Hi lovelies! It gives me great
pleasure today to host Brandon Zenner and his new book, “The After War”! For other stops on his Goddess Fish
Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above.
Be sure to make it to the end of
this post to enter to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card. Also, come back daily to interact with
Brandon and to increase your chances of winning!
This book is on sale during the
book tour for ONLY $0.99!!! See below
for more details.
Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you lots of luck in these exciting
giveaways!
The After War
by Brandon Zenner
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GENRE: Dystopian
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BLURB:
Two years
have passed since mankind faced extinction. Brian Rhodes and his cousin,
Steven, are leaving the protection of their underground bunker for the first
time, after a cataclysmic war and unrelenting disease ravaged the earth.
On the other
side of the North American continent, young Simon Kalispell is leaving the
safety and seclusion of his cabin deep in the woods, traveling with his aging
canine companion, Winston.
For
individual reasons, these men are traveling east, where the fragmented lives of
a small number of survivors will soon be decided by the choices of a corrupt
few.
Simon
Kalispell and Brian Rhodes are not yet aware, but the strength that resides
inside them will soon be tested, and destiny will call for their fates to be
forever intertwined.
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EXCERPT ONE:
Brian
looked down the entry chute to Steven at the bottom. He knew that five minutes
ago, the only thought going through Steven’s mind had been the complete and
utter fear of facing whatever unknown nature of humanity might remain outside
that bunker door. Now his cousin looked panicked as the filtered light
reflected the sheen of sweat on his forehead, his body tensed, as if the
all-encompassing blackness in that room was squeezing him toward the exit.
Steven’s eyes darted over his shoulder in the direction of the one piece of
equipment they had not shut down entirely—the walk-in freezer. The red, glowing
light from the switch illuminated the far wall. Steven seemed frozen,
transfixed.
Not
the time to be thinking about what’s in there, Brian thought.
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GUEST POST:
Top Ten Survival Items
If a doomsday event was imminent, whether by war or disease, the end
result would be the same: the majority of the population would be wiped out,
whole nations eradicated, and depending on the type of apocalyptic scenario,
rivers, oceans, and large landmasses may be intolerable to life. So, on that
happy note, if you were survive the apocalypse, what are the top-ten items that
you would bring to keep you alive? Below, I compiled a list, making a few items
a bit broader to encompass categories rather than specific components.
10) A large, weatherproof backpack
Even if you escape the apocalypse by car, and are fortunate enough that
the roadways are clear to drive over, eventually you’ll have to traverse the
land by foot. Gasoline will spoil in time. Even with stabilizers, fuel will go
bad in anywhere from a couple of months to a year or two, when stored
correctly. So, make sure you have a backpack large enough to hold all of your
supplies when the time comes—because you’ll need it.
9) A compass
Let’s face it, we’re all now accustomed to hearing a pleasant sounding
robot voice direct us to our destination, right from our cell phones. We even
get updates when a bit of traffic will delay our commute by five minutes. But
do you think our electronics will warn us when a roving pack of cannibals are
causing a delay around the next bend? Certainly not. In a doomsday scenario,
learning how to use a compass correctly will get you to that lake on the map
rather than the mountainous edge of a cliff.
8) Spare clothing
Not only will your shoes wear thin much faster than you’d anticipate
from the countless days of walking, your shirts and sweaters will get
contaminated over time by a mixture of dripped food and body fluids. And don’t
get me started on those nasty septic socks you’ve been wearing for days. Have
spare clothing, and keep what you’re not wearing as clean as possible. Hygiene
will be tough to keep up with, but an infection from a cut, or even a slight
cold, can turn deadly fast.
7) Tools
An axe and a shovel are the most important. Not only will they help
protect you when all else fails, and the zombies are overrunning your ability
to reload your gun, they will be used for chopping wood, digging fire pits, and
breaking down locked doors to storerooms full of supplies. You need good,
heavy-duty tools.
6) Medical supplies
Remember when I said a slight cold could turn deadly? Well, here’s your
solution. Get bandages, burn creams, ointments, and pills. If you can, stock
antibiotics, IV drips, hypodermic needles, and painkillers. Get everything and
everything that you can, because you don’t want to run out of Imodium AD when a
case of explosive diarrhea comes about. The microscopic world of bacteria is
far more deadly than the burnt shell of the earth you’re traversing.
5) Protection
What do you do when a violent, infected man turns his sights on you?
When he comes running, mouth foaming, dark eyes bursting with disease—what are
you going to do? Simply shoot him in the head and go about your business. This
item can easily be moved higher up the list, especially with the case of having
a good knife. Something big and strong, like a Ka-Bar or a fixed-blade Buck
knife. But you’re going to want guns too, if you can get your hands on them,
and plenty of ammo. A hunting rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol would be a good
combo. But if you can get an assault rifle, preferably one that can support a
scope and be used for long range hunting, that’s all the better.
4) Shelter
A quick, lightweight pop-up tent can be a lifesaver when the nights dip
below freezing, and the winds come a-howling. But let’s face it, eventually the
skin on a tent will rip, wear down, and let in the elements. As will a tarp. So
when that time comes, and you’re all alone in the heart of the woods with the
bogyman stumbling about, you’re going to want to be in a shelter. That’s why I
want to broaden this category to learning how to make fast and easy shelters in
the wild. A quick lean-to, a leaf hut, or an igloo will save your life. Google
them now, before the cyber storm shuts off your computer permanently.
3) Fire
Another category that can easily be moved to number one. Fire. It will
be needed for warmth, boiling water, sharpening spears, and keeping away the
wolves and the undead. Bring lighters, weatherproof matches, and a good flint
or magnesium fire starter. And just to be safe, pack a magnifying glass.
2) Food
Again, I want to broaden this category beyond the MRE’s, dehydrated
meals, and the simple high calorie survival bars, that look and taste like
wood. You need to eat; it’s as simple as that. Before you die of starvation,
your brain will get cloudy and your body will be lethargic, making it all the
more easy for that grizzly bear to finish you off. Learning a few basics about
hunting can turn your rehydrated slop dinner into a lovely roasted venison
loin. And even more important—learn how to forage. There are plants everywhere
that can keep you fed. Seriously, they are all around. How do you think those
expensive bags of greens wind up at the supermarket? Heck, I have those same
plants growing in my backyard. If you don’t have time to learn from a
professional survivalist how to identify plants, get a few books on the subject
and pack them along. I recommend Tom Brown Jr.. His knowledge of wild plants is
extensive, and he explains how to turn them into medicines and remedies.
1) Water
Are you surprised this in number one? Probably not. You will die if you
don’t drink water, faster than it takes for the zombie virus to turn you
undead. You have to drink. But carrying water is not enough. Pack a filter,
iodine tablets, and a pot to boil the water in. Also, bring a length of plastic
sheeting to make a solar still; it’s easy to do, and you can extract the water
from any ground—even dessert sand. To make it, dig a hole and place a cup in
the bottom. Cover with the plastic sheeting, use rocks to secure the edges, and
then place another light rock on the center, above the cup. Moisture will form
on the tarp through condensation, collect and drip into the cup. This can also
be used to purify tainted water, even urine. Delicious, right? And if you want
to be fancy, bring a length of plastic tubing to be used as a straw, so you
won’t have to dismantle the still to get at the water.
That about sums it up. There are countless items you may want to add to
your doomsday bag, but you will never know what they are if you don’t learn and
prepare. When it’s time to hit the road and fend off the cannibal hoards, I
hope you’ll be ready.
Bon Voyage!
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AUTHOR BIO:
Brandon
Zenner is an American fiction writer and an Amazon best selling author. His
short fiction has been published in both print and online publications, the
first being submitted when he was 19 years old. THE EXPERIMENT OF DREAMS, his
debut eBook thriller, has reached Amazon's best seller list many times. His
second novel, WHISKEY DEVILS, was released in early 2016. THE AFTER WAR, a
dystopian thriller, is available now as a pre-order, at 80% off the final sale
price. You can follow the author on his Amazon page, or through his email list
on his website. All email subscribers will receive his futuristic short story,
HELIX ILLUMINATED, for free as a thank you. His genres of choice are thrillers,
crime, dystopian, and science fiction.
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CONNECT
WITH BRANDON:
Facebook:
Website:
Twitter:
Amazon Author Page:
Goodreads Author Page:
Goodreads Book Page:
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AMAZON BUY LINK & INFO:
**The After
War will be on sale for $0.99 during the tour.**
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Brandon Zenner will be awarding a $20 Amazon or
Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the
tour.
**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a
purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just
helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**
This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and
Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not
Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are
solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteHello, and thanks for hosting. I'll be in and out throughout the day, I look forward to chatting.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteThank you! And good luck with the raffle.
My pleasure.
ReplyDelete