Read For Your Future: July 2016

July 22, 2016

Featured Book & Giveaway: Day By Day Armageddon: Ghost Run

HOW TO BEAT THE HEAT DAY BY DAY…

QUENCH YOURSELF WITH THE BLOODTHIRSTY UNDEAD IN DAY BY DAY ARMAGEDDON: GHOST RUN!

The much anticipated fourth book in J.L. Bourne’s Day by Day Armageddon series—an acclaimed military thriller series of the zombie apocalypse—DAY BY DAY ARMAGEDDON: GHOST RUN (Gallery Books; July 19, 2016; $16.00) is a sure bet for fans of the smash hit show The Walking Dead, bringing all-new tales of the zombie apocalypse! As a commissioned military officer with twenty years of active military and intelligence community service behind him, J.L. delivers an intelligent and suspenseful thriller that will terrify die-hard horror fans and reinforce J.L. Bourne’s reputation as “the new king of hardcore zombie fiction” (Brad Thor, New York Times bestselling author).

“We have a cure. South of Atlanta, Wachovia Tower, CDC site B. Need assistance, position compromised. Doc, TF Phoenix sends…AR. BT BT.”

In a desperate bid to survive a world forever altered…as the hordes of bloodthirsty undead now dominate the ravaged U.S. landscape…a Navy commander on a reconnaissance mission for basic supplies stumbles upon an incredible secret about the possibility of reversing the pandemic’s devastating effects that have annihilated everything in its path. Now there’s no turning back—with only his lifelong-honed skills and the aid of an extraordinary construct, he leads a one-man rescue mission to find Task Force Phoenix and humanity’s final hope. And the agonizing, split-second decisions he must make along the way could mean living one more day—or surrendering to the eternal hell that exists between life and death.

Praise for Ghost Run:

“Day by Day Armageddon: Ghost Run is a deeply satisfying read for any fan of survivalist horror, zombie fiction, or military heroes. With its rousing pace and compelling narrator, it's best savored at a breathless sprint. The only real surprise is how this series has reached its fourth installment without a movie or TV deal being set in motion—it’s certainly cinematic enough in its action-packed flourishes.”

—Criminal Element

An interview with J.L. Bourne:

J.L. Bourne’s interview with Survival Punk will post on Wednesday, July 20^th!

About the author:

J.L. Bourne is a commissioned military officer and acclaimed author of the horror series Day by Day Armageddon and the dystopian thriller Tomorrow War. With twenty years of active military and intelligence community service behind him, J.L. brands a realistic and unique style of fiction. He lives on the Gulf Coast but is sometimes spotted toting a rifle and a Bowie knife in the rural hills of Arkansas, where he grew up. Visit him at JLBourne.com, on Facebook at OfficialJLBourne, and on Twitter @jlbourne…before the grid goes dark.

Day by Day Giveaways!

Thursday and Friday of this week, bloggers will give away one bundle (one copy each of books 1-3) in the Day by Day Armageddon series. See the schedule below. You may enter all the giveaways, but you can only win once. U.S. only.

Thursday, July 21^st

Friday, July 22^nd

Today we welcome Blaise Lucey for an interview:

1. How did you come up with the concept for this book?

It was a lot of brainstorming. Once I had the initial idea - what would happen if angels and demons lived among us - it was a matter of figuring out what they were doing there. What had happened to make it important for angels to be on earth? And what did the demons really want? How did that fold up into a bigger conflict?

I really love building fantasy worlds, so my favorite part was thinking about what the worlds of Glisten & Slag looked like and how they had formed, then weaving in those elements into common world history & mythology, like Atlantis. The guiding idea there is that the demons, who thrive in chaos, are trying to figure out ways to control the humans... and they've been doing it for hundreds of years. Angels believe that humans should have free will and be free to make their own choices and their own mistakes. So historical events we know were actually influenced by demons and angels as they battle across The Field (Earth) in secret.

2.How did you come up with the names for the characters?

When I choose character names, I like to think about how the name sounds when you say it. A name is a reflection of identity and often kind of drives our destiny in a weird way. "Jim" is a really unassuming name, while "Claire" sounds complex and layered. I think that's a great representation of the characters themselves. Jim is used to being invisible at the start of the book and doesn't expect that to change. Claire is always thinking and overanalyzing situations.

3.How much are you and the characters alike?

I always write parts of myself into characters, but then they take lives of their own. I'd say I'm a bit more like Claire than Jim, especially because Claire is so observant and thoughtful about what's happening around her. That also tends to drive her crazy as she learns more about what she's supposed to do when she grows her wings.

4.Do you read a lot and what are you reading now?

I'm always reading! I try to keep my literary diet really diverse. I'm just as likely to be reading a fantasy book as I am to be reading a long history book about the mafia. The book that I finished recently that I absolutely loved was Tales of the Dying Earth by Jack Vance, which is a collection of Vance's fantasy writing. Cugel's Saga in particular is just a mind-blowing adventure novel where you're always encountering some new location or exotic species.

5. What made you decide to go Young adult?

I've always been drawn to the power of the characters in young adult novels. The protagonists are usually learning new things about themselves and always trying to uncover truths about the world that, in a lot of cases, actual adults might be too jaded to see. There's also the explosive power of first loves - and first losses - which offers a rich emotional tapestry for the characters to explore as they find their place in the world.

6. How did the cover come about?

I love the cover of Blest! I think it does a great job at hinting at a lot of the secrets that get uncovered as Jim and Claire figure out who they are... and what that means for their families, their friends, their relationship and, ultimately, the world.

7. So what is your next project and when is it due out?

I'm really excited about my next project, The Amnesia Complex. It's a young adult adventure novel set in the 2090s, so the not-to-distant future. The main character, Jade, is living on a farm with her dad and her dad's friend. She's never been more than a mile away from the farm and her dad tells her the rest of the world is totally destroyed and dangerous. One day, a boy, Luke, shows up outside the farm with his parents. I won't go into much more detail - I don't want to spoil anything - but let's just say Jade and Luke embark on a crazy journey on their own to figure out what actually happened to make the world the way it is.

I just finished it and now I'm working to find an agent who can help publish & market it. But I'm hoping it comes out next year!

8. Do you have a daytime job or are you a full time writer?

During the day, I work for a tech startup. I do a lot of writing for my job, too, so I'm always writing.

9. How did you get into writing novels and were you worried about peoples reactions to your books?

I've been writing for pretty much as long as I can remember. My earliest "novels" were called Goosechicks and they were a total rip-off of Goosebumps books but starring baby chickens. They had illustrations, too! I wrote them in 1st grade. I think my dad still has one of them in the basement somewhere.

10. One last thing do you collect anything personally?

I do! I actually collect weird watches. I like the idea that we've built machines just to keep track of "time" as we know it. I try to limit myself to only getting new ones when I accomplish a big goal... like publishing Blest! The watch I got for Blest is called the Zinvo Blade and has a rotating second hand that looks like a helicopter blade, like it's flying above the rest of the watch's face. I thought that was appropriate, seeing as how Jim, Claire, and the rest of the angels and demons do so much flying in Blest.

Thank you so much for stopping by our blog and letting us get to know you better.

Learn more about Blaise and the book Blest here:

Blaise Lucey:

Goodreads: Here

Website: Here

Amazon: Here

Email: Here

Book: Blest

Goodreads: Here

Website: Here

Amazon: Here

July 21, 2016

Author Interview: D.A. Roach author of Between the Bleeding Willows

D.A Stopped by Read for your Future to give us this interview:

1. How did you come up with the concept for this book?

Fall is my favorite time of year and Halloween is my favorite holiday. I felt inspired to write, so I asked my daughter to name a supernatural creature she wanted me to write a story about. She suggested demons because they frighten her. Then I put myself in her shoes and tried to think of what frightened me at her age (12 yrs old) and I remembered stories classmates used to tell about a haunted cemetery that was fifteen minutes away from my house. It was rumored that teens would go there and worship Satan in the abandoned cemetery at nightfall. So I took the two concepts and began crafting the story.

2.How did you come up with the names for the characters?

Killian, the main demon hunter, needed a strong name and I always associated that name with an Irish or Scottish warrior. For the girl, I wanted a name that could shorten to a nickname but also seemed good when paired with Killian, so Cassidy was chosen for the main character. And Tyler Romaitis, I wanted a simple and trendy guy name that was consistent with present day and the last name is homage to my Lithuanian heritage, as most Lithuanian names end in “itis”.

3.How much are you and the characters alike?

I am not much like any of them. I’m more like Brogen from my Rarity book...a small number of close friends, empathic, and nice till you cross me.

4.Do you read a lot and what are you reading now?

I read at least one chapter each night, depending on how tired I am. I am currently reading Pucked Up (not YA), and then will start A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole.

5. What made you decide to go Young adult?

I really enjoy the YA genre. It’s a time in life when people grow from child to adult and grow into who they are, not who they are expected to be. There are so many emotions, so many firsts. The trial and error of relationships, hearts broken and mended, friendships lost and made, and a path to the future is now becoming clear. It was an amazing and truly memorable time in my life, and I will also hold it with high regard. Because I loved it and went through so much, I find it easy to tap into emotions and write about that time in life.

6. How did the cover come about?

I wish I could take credit for the cover but the folks at Deranged Doctor Designs worked their magic and created that masterpiece. I told them my plot, mood, and what I envisioned the characters to look like and they came back to me with that cover. I almost fainted when I saw it :> And then I wondered if my story did the book justice. I mean, that’s an AMAZING cover.

7. So what is your next project and when is it due out?

I have a short story in the Detours in our Destination Anthology that comes out May 2016. The anthology includes stories of overcoming a hardship and rising above. I also have a short story in the thriller anthology from Limitless Publishing, entitled 13, that comes out this October. And finally, Within the Darkest Hollows, book 2 in the Demon Hunter series is due out at the end of October.

8. Do you have a daytime job or are you a full time writer?

Full time writer and full time mom.

9. How did you get into writing novels and were you worried about peoples reactions to your books?

My dental hygienist encouraged me to write down a story about a time in my childhood when my family was going through a difficult time and made it through with some help from strangers. The story of their kindness was truly amazing and deserved to be shared, so I tried my hand at writing and self-published the short tale. Turns out I really enjoyed writing and kept at it.

Did I worry about people’s reactions? Not initially. I wrote the story to tell it, hoping that people reading about kindness might encourage them to want to be kind as well. But when I published Rarity with Limitless Publishing, I worried about readers’ reactions. It wasn’t just about me anymore, a company believed my story was worth supporting and I worried that if it didn’t do well, they wouldn’t consider future stories.

Now I have some confidence with writing and have a few books under my belt so I worry less about reviews, and more about just putting forward my best effort. I enjoy writing and it’s important to remember that and stay true to writing for that reason. Honestly, I am too close to the stories to know how they will be perceived. When I finished BTBW, I reread it and said “Holy cow, that’s actually really good. I wonder if other people will think that too?” That was my only guide on the quality of my work...I liked it and enjoyed reading it.

10. One last thing do you collect anything personally?

Rocks. Lol. I love cool looking rocks. When we go to the beach, I walk the shoreline and pick rocks, then add them to my garden. My kids come home from school with pockets full of rocks and I convince them to add them to our plants or garden.

Thank you to D.A for stopping by the blog and letting us get to know her better.. Review to come.