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Showing posts with label Apocalypse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apocalypse. Show all posts
Tuesday, 4 August 2020
Promos & giveaways a-plenty
Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Review: London
London by Frank TayellMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very detailed exposition of the end of the world from the journal of a witness. Set in London, the zombie apocalypse erupts - unfortunately for Bill, or perhaps fortunately, he has a broken leg and has to watch from the safety of his top floor apartment as everything around falls apart.
We are fortunate that Bill is a political adviser, and as the story unfolds, so does more and more backstory, showing how Bill perhaps knows more than he lets on at the beginning. Befriending a hack that sends him underground videos and information is also helpful for us; the reader. Rather than being an anonymous survivor, and completely clueless about the realities of this infection, as the story unfolds we garner more info, making for a rounded story.
These snippets are fed us between the grounded reality of life in the apocalypse: stabbing zombies in the head and searching for loot - mostly food and water. There's some good research here, indicating what would happen - and when - to the various utilities, and the difficulty of attaining water. Clean water, at least. I'm not sure about boiling pasta in orange juice any time soon.
It's very much foundational in its setup and premise, being book one, but it's a solid base. Unless you forward planned on reading the rest I perhaps wouldn't read this one, unless you just love zombies. Enjoyed the London setting!
View all my reviews
Friday, 9 February 2018
DailyFlash: Crawling the sands
Inside the forward cockpit was a beep. The metal detector had detected
something large; it stretched long and metallic left-to-right, or perhaps
right-to-left, before them. Walker brought the crawler to a stop and the last
few track revolutions dug into the sand before finally halting.
He
sent Caia out to investigate. She dropped to the sand, blower on back and
sand-boots on feet, and walked forward, sweeping the blower in arc before her.
The sand swirled up and became a red mist around her. She pulled the scarf
around her face a little tighter.
A
shiny green surface appeared just below her. The more sand she cleared the
clearer the pipe became, arching over to the other side. She removed her hands
to touch it and felt vibrations running through her arm, and when she placed
her ear to the cool metal, the sound of gushing water bellowed.
This flash fiction was inspired by the world of Neon Sands, the first in a trilogy currently accepting nominations on Kindle Scout. Like this world and want to read more? Please vote for Neon Sands on Kindle Scout and get a free copy!
Thursday, 8 February 2018
Short Story: Ends Meat
There it was again – the smell. Barrick glanced at his
father, who had his eyes closed but he probably wasn’t asleep, just too
exhausted by hunger to keep them open. His cheeks were shallow, as though sucking
air, his lips two thin lines of scabs.
Father’s
hemp shirt had become a shawl these last few weeks. The same was true for
Barrick, his brothers and his sister.
Finally,
father’s eyes opened, his nostrils twitched, and with energy summoned from a
dark place, he rose. “Again…” he said, barely moving his lips; tension in the
jaw and scabs that would split.
“I
don’t know how they can do it,” said mother, head limp and resting on her raised
knees.
Father
swung his legs from the bed and stared into space. The look was a disease, and they
all had it. Barrick had seen it first in the faces of the eldest; at night,
sharing a bowl of thin soup and disappearing as the first songs began, taking a
bottle of moonshine with them. One by one, others caught the look and stopped
turning up at all. He’d see them by day, afflicted by the vacant gaze as they
sat beside the transparent wall of the dome. They’d stare at the sands but
Barrick had no idea what they were looking at; perhaps they saw mirages of
visiting caravans that no longer came.
Wednesday, 7 February 2018
DailyFlash: Within Means
“How do you want them?” asked Mireille.
The wanderer held her rations out. The temptation to eat them right away had slowly vanished the older she got. Now it was the exact opposite. “Dried.”
Mireille took the fruit from her hands and placed them in the condenser. In an hour, the grapes would be raisins, the apples one third their size and hard, and all the liquid would be collected in the bottles. They would make a nice meal out on the sands, sometimes accompanied by jerked meat.
It used to be a challenge to spread the meals out; make it last as long as possible. Now, she’d find shelter and be surprised by how much she still had left. Might even take fewer rations than offered.
“Can I trade these for extra clothes anywhere?” she asked.
Mireille looked at her as though she was crazy.
The wanderer held her rations out. The temptation to eat them right away had slowly vanished the older she got. Now it was the exact opposite. “Dried.”
Mireille took the fruit from her hands and placed them in the condenser. In an hour, the grapes would be raisins, the apples one third their size and hard, and all the liquid would be collected in the bottles. They would make a nice meal out on the sands, sometimes accompanied by jerked meat.
