masses. He risks his life for weeks, focused on holding his wife and daughter in his arms again. It seems all hope is lost when he finds himself alone and adrift at sea ... but is hope really lost?

Inspired by my experiences as a U.S. Army Soldier in Iraq, BLOOD ON THE SAND delves into the idea of not just surviving a zombie apocalypse but making the seemingly impossible trek home. It is the first book in the Z PLAN series.


You can also connect with Mikhail on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ZPlanBook and Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MikhailLermaAuthor

*****Thanks for joining me all month in "Promo-topia". This is your host, S.G. Lee signing off and reminding you that we are returning to our regularly scheduled program of horror stories beginning August 4th. See you then!****

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Promo-topia Day: Kenneth W. Harmon

I hope you all have been enjoying "Promo-topia Month" as much as I have. Today, I have a very special guest. Please give a warm welcome to the enigma known as Kenneth W. Harmon. Why is he an enigma, you ask? Well, to meet him or interact with him on social media, you'd be inclined to think he is, perhaps, one of the nicest people on the planet and you'd be right. Then, you read his work and realize there is a dark monster hidden beneath the warm, friendly exterior which made me that much happier to have met him!

I can say this with certainty since I have been given a taste of his fiction novel The Amazing Mister Howard (due to be released in early 2015)  I cannot wait for his book to be released. Yes, I like to brag that I got a sneak peek but, in exchange, I am now doomed to torment. Like any great story, it has infected me and I am chomping at the bit to get more. I suspect this was all part of his master plan to torture me because he also gave me a snippet from his next novel and that has no release date yet because he is still in the process of writing it. But, while we are waiting for those release dates, we can read the true life account of the Harmon family and the ghost they encountered in Ghost Under Foot: The Spirit of Mary Bell. 

BUY IT HERE: 

Now, here's a peek at the book blurb for Ghost Under Foot: The Spirit of Mary Bell:
Weeks after settling into their new home in Fort Collins, Colorado, retired police officer Kenneth W. Harmon and his family make a chilling discovery: they’re living with a ghost.

This true haunting story begins during a ghost tour at the famous Stanley Hotel, where the Harmons experienced headaches and paranormal phenomena. Once back at home, strange rapping noises, eerie whispers captured on film, and unidentified figures in his photographs compel Ken to research the land’s history. What he learns shocks everyone: in the backyard sits the unmarked grave of Mary Bell Wilson, a young woman who died of typhoid fever in the late 1880s.

As his fixation grows, Ken uses a dowsing rod to communicate with Mary Bell’s spirit and investigate her brief life. The spirit’s surprising answers shed light on the nature of the spirit world and the mysteries of crossing over.


 Be sure to check out Kenneth W. Harmon on his website: kennethwharmon.com and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/KennethWHarmon. He really is one heck of a nice guy and a very gifted writer!

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Promo-topia Day- Saul Tanpepper's A Dark and Sure Descent

Welcome back to another day in "Promo-topia". With just a few days left, my month-long feature of fellow authors is drawing close to its inevitable end but I can assure you, we're going out with a BANG! Today, I'd like you to meet Saul Tanpepper, former Army Medic and Trauma Specialist with a PhD in Molecular Biology & Genetics AND author of many books including the GAMELAND series with his latest being: A Dark and Sure Descent: Being a True Account of the Long Island Outbreak available at:


As if that wasn't impressive enough; let's take a peek at the book blurb for A Dark and Sure Descent: Being a True Account of the Long Island Outbreak. 

It's the summer of 2030. The government is experimenting with a new digital network on Long Island. That's not all they're bringing.
This is the true account of a biomedical disaster that changed the world in the most terrifying way imaginable… and it all started with a single bite.

After the unexplained death of their newborn son, experimental biologists Lyssa and Ramon Stemple find themselves at the center of a brutal murder investigation involving an employee at their controversial animal research laboratory. The case takes a shocking twist when the slaying is linked to a mysterious and deadly new virus sweeping Long Island. At first believed to be a variant of rabies ravaging native animal species, the full extent of the epidemic soon becomes apparent. The Stemples are blamed for intentionally creating a virus which will destroy the Stream. As they attempt to flee the human scourge and their unjust persecution, their six-year-old daughter Cassie begins to show the first signs of infection. Desperate to save their only child, one parent will attempt a treatment so radical, so unthinkably horrific, that it will render the looming Apocalypse inconsequential.

A Dark and Sure Descent is a standalone novel in, and prequel to, the world of GAMELAND, the epic cyberpunk series published in episode format from May through December 2012. The events in this current book take place twelve years before the series and set the stage for the island to become the abandoned wasteland it has become. 


Be sure to check out Saul's Amazon Author Page at:  http://www.amazon.com/Saul-Tanpepper/e/B005KMQNK4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1  for a complete listing of his books. Also, you can connect with him on his website: tanpepperwrites.com and on Social Media.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Promo-topia Day- Devan Sagliani's Zombie Attack: Army of the Dead

Welcome back to Promo-topia! Today the spotlight is shining on Devan Sagliani's Zombie Attack: Army of the Dead. Now, I've had the pleasure of reading the first book in this series: Zombie Attack: Rise of the Horde
which I found to be an all-out, intense, page-turner.
I also read Undead L.A. 1
which was even better so I fully expect Zombie Attack: Army of the Dead to completely blow my mind!  

So, now that I've piqued your interest, here's a look at the book blurb:  Xander MacNamara’s adventure continues when he is placed in charge of a civilian colony outside Barstow. He and his young wife, Felicity Jane, are forced to deal with the daily grind of reconstruction, the constant menace of zombies, and an equally hungry cannibal tribe known as the Alphas.

Things heat up fast when Sonya, a mysterious stranger sent by a secretive benefactor, frees him from enemy captors. Once again, Xander and Felicity find themselves fleeing for their lives from a never-ending series of new threats as well as old ones. A hidden enemy within the military is hell bent on creating a secret weapon: genetically engineered super zombies! Friends and soldiers are pitted against each other, as one side races to spread the cure while the other battles to gain ultimate control over the fate of mankind.

‘Zombie Attack! Army of the Dead’ is filled with pulse-pounding undead action from the very first chapter until the bitter sweet end. Child celebrities, reality television stars, nightmarish zombie clowns, bikers, ninjas, warlords, and more -- this book has it all! The story takes off like a bullet and doesn't slow down until the last sentence. You won't be able to put it down!


For a quick link to all of Devan's books, be sure to check out his Amazon Author Page at:  http://www.amazon.com/Devan-Sagliani/e/B008G3PT6S/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
In addition to be a fantastic writer, he's also one heck of a great guy! You can also catch up with him on his website: http://www.devansagliani.com/ on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/authordevansagliani and Twitter  

Friday, July 25, 2014

Promo-topia Day- Jason S. Hornsby's Desert Bleeds Red

TGIF and welcome to another day of Promo-topia! Today's feature is Jason S. Hornsby's Desert Bleeds Red. Since weekends are the perfect time to relax with great book, let's get right to the point and bring you the Desert Bleeds Red blurb.

A plane crash in the desert. Doubles lurking in the shadows. A missing wife. A clairvoyant mistress. Eight demons. A thousand corpses. One savage journey through the Wastelands of China… Logan Solomon is a Southern gentleman who has lived in Beijing far too long. Aside from the shady business deals, surveillance jobs, and the often decadent lifestyle of the jaded foreigner, he has also managed to alienate his wife Li Na while associating himself with very rough characters—some who might not even be human. Following a seemingly chance encounter aboard a train, a chain of events is set in motion that will change Logan’s destiny forever, and leave a trail of dead in the wake.  In response to a pleading late-night phone call from her estranged mother, Li Na and Logan embark on a dangerous trip south to a village unknown to outsiders. They are accompanied by an old friend from Georgia who may or may not be able to see the future; a hulking tattooed sociopath with glowing red eyes and a short temper; and a tall man in black who, when not turning into a spiral or effortlessly passing between impossibly tight spaces, loves waxing philosophic over milk tea and kebabs.  When Li Na goes missing somewhere in the bamboo forests of Sichuan, young Solomon conjures up the darkest of forces to assist him in getting her back—a decision that may cost him not only his own life, but those of countless others along the way. On their pilgrimage west to find her and kill whoever is responsible for the abduction, these four strangers will encounter villainous doppelgangers, thugs who vomit locusts, whorehouse succubae, satanic congregations in the wilderness, secret government installations, haunted plains, ravaged outposts, forgotten ruins, and countless cities reduced to rubble.  Part epic modern rendition of the King Solomon legends, part hellish travelogue, and all white-knuckle terror, Desert Bleeds Red is critically acclaimed author Jason S. Hornsby’s (Every Sigh, The End and Eleven Twenty-Three) masterpiece, a haunting vision of China and humanity unlike anything you can imagine.

Sounds like a great weekend read to me! You can purchase Desert Bleeds Red here:  http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Bleeds-Red-Novel-East-ebook/dp/B00KN6Y8HM/?tag=theboomon-20

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Promo-topia Day- Claire C. Riley's Odium

It's that time again, friends. Time for another installment of "Promo-topia". This has been an exciting month of excellent books by fantastic authors and today is no exception. Today, the spotlight shines on a friend from "across the pond", Claire C. Riley and Odium, Book One of The Dead Saga.

Personally, I am a big fan of checking out an author's Amazon Page to learn a little about them. My favorite part of her bio is that she "writes characters that are realistic and kills them without mercy". Now, that's my kind of girl! You can read the entire bio here: http://www.amazon.com/Claire-C-Riley/e/B00CCCSF06/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Now, let's get to the best part....the book! Which can be purchased at: http://www.amazon.com/Odium-Dead-Saga-Claire-Riley-ebook/dp/B00FLUTJ74/?tag=theboomon-20   Here's the blurb for Odium:

It's better to die by the gun than die by the dead. Nina’s life was irrevocably changed when humanity’s dead began to rise.  Now, she lives behind the walls. The barricaded cities, erected by the government to protect the remnants of civilization, have become a brutal dictatorship- causing the inhabitants within to starve, steal and claw for survival. Life behind the walls has become as terrifying as roaming the zombie-ridden landscape beyond. Citizens trade what they can to gain food, water, and shelter. Nina has only one currency—her body and she is tired of submitting herself to the greedy hands of the self-proclaimed leaders. An opportunity to escape presents itself in the fate of a young girl named Emily-Rose. For the price of a stale piece of bread, she is set for banishment from the city, and most likely a horrific death at the hands of the deaders. Nina tells herself that it is sympathy and not self-preservation that makes her follow the young girl out of the walled metropolis, and into the overgrown world beyond. Unused to fighting the deaders, Nina tries to scrounge for her survival and against her better judgment, begins to care for Emily-Rose. However, when you have a bread-stealing liability providing your only back up, survival seems even tougher. Nina is forced to fight for their lives, and with every zombie slain, she becomes fiercer, faster – a grim reaper with her not-so-sharp butcher’s knife.Along the path to a safe-haven that might not exist, Nina and Emily-Rose meet Mikey who introduces them to a new life they could not imagine, a life above the ground. However, this new world brings new dangers, and darker shadows than she knew.  Nina finds out that the deaders aren’t the only thing to fear beyond the wall. And that fear will not be ignored, or Forgotten.

Be sure to check out Odium and here's a list of "Stalker Links" so you can find Claire everywhere:
www.clairecriley.com
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6982197.Claire_C_Riley
https://www.facebook.com/ClaireCRileyAuthor
http://bit.ly/clairecrileyamazon
https://twitter.com/ClaireCRiley
https://www.google.com/+ClaireCRiley

Monday, July 21, 2014

Promo-topia Day- Shawn Chesser's Warpath

 

Welcome back to another installment of "Promo-topia". I am your host, S.G. Lee and today's guest is none other than Shawn Chesser. We will be looking at the latest in his Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse series, Warpath.  A proponent for the slow, shambling, zombies; Chesser resides in Portland, Oregon with his wife, their two children and three fish. I have to say, the positive reviews, not just for Warpath but for the entire Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse series blew my mind. I just added (and quite gleefully, I must say) 7 more books to my TBR list.  That's right, there are seven in his current series; not to mention books that are not in the series, but I digress. But here's the part you're really waiting for: details on Warpath.So, without further delay....here it is!

Warpath, Book 7 in the bestselling Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse series begins the day after Mortal, Book 6, ends.  In the crucible that is the zombie apocalypse, Cade Grayson, father, husband, and former Delta Force operator has forged new friendships and tempered old ones. In those same metaphorical flames, he has seen blood spilled, loved ones perish, and dealt his own brand of justice. Now, three weeks after a world-wide viral outbreak has left the United States in ruins and transformed most of her population into walking corpses hungering for the flesh of the living, he finds himself at an Army Forward Operating Base on the outskirts of Grand Junction, Colorado. With only a set of GPS coordinates to go by, Cade must deliver his small family and a trio of young people from the distant outpost, across hundreds of miles of Utah's sun-baked high desert, to the promise of safety the random-looking string of numbers represent.
Meanwhile, eagerly awaiting their arrival at the Eden compound, Duncan Winters goes about the grim task of burying the recently fallen. With each shovelful of dirt he deposits on the bodies of kin and friends, his insatiable desire to strike back at the people responsible tugs him ever closer to the edge of insanity. With the dead hunting and moving in herds of ever-increasing size, will Cade and his group survive the running of the gauntlet? Will Duncan see the light and accept that he truly needs Cade's special set of skills in order to find and bring those responsible for the recent murders and abductions to justice? Or will he give in to burning desires, shirk the old adage that revenge is a dish best served cold, and go it alone, charging blindly headlong down the Warpath to certain disaster? Come along and find out who has what it takes to survive the Zombie Apocalypse.



Now, I have no doubts that this has spurred your desire to go buy his books right away but before you go; here are a few links you'll want to have! For starters, here is the Amazon link for Warpath: http://tinyurl.com/n7nvda7  Shawn's Facebook Page: https://tinyurl.com/ksr93lg his Amazon Author Page : https://tinyurl.com/k8a7pnv and, he can also be found on Twitter at:

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Promo-topia Day 8- V.J. Prucha's My Soul to Keep



Welcome back to another installment of “Promo-topia”. If you’re joining this program already in progress, for the month of July, I am featuring fellow authors and their works for you to enjoy. Today, the spotlight shines on V.J. Prucha and her captivating suspense/thriller My Soul to Keep. For those of you who know Val, you know that creativity flows in many ways for this gifted author. In addition to her enthralling debut novel about an ex-con being targeted by a serial killer, she is also a talented painter. Check out (https://www.facebook.com/VJPART) for a glimpse at her art. 

I read My Soul to Keep a few months ago and I and was thrilled to learn that this spellbinding novel is the beginning of a series. The author’s descriptive style engages the reader’s senses; whether it’s the majestic view of the Sandia Mountains, the fiery scent of enchilada sauce, or the soothing feel of cool wind in your face while riding pillion on a motorcycle, you’re right there in the middle of the action. In addition to my glowing endorsement here, you can read more in my Amazon review: (http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A26VUPNE8PGQPR/ref=pdp_new_read_full_review_link?ie=UTF8&page=1&sort_by=MostRecentReview#R11H555429IWFA

Of course, there’s always the book blurb: To her neighbors, Dannielle Clearwater is just your typical single woman next door, who curses like a sailor. But in reality, Carolina Stronghill, hiding under the name Danni, is on parole and running fast from her criminal past. Her misdeeds are catching up with her just as she sees a glimmer of hope for a normal life. Gabriel, a loud, obnoxious neighbor next-door is driving her crazy. Despite her intuition to stay away from him, she finds herself attracted to this troublemaker and fears being swayed into a dangerous life as she was by the bad-boy from her past. To complicate things even more, Seth is the perfect guy, charming handsome and flashes a perfect smile. If it wasn’t for the fact that he is a reverend, he would be the perfect man. But there is something about him she just can’t quite put her finger on. Caroling wrestles with the guilt of her past while trying to stay in the present. Meanwhile, a serial killer is stalking Albuquerque and, to the Albuquerque Police, Carolina fits the bill for his next victim If only they told her she was bait to catch the “Desert Killer”.  ‘Til one night with a serial killer changes everything….

Or, you can check out the free sample yourself at http://vjppublishingllc.com/chapter-1-my-soul-to-keep/
Her book can be published on her publishing website or at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/My-Soul-Keep-Valerie-Prucha-ebook/dp/B00HCZVZZU/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Be sure to follow the author as well on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007491242162&fref=ts and Twitter at @ValeriePrucha

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Promo-topia Day 7- Reyna Pryde's Traversing Eternity Novels

Welcome back to Promo-topia running all month long. (stories will be back in August, I promise!) Today is a rare treat because the multi-talented Reyna Pryde is my featured author. Why a rare treat? Well, I'll tell you. You're getting an exclusive sneak peek at her upcoming novel Unique, right here. That's right, no one else has it; you can only get it here. Additionally, she's granted me the privilege of *drum roll, please* a COVER REVEAL! Hold onto your hats. This is something entirely new and, remember; you saw it here first.

Now, in addition to having mad-skills making her own book covers, Reyna has also made some extraordinary promotional images for me. Most recently, I'm sure you've seen the Code Zed art she made because I've plastered it all over Twitter & Facebook. Speaking of book covers....Without further delay, here is, Unique!



Now, perhaps Reyna Pryde is considered a Paranormal Romance Author but, when I read her first short story, Diary of Lilith: Dracula, I realized her work is different from the typical, weak-willed, sappy teen waiting for a creature to save the pathetic human type of Paranormal Romance. In fact, the Diary of Lilith short stories are second only to Unique as my personal favorite. (yes, I got to read it already. nanny nanny boo boo) 

Her Traversing Eternity Novels, each a series in themselves, are all linked in the same "universe". For those of you who enjoy more back story, those free Diary of Lilith short stories will fill your longing while giving you more insight into Lilith's journey. I'll be the first to admit, the Paranormal Romance genre is not my thing but Reyna's style is something I really enjoy. For a complete listing of her works, check out her Amazon Author Page here:  http://www.amazon.com/Reyna-Pryde/e/B00E5S4UYU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1405611538&sr=1-2-ent and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for Unique, coming in late August. 

Now that I've peaked your curiosity, here's the inside scoop (aka book blurb) for Unique: 

After five years in captivity as a blood slave to vampires, the girl named Jessica is no more. In her place stands an killer, driven by hate and seeking revenge for the scars she carries both inside and out. For nearly a decade she dedicated her life to ridding the world of the scourge known as vampires, putting her directly in the crosshairs of her enemy. Lilith, the Queen of Vampires, ordered her number-one assassin, Niten, to bring in the rogue vampire hunter, unharmed. With an offer from the queen, the hunter is given an opportunity to achieve the ultimate revenge on the vampire who destroyed her life. To do so, she will need to face her worst fears. As enemies become allies, she discovers that not all vampires are akin to the monsters from her past and Niten learns that there is nothing ordinary about this woman. She is completely...Unique.

While waiting for Unique to hit Amazon, check out the Diary of Lilith short stories. Also, you can follow Reyna on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialReynaPryde and Twitter at
 @ReynaPryde

Monday, July 14, 2014

Code Zed



I wake in the middle of the night, freezing cold, as I reach down for my blanket. Ugh! It must have fallen on the floor.  Instinctively, my hands reach out; feeling for the soft pile of my bedroom carpet but, instead, I land with a thud on a hard linoleum floor. The sheet that had been draped over my body flutters to the floor like an unfurling ribbon. Where the hell am I? The last thing I can remember was Sarah bringing me soup and some Nyquil. I look around at the stark, white tiles and breathe in the smell of disinfectant. Steel tables draped with sheets surrounded me. Sonofa…I’m gonna kill those guys. This has Chris and Brian’s ridiculous pranks written all over it. EMTs have the sickest sense of humor. I’m in the flipping morgue! I laugh to myself and wonder if Sarah was in on the gag too. Did she slip something in my soup? Maybe it was the tea.  
            “Ha-ha! Joke’s over. C’mon out here you two twisted butt-heads!”
My voice sounds odd, raspy, like I had a whole pond’s worth of frogs in my throat. I try to clear out Kermit and his pals but I still sound rough. Stupid flu! I’ve sounded like an eighty-year-old smoker for weeks now. Still trying to work the kinks out of my muscles, aggravated by sleeping on a freezing-cold slab, I slowly shuffle my way toward the center of the room. Just then, I catch the scent of something, almost like a glorious buffet of all my favorite foods; my stomach rumbles in hungry anticipation. Enthralled by the mouth-watering aromas, I pause to savor the scent and wipe the drool from my chin. After enduring such a ridiculous prank, I am going to insist that my jerk-ball friends feed me well before I accept their apology. I can’t decide if it’s going to be a bacon-wrapped filet with a side of wings and loaded potato skins or lobster ravioli with a vodka cream sauce, cheesy garlic bread and a Caesar salad but it’s not going to be cheap. Ooh, maybe a buffet… I struggle to get my legs moving so I can find my pals and fill my ravenous belly.
            “Holy Crap!”
Startling me from my dreams of all-you-can-eat buffets, I turn toward the voice. A bespectacled man, with thinning hair and a protruding beer-gut, gasps. His coffee mug slips from his hand and crashes to the floor, shattering upon impact. He gapes at me, panting, for just a moment before slowly backing away. He fumbles for the phone all hospital personnel are required to carry and raises it slowly to his mouth, never once dropping his gaze from me. He presses the page button and takes a deep breath.
            “Code Zed, I repeat, Code Zed. Code Zed in sector twelve. Oh, God, help me. Code ZED!”
    Code Zed? I turn to look behind me, terrified. It had only been eighteen months since the last of the zombies had been eliminated, or so I’d thought. We were only just beginning to resume life as it had been before the infection spread like wildfire all over the globe. The mere mention of “the Z-word” was enough to strike fear into the hearts of every human being, regardless of race, religion, creed, or orientation. I look behind me but there is nothing--just the institutional white-tiled walls and a bank of refrigerated drawers for the recently deceased. Bewildered, I look back at the man and wonder if he is part of my friend’s prank. Gotta hand it to them…Chris and Brian really went all-out on this one. Only, the man before me is trembling like a leaf while a growing wet spot is spreading across his crotch and running down his leg.  A river of urine mixing into the muddy pool of spilled coffee convinces me that he was not in on the gag. 
    Panicking, I realize if I can’t get this guy to calm down ASAP I was going to end up with a bullet in my brain.  I try to explain that it was just a practical joke but my voice sounds like someone had taken a cheese-grater to my throat. I can barely understand my own words so I can’t even imagine what he must be thinking. As I shuffle toward him, I accidentally trip on the wheels of the Coroner’s tray table. The instruments crash to the floor and the table falls onto my foot. That’s gonna leave a mark. I hold my breath and wait for the pain to hit. Surprisingly, I feel nothing. I look down. A scalpel is sticking straight out of my foot and a dark, viscous fluid is oozing onto the floor but still I feel nothing.  I reach down to pull it from my foot and that’s when I notice the band around my wrist. It’s all there: name, date of birth, time of death, organ donor with a little check-mark after it. Hmm, clever touch. Holding my arm out in front of me, I am examining the bracelet when something else catches my eye. A long incision with black sutures stretching down the length of my abdomen looks awfully real but I try to convince myself it is just makeup. It doesn’t really look like makeup but… Okay, they’ve officially freaked me out now!
            “C’mon now guys, enough is en-”
My garbled words are cut off midsentence as the overhead page bellows, “Code Zed”.  I know the drill; within minutes, men with shotguns will be storming the morgue. Moving as fast as my stiff legs will carry me, I rush for the door. Somewhere in the inner recesses of my mind, a little light bulb illuminates. I realize I am not wearing any clothes. I’m already feeling conspicuous; no need to draw more attention to myself by running around naked. I snatch a lab coat from the back of someone’s chair and a pair of scrubs from the shelf. Thanks for the duds! It seems good ol’ Percy Pissed-his-pants helped me out, after all. My body is stiff, making it nearly impossible to pull the clothing on, especially since I keep toppling over while trying to put my legs into the pants. Gotta hurry up before they turn my brain into Swiss cheese! I swear I can hear the footfalls of boots on linoleum but, as I peer out into the hallway, there is no one there. It’s now or never! I slip into the hallway and proceed as calmly and casually as I can. I pause only for a second to allow a gurney to roll by me. The transporters were too busy chatting to pay any attention to me. One of them must have tucked their lunch out of view because my stomach is rumbling.
    A plaque on the wall shows an arrow pointing left for the “staff exit” and I have to suppress the urge to run for it. I just want to put this whole mess behind me and get back to normal. Sadly, I suspect that it will take more than a long, hot shower before I feel like my old self again. Again, the air is rich with a smorgasbord of succulent treats and my stomach roars its protest.
            No, sir, the morgue is all clear. Nothing except the dead. We are expanding our search to include the entire floor, sir….Understood.”
I’m nearly jumping out of my skin. A buff man with combat boots and a massive shotgun storms by me while shouting into his cell phone. I keep my head down, silently praying he won’t notice me or my bare feet.  Three others, strongly resembling the first man, breeze down the hall with their guns ready for the next uprising of zombies. Damn, Chris and Brian are going to be in serious trouble when the hospital officials report this to the police. I have no time to worry about my friends. Right now, I need to get as far away from the hospital as possible. Finally, my wandering ends and I find the employee exit. “Thank God”, freezes on my lips when the door flings open and a mountain of a man steps inside. From the top of his crew-cut hair to the tip of his combat boots he’s wearing black. Even the lenses of his sunglasses appear black. The terror-filled voice inside my head screams, “Oh great, his black rifle has a matching bayonet attachment”. Certain that I am going to meet my maker in the next few seconds I say a silent goodbye to my beloved, Sarah and my belly rumbles in agreement.
            “Oh, sorry, Dr. Hamilton. Here, let me hold the door for you.”
I grunt a barely intelligible “Uh-huh” and stroll through the door. Clearly, the dark lenses of his sunglasses teaming with his switch from the bright sunshine outside to the darker, florescent lights of the hallway prevented him from seeing me clearly but I am not complaining. The nametag hanging from my borrowed lab coat has a picture of Dr. A. Hamilton and I look absolutely nothing like him so fortune smiled on me for the first time since I woke up in the morgue. Once I am safely on the opposite side of the door, my fear abates. I owe one to the good doctor for my escape; my only regret is that I cannot seem to run once I am through the parking lot. I make my way through the wooded trails behind the hospital and head for home.  
    Ah, home. The sight of my house fills my heart with longing. I may never speak with Brian or Chris again and, right now, I do not care.  I just want to hold Sarah in my arms and forget about everything else. I cut through the alley to get home faster. I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the window of my neighbor’s dilapidated pickup truck and I look like death warmed over. I shake my head at my whey-faced reflection; if I wasn’t so sore I probably would have flipped it the bird. It takes me by surprise but the grass in my backyard is wildly overgrown. I know it’s been raining a lot lately but, man, this is crazy. Wasn’t the lawn guy just here the other day?
            “Loki! C’mere boy!”
My golden lab comes barreling out through the doggy-door but he freezes on the spot, growling.  Assuming there must be someone behind me, I turn around but there’s no one. Crazy animal! I am calling him, assuring him that daddy is home but he won’t come near me. He even nips my hand as I try to pet him.
            “Loki? What’s wrong, baby?”
Sarah opens the door and Loki tears inside, nearly knocking her over.
            “I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what’s gotten into-”
Sarah cuts off mid-sentence and shrieks like a crazed banshee. I can hear footsteps from inside the house rushing to her aid. I really wish they’d cut the crap already. There is such a thing as taking a joke too far. I can see a protective arm wrapping around Sarah’s shoulders.
            “Mom? I didn’t know you were coming for a visit.”
There’s no way she could possibly hear me over Sarah’s screaming and the dog’s barking. I can tell she’s been cooking; the aromas coming from inside the house are heavenly. My stomach grumbles eagerly. Mom’s face pales and she runs away sobbing. Angry now, I go inside. Our living room looks like a damned florist shop. Only then, when I notice the “With Sympathy” cards on the flowers and my brother calling 911 do I realize what has happened. Apparently, I’d died and now I came back. 
    I am torn, do I allow the cops to show up and put a bullet in my head so that my family can move on or do I run? I’m not even thirty years old; yet, it’s hard to imagine willfully waiting for my own execution. I did what any rational man would do…I ran. More like, I got out of there as fast as my atrophying legs would take me but I was long gone before the police showed up. I have no idea how long I walked. The sun had gone down but, still, I walk on, untiring. By the time the sun rose again, I was far from the city limits, forsaking the streets for greener pastures- literally. The wildflowers and weeds grew waist-high as I shuffled toward the tree line.   
There is a certain peacefulness, being at one with nature, and far from the delectable scent of living, human flesh. Here, in the woods, I will live out my final days- alone. Squirrels are leaping gracefully from tree to tree while all sorts of wildlife scurry about their business. I envy them their sense of purpose. Other wildlife is scampering across the forest floor, most do not even notice my presence.
            “It’s just you and me Mr. Bunny…we’re on our own out here.”
Just then, a twig snaps and I feel fear rising up inside of me. Surely, whoever is behind me will put me out of my misery once they find out I am a monster. Perhaps it is for the best. Without Sarah and my family, what’s the point? I feel a comforting hand cup my shoulder.
I am not alone. There are others, just like me, seeking safety--far away from the living.  Like all living things, viruses evolve. Once mankind learns to eradicate one strain, another rears its ugly head, seeking to overtake the world. This time, we are not mindless eating machines. We think. We remember. Even worse, we have no way to let them know we mean them no harm.  This time, the hunters have become the hunted.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Promo-topia Day 7- David Forsyth's Sedulity

Welcome to another installment of Promo-topia. As always, I am your host, S.G. Lee. It just warms my heart to see so many smiling faces in the audience. Let's give a big RoCWoZ round of applause for today's subject David Forsyth's Sedulity.

**Sedulity: (Noun) Constant in purpose & intent assiduous, steadfast, tireless, indefatigable**

For those of you who are already familiar with David Forsyth's work, you may be sad to learn that his newest work, Sedulity, does not feature zombies but fear not...he has embraced a new apocalyptic terror for his readers. Let's take a look at the book blurb to get a feel for Sedulity.

From the author of Voyage of the Dead and the Sovereign Spirit Saga comes a whole new type of apocalypse. Inspired by Lucifer's Hammer and other epic science fiction novels, David Forsyth brings the fear, suspense and thrilling action of "end of the world as we know it" fiction into focus aboard a cruise ship en route to Australia when an asteroid strikes the Central Pacific Ocean. Whatever image that description evokes is nothing compared the epic forces of nature, human drama, and pain of loss you will encounter in this book. Not for the faint of heart. The author takes no responsibility for decreased bookings on cruise ships. Read at your own risk. The scariest part is that this story is based on true possibilities. Are you game?
For fans of Forsyth's other work, sorry, no zombies in this one. But if you like the idea of facing the end of the world on a ship at sea (as in Voyage of the Dead), then you should enjoy this adventure too. Who needs zombies when the world itself turns against you?

Sedulity can be purchased at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IVE3IUQ/?tag=theboomon-20 Be sure to check out the author himself at https://www.facebook.com/DavidPForsythAuthor and https://twitter.com/davidpforsyth

Friday, July 11, 2014

Promo-topia Day 6- Stevie Kopas' The Breadwinner

Today's Promo-topia feature is Stevie Kopas and The Breadwinner Trilogy



    So, I did a little digging and found out that Stevie Kopas was born and raised in New Jersey but has been living in Florida since 2004. She is an author, a gamer, a horror fanatic, an apocalypse enthusiast and the coffee-drinking associate editor for the horror and music website Horror Metal Sounds. (horrormetalsounds.com)  As if that wasn't enough, she also writes book reviews for The Bookie Monster (http://bookie-monster.com/) as well as writing her own apocalyptic series. The Breadwinner is available at: 
http://www.amazon.com/Breadwinner-Trilogy-Stevie-Kopas-ebook/dp/B00EF95ORQ/?tag=theboomon-20

   Here's a little taste of what you can expect from The Breadwinner--- The end of the world is not glamorous. In a matter of days the human race was reduced to nothing more than vicious, flesh hungry creatures. This three part story takes you into the world of the survivors, coming from different generations and different sides of the tracks, they all share one thing in common: who you once were can no longer determine who you will be in the face of catastrophe.  Samson, a once wealthy and powerful criminal defense attorney struggles to keep his family safe and keep his sanity intact when the world comes apart at the seams. Veronica, the high school track star races to get her brother out of the city and into the safety of Franklin Woods. Along the way we come across the struggles of finding solace, finding out who you really are, and making decisions in a post apocalyptic world. The Breadwinner is a three part story and the first book in a planned series that will leave you craving more.

I don't know about you but I have another series to add to my TBR list! Be sure to check out The Breadwinner and Haven (Book 2 in the Trilogy) today. Also, you can follow Stevie Kopas at: (http://www.someonereadthis.com/) on Facebook at: (http://facebook.com/thebreadwinnertrilogy) and Twitter: