zombies

Book Review: Far From Home by Kate L. Mary

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As the only child in an upper-middle class family, Rowan has had it easy. Doted on by a mother who never wanted anything but a child to love, she’s never wanted for anything. Kiaya’s life, however, has been anything but easy. Parents who didn’t want her, followed by being torn away from her only sibling by the foster care system, she knows what it means to have to work hard for the things she wants.

When a deadly virus sweeps the country, Rowan and Kiaya are away at college and far from everything they love. Desperate to make it home, they team up, but as the world around them dies, an unexpected detour leaves them stranded in Vega, Texas where they stumble upon a shocking discovery. The virus isn’t just killing people. It’s changing them.

When former cop, Devon, sweeps in to save the day, it looks like their luck has shifted. With hundreds of miles left to cross and the dead taking over, the trio is determined to do whatever it takes to get home. Traveling historic Route 66, Rowan, Kiaya, and Devon fight for survival as they struggle to come to terms with their changing world.

Written in the tradition of the Amazon bestselling Broken World series, Far From Home follows a group of survivors through a zombie infested country as they search for safety, all the while growing and changing with the world around them.


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My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

This is the first book I’ve read by Kate L. Mary but it won’t be the last. I’m not sure what fascinates me about post apocalyptic worlds, with or without zombies, but I think it has to do with the survivors. Not the violence or gore.

I like the characters in Far From Home. I was especially impressed by Rowan. She knows she’s had it easy all her life and that she always has gotten what she wanted. Instead of feeling entitled when everything starts to change, she takes action. She is a little immature at times, but she’s only 20 years old.

After Rowan and Kiaya leave for Ohio from school in Arizona, one thing after another keeps them from their destination. From seeing almost everyone around them die to them turning into zombies, they have to figure out how to get home with no gas stations open and not knowing who to trust.

There is no down time in this book and it is full of suspense both from the zombies and other people. I can’t wait to find out what they’re group is going to do from here.

About the Author

Kate L. Mary is an award-winning author of Adult, New Adult, and Young Adult fiction, ranging from Post-apocalyptic tales of the undead to Speculative Fiction and Contemporary Romance! Her YA book, When We Were Human, was a 2015 Children’s Moonbeam Book Awards Silver Medal winner for Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi Fiction, and a 2016 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal winner for Young Adult Science Fiction. Her book Outliers was a Top 10 Finalist in the 2018 Author Academy Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction, a Finalist in the 2018 Wishing Shelf Book Awards, First Place Winner in the 2018 Kindle Book Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction, Cover Finalist in the 2019 RONE Awards from InD’tale Magazine, and a Nominee in the 2020 TopShelf Book Awards. Tribe of Daughters was an Honorable Mention in the 2018 SPR Book Awards, a 2019 Readers’ Favorite Bronze Medal winner for Science Fiction and a Semi-finalist in the 2019 Kindle Book Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction.

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Audiobook Review & Giveaway: The Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminators, Book 2: Zombie School Lockdown by Grivante

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Author: Grivante

Narrator: Ian McEuen

Series: The Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminators, Book 2

Length: 3 hour 30 minutes

Publisher: Grivante Press

Released: Oct. 30, 2017

Genre: Horror, Action/Adventure

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The Zee Brothers suit up for their second adventure. This time answering the call from a local charter school that fears they may have an outbreak amongst their students.

The brothers find themselves trapped inside the school, with no weapons, scared children and a host of hungry and toxic undead.

They improvise with the help of the school lunch lady and a rather intelligent young student to try and stop the toxic infection from getting out of hand. The aftermath leads Jonah, Judas and JJ to a small farm on the outside of town, where they find the cause of the outbreak with mysterious links to the brother’s past.

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Grivante writes sci-fi, fantasy, horror and post-apocalyptic fiction with a writing style that bounces between comedy and action-packed horror, most often mixing together to create things like Zombie Omelets and Spleen Soup.
He is best known for his Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminator series, a comedic horror series that both celebrates and pokes fun at everything that makes zombie pop culture cool.

His publishing company Grivante Press focuses on publishing page-turning speculative fiction.

He loves things like George Romero’s “Of The Dead” movies and Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead” and feels there are many authors telling those types of stories well. He’ll leave that type of story telling to them and keep focused on the weird gonzo-action filled tales he likes to write and his readers like to read!

Facebook⎮Twitter⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram⎮Amazon

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Narrator Bio

Bred in a test tube in a far distant future, Ian is a prototype never meant for mass production. A rare genetic hybrid of opera singer, actor, narrator, rock vocalist, and electronic music producer, he travelled back in time to join forces with Earth’s last and best hope: the underpaid, under-appreciated, and oft misunderstood writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Since then, he has narrated over 20 audiobooks, voiced characters in video games and cartoons, and melted many a face with his powerful vocals.

Website⎮Facebook⎮Twitter⎮Instagram

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I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Grivante. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

This is another fun audiobook about brothers Jonah and Judas who are zombie exterminators. This time a school is being overrun by zombies. The Zee Brothers are called in by the school nurse who had seen zombies before when she was in the military. Even though the brothers can’t get to any of their weapons because the school is in lock down, they are able to improvise with the assistance of the school nurse and a student. But even if the school is cleared, they still have to figure out where the outbreak began.

The Zee brothers and their girl, JJ, are all crazy. Her dog Xanadu is cute and has his own way of helping out. Even though this book has more of a plot than the first one, it is still funny. There were times it made me giggle but other times it was laugh out loud funny.

If you like something different, I definitely recommend trying the Zee Brothers.

 

 

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Audiobook Review & Giveaway: The ZEE Brothers: Curse of the Zombie Omelet by Grivante

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Author: Grivante

Narrator: Ian McEuen

Series: The Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminators, Book 1

Length: 1 hour 55 minutes

Publisher: Grivante Press

Released: Dec. 12, 2015

Genre: Horror, Action/Adventure

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Orgasms, Chocolate & Zombies? Just an average day for Jonah, Judas & JJ.

The Zee Brothers have a strange and dangerous vocation. While some hunt rodents or pests in the dark, Jonah and Judas tackle much larger prey… Zombies. Equipped with a well-loved artillery gun, DeeDee, and a much used and somewhat abused pickup truck called Sasha, the duo clear the night of undead pests, keeping the ever present threat of a Zombie Apocalypse at bay.

When the slap happy pair receives an after hours call for extermination that ends in a gurgle, they head out, guns locked and catch pole loaded. It seems that an incredibly foolish developer built a high cost, gated community atop an old indian Reservation – a Reservation that soon became a graveyard and home to magic much older than the flimsy walled homes that tried to take over. Lost in this sea of new houses, an ancient artifact lay buried till the obnoxious Home Owners Association President disturbed it – and awakened the Zombies from their slumber to retrieve it. 

Now it’s up to the Brothers to find it and lay the walking dead to rest. Along the way they meet the woman of their dreams, JJ, her magical and disco imbued dog, Xanadu, a denture wearing Zombie and a High Priest that offers a bit more danger than DeeDee can handle.

Filled with pop culture nods and heroes that just don’t know when to quit, it’s a slap happy, blood filled adventure, as the trio fights off zombies and the brothers fight each other for JJ’s affection. 

If you like Ash Vs Evil Dead, Army of Darkness and Scooby Doo, you’ll want to buy this action packed romp and dive into The Zee Brother’s adventures today!

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Grivante writes sci-fi, fantasy, horror and post-apocalyptic fiction with a writing style that bounces between comedy and action-packed horror, most often mixing together to create things like Zombie Omelets and Spleen Soup.
He is best known for his Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminator series, a comedic horror series that both celebrates and pokes fun at everything that makes zombie pop culture cool.

His publishing company Grivante Press focuses on publishing page-turning speculative fiction.

He loves things like George Romero’s “Of The Dead” movies and Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead” and feels there are many authors telling those types of stories well. He’ll leave that type of story telling to them and keep focused on the weird gonzo-action filled tales he likes to write and his readers like to read!

Facebook⎮Twitter⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram⎮Amazon
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Narrator Bio

Bred in a test tube in a far distant future, Ian is a prototype never meant for mass production. A rare genetic hybrid of opera singer, actor, narrator, rock vocalist, and electronic music producer, he travelled back in time to join forces with Earth’s last and best hope: the underpaid, under-appreciated, and oft misunderstood writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Since then, he has narrated over 20 audiobooks, voiced characters in video games and cartoons, and melted many a face with his powerful vocals.

Website⎮Facebook⎮Twitter⎮Instagram

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I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Grivante. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

What a fun audiobook to listen to! Brothers Jonah and Judas are zombie exterminators. When a house developer disturbs an ancient Indian reservation/burial ground, a High Priest calls all of the dead to find a lost amulet. The dead come back in the form of zombies. So Jonah and Judas jump in their trusty truck, Sasha, and they have their artillery gun, DeeDee with them. 

Even though this audiobook is only about 2 hours long, there are a lot of close calls with the zombies and a lot of laughs. These guys are crazy. And their friend JJ is just as crazy as them. She even has a dog named Xanadu who is magical.

If you like something different, I definitely recommend trying the Zee Brothers.

 

Continue reading →

Book Review & Giveaway: Never Say Die by Stevie Kopas

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Never Say Die:
Stories of The Zombie Apocalypse
by Stevie Kopas
Genre: Dystopian, SciFi, Fantasy, Thriller, Horror
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Family, friends, lovers…
Those are just a few examples of the strong bonds that hold humanity
together. But when the dead begin living, and the living start to
die, who will remain connected, and who will be torn apart?
Never Say Die: Stories of The Zombie Apocalypse, explores how different
relationships are put to the ultimate test when the end of the world
comes crashing down around them.
Some will live, some will die, but one thing is for certain: Some bonds
don’t break.
Jack:
Years after the zombie outbreak decimates the population, Jack’s
sister is mysteriously taken. Will he be able to find his sister, or
better yet, once he finds her, will he be able to accept what she has
become?
Gordon and Elena:
The morning of an estranged couple’s divorce is
about to get a lot more stressful when a mysterious illness turns out
to be more dangerous than anyone expected. Will the two be able to
set their differences aside before their journey’s end?
Patient 63:
After a terrorist attack, civilization crumbles when a
lab-created virus infects over half the world’s population. Dr.
Henrick Kennedy has found the vaccine in his sixty-third patient, a
former infected, but his intentions are anything but good. Graham, a
lonely janitor, has fallen in love with the imprisoned Patient 63.
But is love enough to save the world, or will love be the means to
its end all over again? (Previously released in At Hell’s Gates,
Volume 2: Origins of Evil)
Rosie:
A little girl is given a vaccine to protect her from the impending
zombie apocalypse, but when things don’t go as planned, Rosie and
her mom must find a way to escape their home and make it to the
evacuation zone alive. The human race may depend on it.
 
Trevor:
A troubled young man makes the decision to end his life, but when the
dead come back to life and his city is overrun, Trevor has suddenly
found the will to live again, only this time he realizes he has a
found a new purpose in life: Revenge.
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I chose to read this e-book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
I had listened to all three books in The Breadwinner Trilogy and was looking forward to reading Never Say Die. I already knew that I like Stevie Kopas’s writing style and I wasn’t disappointed.
The short stories in Never Say Die are about different times in possible Zombie Apocalypses. Three of the stories are about the beginning of a zombie apocalypse: Gordon and Elena takes place just as one is beginning and just as Gordon and Elena’s marriage is ending. Rosie is about a little girl at the beginning of a zombie apocalypse and it’s from her view, so some of it she doesn’t quite understand. It’s done very well. Trevor is about a troubled young man who actually welcomes the zombie apocalypse. Jack and Patient 63 take place well after the initial apocalypse and both were shocking but I enjoyed them (I must be a little sick). The characters are “regular” people who have had to face horrific circumstances. 
If you like reading about a zombie apocalypse, I definitely recommend Never Say Die.
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Stevie Kopas was born and raised in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. She is a gamer,
a writer and an apocalypse enthusiast. Stevie will never turn down a
good cup of coffee and might even be a bit of a caffeine addict.
Stevie is the author of The Breadwinner Trilogy. Books 1 and 2, The
Breadwinner and Haven were originally self-published in 2013 and
2014. The Breadwinner Trilogy was picked up by Permuted Press in May
of 2014 and the second editions of both the first books were released
in March and April of 2015. The third and final installment in The
Breadwinner Trilogy, All Good Things, debuted in May of 2015. In June
of 2015 The Breadwinner was the number one bestselling dystopian
novel on Amazon.
Her fourth book, Never Say Die: Stories of The Zombie Apocalypse, was
released in May 2016.
Kopas also participates in the At Hell’s Gates horror anthologies and all
profits are donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Her short
stories, Nefarious, Patient 63, and Spencer Family Tradition can be
found in the first three volumes of At Hell’s Gates.
She currently resides in Panama City Beach, Florida and tries to spend as
much time as she can soaking up the sun.
 
Stevie is also the Managing Editor of the website Horror Metal Sounds and a
writer for the site. Offline, Stevie is a telecommunications
professional.
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Book Review: All Good Things by Stevie Kopas

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25318045Title: All Good Things (The Breadwinner Trilogy Book #3)

Author: Stevie Kopas

Genre: Post Apocalyptic

Publication Date: May 12, 2015

 

About the Book

Locked up safely behind the walls of their glamorous beach resort, our survivors have grown comfortable, almost forgetting that the undead are still on the prowl in the streets below. But when the group loses one of their own under mysterious circumstances, they begin to question whether or not staying at the resort is their best option.

Friends turn on one another and once again, the group finds themselves back on the apocalyptic streets of Haven, battling the dead. The biggest threat yet emerges and a traitor is revealed, proving once and for all that the flesh hungry creatures infesting the city are not the group’s greatest foe.

Will our survivors be able to make it out alive one last time?

The final book in The Breadwinner Trilogy is a non-stop, post-apocalyptic race to the finish line. Murder, lies, captivity, and a seemingly never ending onslaught of the dead are just some of the challenges our group will face.

Fates hang in the balance but one thing is certain: the end of the world is not glamorous, and All Good Things must come to an end.

 

My Review

I received a free copy of the audiobook for an honest review.

 I listened to the first two books in this trilogy, The Breadwinner and Haven, and I was thrilled when Stevie Kopas sent me the next book, All Good Things, to review. Because of the way the last book ended, I was dying to get into this one.

This book starts where Haven left off with the death of one of the main characters, Juliette. Since she had some mental problems, the group believes that she committed suicide, but we know that Michelle pushed her off the balcony.

All of the characters are complex and well developed. A lot of this book is devoted to Michelle, who is a psychopath. She is truly evil. She even coaxes a woman to commit suicide. Yes, the woman was a sex slave and lived in the worst conditions imaginable, and death was probably her best option, but Michelle enjoyed encouraging her and watching her kill herself.

All Good Things was a good ending to the trilogy. It was full of suspense and I wondered if all of the survivors were going to be killed off by the end. Whether they did or they didn’t I won’t say, but it was a fitting end.

I definitely recommend All Good Things if you like reading about zombies. I do suggest reading the first two books, though, before reading this one.

 

Buy the Book

Amazon

 

About the Author 

(from Goodreads)

7177940Stevie Kopas was born and raised in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. She is a gamer, a writer and an apocalypse enthusiast. Stevie will never turn down a good cup of coffee and might even be a bit of a caffeine addict.

Stevie is the author of The Breadwinner Trilogy. Books 1 and 2, The Breadwinner and Haven were originally self-published in 2013 and 2014. The Breadwinner Trilogy was picked up by Permuted Press in May of 2014 and the second editions of both the first books were released in March and April of 2015. The third and final installment in The Breadwinner Trilogy, All Good Things, debuted in May of 2015.

Kopas also participates in the At Hell’s Gates horror anthologies and all profits are donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Her short stories, Nefarious and Patient 63 can be found in the first two volumes of At Hell’s Gates.

She currently resides in Panama City Beach, Florida and tries to spend as much time as she can in the sun.

Stevie is also the Managing Editor of the website Horror Metal Sounds and a writer for the site. She is an avid reader of horror and post-apocalyptic fiction (especially zom-poc) and reviews for The Bookie Monster. Offline, Stevie is a telecommunications professional.

Stevie’s official website can be found by visiting http://someonereadthis.com and you can connect with Stevie on Facebook at http://facebook.com/thebreadwinnertri…

Follow Stevie on Twitter, her username is @ApacoTaco.

Book Review: Braineater Jones by Stephen Kozeniewski

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BRAINEATER JONES cover

 

Braineater Jones wakes up face down in a swimming pool with no memory of his former life, how he died, or why he’s now a zombie. With a smart-aleck severed head as a partner, Jones descends into the undead ghetto to solve his own murder.

But Jones’s investigation is complicated by his crippling addiction to human flesh. Like all walking corpses, he discovers that only a stiff drink can soothe his cravings. Unfortunately, finding liquor during Prohibition is costly and dangerous. From his Mason jar, the cantankerous Old Man rules the only speakeasy in the city that caters to the postmortem crowd.

As the booze, blood, and clues coagulate, Jones gets closer to discovering the identity of his killer and the secrets behind the city’s stranglehold on liquid spirits. Death couldn’t stop him, but if the liquor dries up, the entire city will be plunged into an orgy of cannibalism.

Cracking this case is a tall order. Braineater Jones won’t get out alive, but if he plays his cards right, he might manage to salvage the last scraps of his humanity.

 

My Review

I received a free copy of the audiobook for an honest review.

Not only is Braineater Jones a different take on the whole zombie genre, but it is hilarious at times! One of my favorite quotes: “Damn near ruptured my spleen, I noticed later upon takin’ it out and checkin’ it.”

Braineater Jones (not his real name) wakes up face down in a swimming pool and realizes that he’s not breathing, but he’s still alive. Well, not alive but aware. He has no heartbeat and he doesn’t have to breathe so, technically, he’s dead. He has no memory of who he is or how he got here. He soon finds out that there’s an entire community of undead but his primary goal is to find out who killed him. And to not get killed again, what he calls double dog dead.

I’m glad I received the audio version of this book. The narrator, Steve Rimpici, does a fantastic job of using the right voice for Jones. He definitely sounds like someone in the noir genre during the 30’s.

Braineater Jones is a fun read. It’s unique, witty, and funny. It is gross at times (I mean, zombies are in it) but even then it’s usually funny. I definitely recommend Braineater Jones even if you’re tired of zombies.

Available on Amazon.

 

About the Author

7183355Stephen Kozeniewski (pronounced: “causin’ ooze key”) lives with his wife and two cats in Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the modern zombie. He was born to the soothing strains of “Boogie With Stu” even though The Who are far superior to Zep, for reasons that he doesn’t even really want to get into right now.

During his time as a Field Artillery officer, he served for three years in Oklahoma and one in Iraq, where due to what he assumes was a clerical error, he was awarded the Bronze Star. The depiction of addiction in his fiction is strongly informed by the three years he spent working at a substance abuse clinic, an experience which also ensures that he employs strict moderation when enjoying the occasional highball of Old Crow. 
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He is also a classically trained linguist, which sounds much more impressive than saying his bachelor’s degree is in German.
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Book Review: The Rising Dead by Devan Sagliani

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downloadTitle: The Rising Dead

Author: Devan Sagliani

Genre: horror, apocalypse

Publication Date: May 6, 2015

About the Book

(from Amazon)

Chaos breaks out when a virulent new strain of biological warfare is unwittingly released into the general population, causing all who are infected with it to turn into flesh hungry monsters driven by a hive mind that yearns to feed. Gunner, a paranoid war veteran and the head of security at the Biotech lab where the designer virus was created, knew this day would eventually come. That’s why he spent nearly every day since his return from Iraq preparing for the end of the world. It’s up to him to save the residents of Thunderdome, a run down apartment complex in Northern Las Vegas. Max hosts a live show as Asphyxia Stardust, a semi-nude cosplayer with a love of all things horror who is hosting the cities first ZombieCon. Travis is a computer nerd slash borderline stalker obsessed with zombies and Gemma, a misunderstood party girl everyone thinks is a tease. His roommate Parker is a star athlete gone bad who spends his days partying and chasing skirts. Holt is a stereotypical frat boy who finds new meaning in the apocalypse as a warrior for God with a crowbar sent to kill demons from the pit of hell. Together this unlikely band of college students and burnouts fight their way through a zombie horde in search of somewhere safe to take refuge, encountering every horror imaginable along the way. Is this an inescapable global pandemic or can they find a safe zone outside of Sin City and away from the endless sea of rotting monsters with razor sharp teeth trying to infect and kill them?

 

My Review

I received a free copy of the audiobook from the author for an honest review.

I am pretty new to the whole zombie genre but, somehow, I’ve become hooked. I also like to get audiobooks so that I can listen to them instead of the radio in the car, so when Devan Sagliani asked me to review his audiobook, I jumped at the chance.

A lot of The Rising Dead is the typical zombie fighting, etc., but this one was a little gorier than the previous audiobooks I’ve listened to. Luckily, I’ve been in the process of watching The Walking Dead marathon so it didn’t bother me as much as it could have. How sad is it that we get used to all that gore and violence?

The Rising Dead just covers the very beginning of the zombie apocalypse, and in Vegas of all places. I’ve been there a few times for conferences and I thought how scary it would to be there when it happened. I couldn’t decide if I liked the end of the book or not. It’s not your typical ending but that kind of intrigued me.

The primary characters are mostly college kids except for Gunner, who is a security guard and a veteran. All the kids have always made fun of him because he’s actually prepared, he hopes, for just such a situation. There wasn’t much depth to the characters so at least I didn’t cry when one of them was killed. 

The story was full of action and, even with so many characters, it was easy to follow which I always think is a big accomplishment by an author. It’s so difficult to get into a book when you have to keep going back to figure out who is who. The narrator also did a good job at distinguishing between the different voices enough so that I could usually tell who was speaking. 

If you like zombies, you should read this book, but be warned: you may not like the ending.

Available on Amazon.

 

About the Author

downloadDevan Sagliani was born and raised in Southern California and graduated from UCLA. He is the author of the bestselling Zombie Attack series, The Rising Dead, A Thirst For Fire, Saint Death and the Undead L.A. series. Devan also wrote the original screenplay for the movie HVZ: Humans Versus Zombies. He writes a bimonthly horror column for Escapist Magazine called Dark Dreams. In 2014 he cofounded the At Hell’s Gates horror anthology series with Shana Festa, which donates all proceeds to The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund to help wounded soldiers and their families.

 Devan is an active member of the Horror Writer’s Association. His fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Million Writers Award. In 2012 his debut novel Zombie Attack! Rise of the Horde won Best Zombie/Horror E-book on Goodreads. In 2015 The Rising Dead and Zombie Attack were both named on the Best Zombie Books of 2015 by Ranking Squad.

 He currently lives in Venice Beach, California with his wife and dog.

Book Review: Haven by Stevie Kopas

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20809918Title: Haven (The Breadwinner Book #2)

Author: Stevie Kopas

Genre: Post Apocalyptic

Publication Date: July 9, 2015

About the Book

The end of the world is not glamorous. The survivors of The Breadwinner have barely escaped the clutches of the undead and are headed into the unknown, continuing their never ending search for solace in the post-apocalyptic landscape they were suddenly thrust into. The city of Haven, once a paradise for the living, but now crawling with the flesh hungry creatures they try so hard to elude, could be their only chance. Resume your post-apocalyptic survival adventure with Veronica, Samson and Ben as they struggle with hope and loss, and as they battle the futility of existence. Take on a new experience as you find yourself once more at the beginning, thrown into the depths of the end of the world with new survivors. Join Michelle and Lulu, ordinary women faced with extraordinary obstacles on their devastating journey and the pursuit of sanctuary in a world collapsed.

Haven continues the story of The Breadwinner with the addition of new territory, new characters, and new complications. The second book in The Breadwinner Trilogy will leave you stunned and bloodthirsty for the conclusion of the series. Who you once were still does not determine who you will become in the face of catastrophe, especially in Haven.

 

My Review

I received a free copy of the audiobook for an honest review.

 I listened to The Breadwinner, the first book in this series, and was looking forward to listening to the next book, Haven. I wasn’t disappointed.

The same characters are in the beginning of Haven. They had survived the apocalypse in The Breadwinner and are now on a boat not sure where they’re headed until they reach Haven. They meet Gary and he seems to have the perfect set up so they decide to stay.

All of a sudden, Part 2 came along and there were brand new characters and it was the beginning of the apocalypse all over again. I didn’t think I was going to like going back but for this story, it worked well.

I didn’t care for Michelle or Lulu, the main characters in Part 2. Lulu was sweet, but a doormat. I knew Michelle was a bitch from the first time she opened her mouth. Once the apocalypse hit, she proved to have the skills to keep her and Lulu alive but she lacked social skills.

I haven’t decided if I like the ending of Haven or not. I don’t believe in spoilers so I’ll just leave it at that.

I definitely recommend Haven and I’m looking forward to the third book in the trilogy. I have to find out how it ends!!

Buy the Book

Amazon

 

About the Author 

(from Goodreads)

7177940Stevie Kopas was born and raised in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. She is a gamer, a writer and an apocalypse enthusiast. Stevie will never turn down a good cup of coffee and might even be a bit of a caffeine addict.

Stevie is the author of The Breadwinner Trilogy. Books 1 and 2, The Breadwinner and Haven were originally self-published in 2013 and 2014. The Breadwinner Trilogy was picked up by Permuted Press in May of 2014 and the second editions of both the first books were released in March and April of 2015. The third and final installment in The Breadwinner Trilogy, All Good Things, debuted in May of 2015.

Kopas also participates in the At Hell’s Gates horror anthologies and all profits are donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Her short stories, Nefarious and Patient 63 can be found in the first two volumes of At Hell’s Gates.

She currently resides in Panama City Beach, Florida and tries to spend as much time as she can in the sun.

Stevie is also the Managing Editor of the website Horror Metal Sounds and a writer for the site. She is an avid reader of horror and post-apocalyptic fiction (especially zom-poc) and reviews for The Bookie Monster. Offline, Stevie is a telecommunications professional.

Stevie’s official website can be found by visiting http://someonereadthis.com and you can connect with Stevie on Facebook at http://facebook.com/thebreadwinnertri…

Follow Stevie on Twitter, her username is @ApacoTaco.

Guest Post: How Not to Look Crazy When Researching a Non-Fiction Zombie Book

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By Jessica Robinson/Pembroke Sinclair

 

Zombies are awesome.  Well, not in the destroy the world and eat humans kind of way, but as metaphors.  They can represent so many different fears we have as a society.  Social, gender, religious, authority, race—you name it, they can be it.  The one that I found fascinating was how they represent our fears of science.

 

I’m obsessed with zombies.  Personally, I don’t think my obsession is that bad, but when I sit down with “normal” people and have a conversation about the undead, it seems like I’ve seen waaaaay too many movies and read a lot of books.  I feel like a freak because I go out of my way to find zombie media.  Then, I remind myself that there are others out there who have probably seen more movies than I have and read more books, so I’m totally regular obsessed and not super-obsessed. 

 

And is it really that weird that I talk about the zombie uprising like it could really happen?  I don’t think so.  I mean, c’mon!  We have to be prepared, don’t we?

 

Part of being prepared is knowing what I’m going to be up against.  When I started researching Undead Obsessed: Finding Meaning in Zombies, I wanted to look at what it is about science that is so scary.  There were several questions I needed answered, including how disease is transmitted, so I had to talk with people who had more knowledge than I did.  I had the opportunity to speak with scientists and technicians at water and waste water treatment plants to get my answers.

 

It was an awesome experience.  These individuals were incredibly intelligent, insightful, and helpful.  They were more than happy to answer my questions and show me how things worked.  They knew I was researching for a zombie book, but to keep it “normal,” I had to keep myself in check.  Here are some of the things I did to keep from appearing “crazy.”

 

When I was first introduced to the professional, I didn’t begin the conversation with “ZOMBIES!  They’re going to take over the world, and only you can help me save it!”  I assume if I had, they would have looked at me slightly askance and the conversation would have gotten awkward.  I mean, that’s a lot of pressure to put on someone, especially when you first meet them.  That’s reserved for a third or fourth conversation opener.

 

Despite the popularity of the zombie genre and the multitude of books, movies, and TV series, not everyone watches these.  Not everyone knows they exist.  When I asked the interviewee if they’d seen whatever book/movie/TV show I was talking about and they said they hadn’t, I didn’t look at them with wide eyes and say, “Have you been living under a rock?”  I mean, it was obvious they had been.  How could they have not heard about whatever book/movie/TV show I was talking about?  But there was no sense being rude.

 

I didn’t ask them if they’ve been working on bringing the dead back to life.  If they were, they wouldn’t answer the question truthfully anyway.  If they weren’t, I probably would have gotten a sideways glance and they may have asked me to leave their office.  And if that had happened, I would have been suspicious.  Their defensiveness probably meant they were experimenting with the dead.

 

I was tempted to ask if they’ve stocked up on supplies and were prepared for when the zombies rose, but I refrained from this also.  If nothing else, they can come to my house and my family and I will keep them safe.  I figured it was the least I could for them having to put up with me.

 

I didn’t keep it a secret what I was working on.  I was upfront and honest that my research was for a zombie book.  I won’t lie, some of them thought I was a little strange—I could tell by the way they laughed at some of my statements about zombies or looked at me with their head cocked to the side and eyes narrowed, as if studying me silently—but they answered all my questions in a professional manner.

 

It was fine for them to think I was strange, but I didn’t want to give off the crazy vibe, which is why I kept it professional and courteous.  Should you find yourself needing to research zombies and talk to people, I suggest you do the same.  In the end, I got the information I needed and feel I am now better prepared for when the dead rise from the grave.

 

3522214Jessica Robinson is an editor by day and a zombie-killer by night (at least in her books). Since the first time she watched Night of the Living Dead, she has been obsessed with zombies and often thinks of ways to survive the uprising. In addition to her nonfiction book, under the pen name Pembroke Sinclair, she has written YA novels about zombies and the tough teens who survive the apocalyptic world. She has also written nonfiction stories for Serial Killer Magazine and published a book about slasher films called Life Lessons from Slasher Films. You can learn more about Jessica by visiting her at http://pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com/

Goodreads

Book Review: Time of Death: Asylum by Shana Festa

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22711078Title: Time of Death: Asylum

Author: Shana Festa

Genre: Horror: zombies

Publication Date: December 9, 2014

Summary

Surviving the journey is just the beginning.

The last two months have brought nothing but death and destruction for Emma Rossi. She survived the initial zombie outbreak with her husband, Jake, and their dog, Daphne, but the cost was steep: Sanibel has fallen.

In a world where the only constant is change, the group is pushed to their limits before reaching the gates of Asylum, a coastal stronghold in Sarasota, Florida.

Once again, Emma must navigate an apocalyptic wasteland filled with relentless hordes of the undead and other menacing horrors that threaten her survival.

Only thing is certain. No one is safe from what lurks on either side of Asylum’s gates. Asylum may offer more than just safety.

Sanity will be tested; and many won’t live to tell the tale.

My Review

I received a free audiobook for an honest review.

Asylum is the second book in the Time of Death series. I liked the first book, Induction, so I was excited to listen to book #2.

I find it interesting that Shana Festa can take a post apocalyptic world full of zombies and find a way to make it humorous at times. It helps soften the horror and so much violence and death.

This book is full of suspense and, once Emma and her family reach Asylum, there are some mysterious things going on. Emma feels like something is wrong with the place but isn’t quite sure what it is. Just when she gets a clue, the book ends!

The characters and their relationships are interesting and evolving (or devolving). I felt bad for Emma because her marriage is failing. I’m hoping that whatever is going on with her husband, Jake, will be explained, hopefully resolved, in the next book.

I definitely recommend Asylum if you like post apocalyptic zombie stories. I do think it would be best to read the book #1 first, though..