It used to be a challenge to spread the meals out; make it last as long as possible. Now, she’d find shelter and be surprised by how much she still had left. Might even take fewer rations than offered.
“Can I trade these for extra clothes anywhere?” she asked.
Mireille looked at her as though she was crazy.
This flash fiction was inspired by the world of Neon Sands, the first in a trilogy currently accepting nominations on Kindle Scout. Like this world and want to read more? Please vote for Neon Sands on Kindle Scout and get a free copy!
Tuesday, 6 February 2018
DailyFlash: Lightning Rainbow
"The rains are coming on! The rains are coming on!" shouted the little boy. He jumped into an excited run and tried to pull his sister with him.
She stood, knowing there was no need to rush. There was a little bubble of excitement within, but it wasn't quite as big as it used to be.
The boy lead the way, bounding up the stairwell from level three where he shared accommodation with his family - and a few others. Neon strip-lights lit up as he passed beneath them. The girl watched him disappear into the courtyard of the dome through heavy double doors that swung back into her face.
In the courtyard her brother was already standing with his friends, waiting for the weekly shower.
"30 seconds..." said Kirillion's voice over the loudspeaker. The girl looked up to the apex of the dome and the saucer-shaped shadow of the watchtower from where Kirillion spoke. Where the important things were done.
Then it began. The pipes that ran adjacent to the shaft leading to the watchtower gushed with water. She put a hand on one and could feel it vibrate. At the top, the pipe passed from their dome and into the outer dome - the Agridome - and there; they watched as the water cascaded in a rainpour they could see, but not feel.
Lightning rainbows shimmered on the inner lining as the rain made its way down to the crops below, and all the kids "wooowed" in wonder.
She stood, knowing there was no need to rush. There was a little bubble of excitement within, but it wasn't quite as big as it used to be.
The boy lead the way, bounding up the stairwell from level three where he shared accommodation with his family - and a few others. Neon strip-lights lit up as he passed beneath them. The girl watched him disappear into the courtyard of the dome through heavy double doors that swung back into her face.
In the courtyard her brother was already standing with his friends, waiting for the weekly shower.
"30 seconds..." said Kirillion's voice over the loudspeaker. The girl looked up to the apex of the dome and the saucer-shaped shadow of the watchtower from where Kirillion spoke. Where the important things were done.
Then it began. The pipes that ran adjacent to the shaft leading to the watchtower gushed with water. She put a hand on one and could feel it vibrate. At the top, the pipe passed from their dome and into the outer dome - the Agridome - and there; they watched as the water cascaded in a rainpour they could see, but not feel.
Lightning rainbows shimmered on the inner lining as the rain made its way down to the crops below, and all the kids "wooowed" in wonder.
This flash fiction was inspired by the world of Neon Sands, the first in a trilogy currently accepting nominations on Kindle Scout. Like this world and want to read more? Please vote for Neon Sands on Kindle Scout and get a free copy!
Sunday, 4 February 2018
Neon Sands - Kindle Scout Nominations
Hi everybody! The first book in the Neon Sands trilogy is now up on Kindle Scout awaiting nominations.
Link spam: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/M0AVK7KHQVAB
What is Kindle Scout? It's an Amazon affiliate - if a book gets enough votes in a 30 day period, they publish it and market it, making the whole exercise a lot easier for the self-published authors. Voters also get a free copy!
Link spam: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/M0AVK7KHQVAB
Sand like powder smothers the decimated planet; those that eke an existence scavenge and utilise old technologies they barely understand, wanderers drifting from outpost to outpost. But the sand hides secrets, and when it shifts, questions unasked and allegiances long forged are challenged. What else is the sand hiding? A sci-fi/punk adventure in an inhospitable landscape, Neon Sands is the opening book in an epic series that will explore Man’s technological and innate potential, and the search for hope when all looks bleak.
Link spam: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/M0AVK7KHQVAB
What is Kindle Scout? It's an Amazon affiliate - if a book gets enough votes in a 30 day period, they publish it and market it, making the whole exercise a lot easier for the self-published authors. Voters also get a free copy!
Link spam: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/M0AVK7KHQVAB
Sand like powder smothers the decimated planet; those that eke an existence scavenge and utilise old technologies they barely understand, wanderers drifting from outpost to outpost. But the sand hides secrets, and when it shifts, questions unasked and allegiances long forged are challenged. What else is the sand hiding? A sci-fi/punk adventure in an inhospitable landscape, Neon Sands is the opening book in an epic series that will explore Man’s technological and innate potential, and the search for hope when all looks bleak.
Thursday, 2 November 2017
Horror Book Review: My Dead World by Jacqueline Druga
My Dead World by Jacqueline DrugaMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Just finished and jumping straight into the review with my thoughts still fresh - just like the many wounds that are gashed or slashed or mutilated in My Dead World.
It gets an extra star for the gore and its brazen attitude towards a world taken over by a zombie virus (the Z-word that must not be mentioned. It's interesting to me who choose to call the walking dead 'zombies', and who make up other words for them. Guilty of it myself. In the real world, for sake of ease of description when chatting to other people you'd end up just calling them zombies, right?)
While I did enjoy the read for the horror and gore, it also had me shaking my head in disbelief over some choices the characters made, and it became apparent that there were outside forces at play who didn't want everyone to live til the end of the book, despite having prepared so well and having so much info about the virus beforehand. Ergo complacency.
Nila and her family are forewarned by her CDC brother to start preparing an apocalypse shelter, using the cabin they own in the mountains. This thing is stocked, fenced, and everything. Yet shit still continued to hit the fan. Complacent little things that the characters, or, more prominently Nila, kept doing to endanger them kept pulling me out of the story whenever it was hotting up.
I guess it highlights the reality of the layman, that whenever I wanted Nila to turn it around and step up, she couldn't, letting emotion lead the way, leaving space for mistakes. Maybe that's what the majority of people would be like, but you'd like to think they'd catch on quicker. (Just a little too much indecision and second-guessing going on perhaps.)
And then all the death made for a bit of a sombre read in the end.
Fast-paced, lots of action, could do with another round of editing as a few errors, but a pretty accurate portrayal of a world falling apart from a ravaging virus.
View all my reviews
Friday, 7 July 2017
The Risen - Novel - Free Download Weekend
This weekend is a chance to get a hold of my apocalyptic novel The Risen on Amazon and Kindle for free. You have from Friday through to Sunday - and if you do grab it, for better or worse, please remember to leave a rating/review; they are the lifeblood of any indie writer, and it would be very much appreciated! Get it here.
If it does take your fancy, you may also enjoy my collection of short stories currently on pre-order; an eclectic mix of straight literary, fantasy, sci-fi and humour. Hereafter & Other Short Stories is available here.
Tuesday, 26 July 2016
24 Hours on Free
It's one thing to know a handful of people were reading the book, but now knowing the number will likely be in the thousands by the end of the week - and then anxiously awaiting some non-friend reviews - is a bit exciting!
Whatever happens, it's a bit addictive. Makes me eager to finish my next one!
Grab a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H9VETZ4
Monday, 25 July 2016
The Risen Promo
In the interest of spreading the word and climbing the auspicious Amazon ranking ladder,The Risen will be available as a free download for Kindle from the 25 - 29 July.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H9VETZ4
Otherwise, it's only £0.99 or $0.99, so grab yourself a copy now if you like stories that are simultaneously awesome and about apocalypses and zombie-like undead that are so numerous they are like a carpet of flesh clogging the daily commute run. Also, sex, because books with sex sell. Also, shit hitting the fan stuff. Also, horrible things in general happening.
Edit: No
Tuesday, 21 June 2016
Novel The Risen now available - plus giveaway!
The Risen By Adam J Smith
Blurb:
Embark on a mind- and body-changing horror-adventure with Nate and Ruby; two souls struggling to cope in the fallout of an international epidemic. In the months following an apocalyptic event, we find Nate, struggling to survive in the new landscape, trying to provide for his mother and brother while avoiding the infected and lethal non-infected. In middle-England, they feel cut-off from the rest of the country; London in particular, and have been forced to ‘sit and wait’ for a solution to come by. But then tragedy strikes, leaving Nate alone and without purpose. And then we meet Ruby; imprisoned by a monster taking advantage of the lawlessness. Will she escape? How will she live with the consequences of her actions? We follow their journey – Nate’s and Ruby’s – discovering along the way the rules of this new world. Are they infected too? Why are the infected getting stronger? What purpose has life when everything they treasured has been lost?
Physical copy:
UK: £6.80
http://amzn.to/24ZtigY
USA: $9.85
http://amzn.to/26bqcZM
eBook:
UK: £2.80 (FREE on KindleUnlimited)
http://amzn.to/1OxqyFE
USA: $4.02 (FREE on KindleUnlimited)
http://amzn.to/1PB6jSn
For a chance to win a free review copy:Enter Giveaway
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