Cover Reveal - The Last Days by Rhiannon Frater

I'm super excited to be taking part in the reveal of the new mass market paperback cover of The Last Days by Rhiannon Frater. The cover design is by David Frankland.

“This is to zombies what Anne Rice was to vampires, plain and simple. It's a revolution. I like this better than The Walking Dead.”—Dread Central

 

Katie is driving to work one beautiful day when a dead man jumps into her car and tries to eat her.  That same morning, Jenni opens a bedroom door to find her husband devouring their toddler son. 

            Fate puts Jenni and Katie—total strangers—together in a pickup, fleeing the suddenly zombie-filled streets of the Texas city in which they live.  Before the sun has set, they have become more than just friends and allies—they are bonded as tightly as any two people who have been to war together. 

During their cross-Texas odyssey to find and rescue Jenni’s oldest son, Jenni discovers the joy of watching a zombie’s head explode when she shoots its brains out.  Katie learns that she’s a terrific tactician—and a pretty good shot. 

            A chance encounter puts them on the road to an isolated, fortified town, besieged by zombies, where fewer than one hundred people cling to the shreds of civilization. 

            It looks like the end of the world.  But Katie and Jenni and many others will do whatever they have to to stay alive.  Run, fight, pick each other up when they stumble, fall in love . . . anything is possible at the end of the world.

 

“Frater examines the zombie apocalypse with a fearless feminist’s eye and a tender feminine heart. [She] wisely balances the internal struggles with bloody good action sequences.”--Hellnotes

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the AS THE WORLD DIES zombie trilogy and the author of several other books: the vampire novels PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES and THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. The first two books in her zombie trilogy, THE FIRST DAYS and FIGHTING TO SURVIVE, are available now in bookstores. SIEGE will be in bookstores on April 24, 2012.

Website: rhiannonfrater.com & astheworlddies.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/astheworlddies

Twitter:  twitter.com/rhiannonfrater

Blog:  rhianonfrater.blogspot.com

If you're looking for more zombie goodness, make sure to stop by the Bookish Brunette's Zombie Craze!

April Challenge Recap

TBR Pile:
3. The Crystal Shard - R.A. Salvatore

Completely Contemp Challenge: No Progress :(

New Authors Challenge:
8. Diana Rowland - My Life as a White Trash Zombie
9. Jessica Burkhart - Take the Reins
10. Kim White - The White Oak
11. Heather M. White - When Destiny Strikes
12. Monica Leonelle - Socialpunk
13. Nancy Straight - Meeting Destiny
14. Mari Mancusi - Tomorrow Land

What an Animal Challenge:
2. Take the Reins - Jessica Burkhart




A-Z Book Challenge:
C- The Crystal Shard - R.A. Salvatore
M- My Life as a White Trash Zombie - Diana Rowland
S - Socialpunk - Monica Leonelle
W - The White Oak - Kim White

Review - Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi

Goodreads Blurb:

Imagine finding your first love, only to be ripped apart by the apocalypse. Peyton Anderson will never forget the day she was forced to make a choice--between her family--and Chris Parker, the boy she'd given her heart. Now, four years later, as she steps from the fallout shelter and into a dead and broken world, he's the only thing on her mind.

All Chris "Chase" Parker wanted was to take Peyton away and keep her safe from harm. But he waited for hours in the rain on judgment day and she never showed - breaking his heart without ever telling him why.

Now the two of them have been thrown together once again, reluctant chaperones to a group of orphan children in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead still walk...and feed. As they begin their pilgrimage to the last human outpost on Earth, can they find a way to let go of old hurts and find the love they lost - all while attempting to save what's left of the human race?

My Thoughts:

Overall, this book was a lot of fun! I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic books, especially a zombie apocalypse! It switches between past and present every chapter, which I found confusing at first, but in the end I liked it. I enjoyed knowing something would happen, but being able to see the events leading up to it. The novel was quick and fun and I would definitely read more of Mari Mancusi's work in the future!

There were a few things I didn't love so much though. First of all, I wish Mari Mancusi had put more depth into her secondary characters. They all feel a little one dimensional, except maybe Tank, but even he is lacking. Second, I don't like the title at all. It sounds like a cheesy science fiction book and also reminds me of the cryogenics guy from Futurama when he says "Welcome to the World of Tomorrow"! As well, I felt like it was unrealistic how quickly Peyton adjusted to going from living in a tiny fallout shelter for 4 years to living in a post-apocalypse world. I would have been seriously messed-up, but she was just fine. One other thing was that the plot didn't feel super original. Not bad, but nothing novel. And for me the book didn't feel as edgy as I think it was trying to be. Finally, and I'm pretty sure this is just a weird personal thing, but it drove me nuts when Chris would continually call Peyton his "goddess". Probably because I equate goddesses with power, not beauty.

While I may have had a few issues with this book, I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys young love and zombie apocalypses!


On the Cover:

I really like this cover. It's eye-catching and I think it fits the story.

Rating: 3.5 hearts

Source: I received a copy via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Where to Find It: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Stalk the Author: Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Review: Meeting Destiny by Nancy Straight

Goodreads Blurb:

Lauren is visited in her dreams for years by a stranger claiming to be her destiny. Destiny becomes reality when paths cross during a failed robbery attempt. Lauren and the stranger experience chemistry like no other and now her doubt over her long time relationship with her high school sweetheart is not her only secret…someone else knows about her keen intuition and sixth sense.A mysterious clairvoyant seeks Lauren out and tells her not only of her life now but what the future may hold. Soon Lauren is in the middle of a murder investigation and a questionable friendship with the key suspect. Law enforcement, friends and family are concerned for Lauren but unfortunately they are unaware of the true danger…Sinister forces are at work and will stop at nothing to destroy Lauren’s abilities.

My Thoughts:

Meeting Destiny was a bit of a change from some of the other books dealing with destinies that I've read lately. Instead of Lauren being destined to be something, she is destined to love someone. While this is fundamentally a love story, there is a fair bit of action and you don't have to wait for it; you're blasted with it in the very first chapter!

Lauren was a likeable characters and I enjoyed that she was often just as confused as I was with all the strange happenings. She wasn't perfect (I found she tended to jump to conclusions), but she wasn't the stupid kind of character I found myself yelling at either, so I think Nancy Straight struck a good balance.

Max, Lauren's destiny, seemed like a nice enough fellow. He's a paramedic (bonus points) and he has horses (major bonus points from me). Unfortunately, his feelings for Lauren are so strong that he tends to get very possessive of Lauren, which would fly with me (or Lauren for that matter). His possessiveness annoyed me, but other than that, I thought he was a good male lead.

After finishing this book, I had so many unanswered questions! Who is Rewsna and why does she know so much about Lauren? Why does Lauren have such a strong 6th sense? And what the heck happened at that campsite? Now I'm definitely itching to read the next book to see what happened and if I'll get any answers!

On the Cover:

This cover is really pretty, however, I can't really see the connection to this story.

Favourite Character:

I like Lauren. She was really brave and also believable!

Rating: 3.5 Hearts

Source: Review copy provided as part of the Meeting Destiny Blog Tour.

Where to Find It: Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle | Smashwords

Stalk the Author: Goodreads | Twitter

Bonus:
I'm giving away a SIGNED copy of Meeting Destiny as part of the blog tour. Enter below and be sure to check out by awesome guest post from Nancy Straight!

The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse author Q&A

 I'm super excited to have Nina Post on my blog today answering a few of my questions about her awesome book The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse, which I reviewed here. First of all, I just want to say Nina is awesome. She's been really friendly to me on twitter and goodreads, so you should definitely check her out. So, let's get started with some Q&A action!

***

Pothole City is place unlike any other, particularly Amenity Tower. How did you come up with these locations?

 First, thanks, Megan, for hosting me on your blog! Pothole City is an alternate Chicago (which gets terrible potholes), and Amenity Tower is partly inspired by the condominium where I live. Some of my research involved attending the often ridiculous, vagary-stuffed board and committee meetings, and interviewing building personnel, who were baffled over why I wanted to know so much about the air conditioning system.

What was the hardest part of writing The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse?

The hardest part was just keeping track of the storylines and characters, especially because I didn't use Scrivener yet :::shudder::: Now I outline and put my research notes in Scrivener, and this helps me maintain writer sanity. Figuring out the method that's right for you takes trial and error.

My favourite character was Tubiel. What a cutie! Do you have a favourite?

 Thanks! I'm particularly fond of Tubiel. I wanted his job of returning small birds to their owners to get in the way of Kelly's job, and pictured him referencing Italian fashion magazines of the 1980s to blend into human society. The inspiration for Tubiel's appearance came from someone I saw at Trader Joe's, who was small in stature and had an unusually placid expression.

The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse is your first published work. How excited were you to see it as a finished book?

 The most exciting part was actually getting the response from the publisher telling me they wanted the book. The next most exciting part was signing the publishing contract. Having the ebook on my Kindle and the book in my hands was great, but it felt even better when my mother had them! The real Snoopy-dance thrill, however, was the initial response.

Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

 My advice for aspiring writers is to work hard, because nothing will make you improve more than writing. You learn a hell of a lot of more by finishing multiple projects. Build your platform before you start submitting. Analyze the best books, TV, and movies in your genre. Finally, be nice.

Teaser Tuesday - Straight to Hell Edition

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

***

This week my teaser comes from Straight to Hell (Lilith Straight #1) by Michelle Scott. I'll be participating in the blog tour next month! I just started it, but so far it seems like a really fun read! I cheated a little this week and posted a whole paragraph instead of 2 sentences. Bad blogger!

Dead. The word hit like a jab to the solar plexus, and I sank backwards in my seat. "I can't be dead! I know I was hit by a car, but still..." I stood up. "I mean, look at me! I look fine. I feel fine." I spun in a little circle. "No injuries. No scars." (page 39)

Review: Socialpunk

OnlyIndies Blurb:
Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.

My Thoughts:

My favourite thing about Socialpunk was the action. Right from the beginning, I was hooked! The main character, Ima/E/Cinder, doesn't seem to catch a break through the entire book and is always on the move. Socialpunk kind of reminded me of the Truman Show, but with a dystopian sort of real world instead of this one.

However, there were a couple things in the book that bothered me. First, I found Silicon City confusing. So did Ima at first, but while things are eventually explained to her, many of them aren't explained to the reader, so the world felt a little bare-bones to me. Second, I found it confusing that the main character went by 3 different names through the book. I understand 2 of them, but I wish Monica had chosen either Ima or E and not had her go by both in the beginning. Third, I felt a bit like the character of Cinder wasn't really compatible with the character of Ima. I know she went through some serious changes, but I felt they weren't even close to the same person.

Finally, I hated where this book ended. I realized it was supposed be a bombshell, but I was expecting some kind of action-y finale and I didn't get it. In fact, I went to the next page to keep reading and was very confused because I was now on a sneak-peak of a completely different book (I have a bad habit of skipping over chapter numbers and titles, so I missed the part that said preview). I felt like there should have been at least 3 more chapters in this book. I felt like it ended really abruptly.

Overall, I really enjoyed Socialpunk and am excited to read the rest of the trilogy!

On the Cover:

Overall, I like the cover. Green is one of my favourite colours and I like the barbed wire. However, I feel like the formatting is off a bit and things should be shifted to the right a bit, not shoved up against the left side.

Favourite Character:

 I think I'll go with Vaughn. He's strong and gruff, but I think he really does care!

Rating: 3 Hearts

Source: I received an ecopy of Socialpunk for review as part of a blog tour.

Where to Find It: Goodreads | Kindle | OnlyIndie

Stalk the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Writing Blog

Bonus: The Socialpunk blog tour is on now! Check out the other exciting posts here. Plus, author Monica Leonelle is doing an great giveaway for the blog tour. Check it out below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway