Favorite Zombie Series Alert: SHATTERED WORLD by Kate L. Mary

Where are my Walking Dead peeps?  I'm crazy excited to share with you the release of Kate L. Mary's second zombie book, Shattered World as this has become my favorite new series! While there are parts of it that remind me of the The Walking Dead, it definitely has its own feel with compelling characters and a story that will blow you away. I had the privilege of seeing an advance copy of book #3 and can tell you that it just keeps getting better and better! Seriously, this series is a must-read for all zombie fans!

Shattered World (#2, Broken World series)

by Kate L. Mary

Post-Apocalyptic/Zombie Series

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***Warning: Contains Spoilers for Broken World (book #1)***

Stranded in the middle of the Mojave Desert, surrounded by zombies, Vivian and Axl are sure they’re facing the end. The dead are closing in and the shelter they were promised is sealed tight. Just when they think they’ve run out of time, the doors are thrown open. Five years underground with all the provisions there for the taking. It’s almost too good to be true. 

With the promise of security, Vivian hopes she’ll finally able to deal with the loss of Emily, her growing feelings for Axl, and the terrifying new world they’re facing. But their sense of security is soon shattered when they discover the shelter isn’t the utopia they thought it would be. It seems the company that built the shelter decided to solve their financial problems by selling off provisions, which means the group has to find a way to get supplies. Or face starvation. And Vegas is the closest city.

  With her feelings for Axl stronger than ever, Vivian volunteers to accompany him and a few others on a trip into one of the biggest tourist cities in the world. Vegas is overrun with the dead, but there are other survivors as well. Only not everyone they meet is a welcome sight. As the emotional baggage piles up, Vivian and Axl’s bond grows stronger, but it doesn’t take long to realize that zombies aren’t the only thing they have to fear.

 

“Here goes nothin’,” Axl says, echoing my thoughts. He leans down and fools with the wires under the steering wheel. The dead bang against the car, but even more have surrounded the sedan. I dig my nails into my legs while I wait for Axl to do whatever he has planned. He grunts, and a few sparks fly. 

My entire body jerks when the deafening sound of the alarm rings through the car. The world around us explodes. The bodies go crazy and converge on the car, banging on it with their hands, their bodies, their faces. They leave thick smears of black on the windows as they desperately try to get in. The door handle rattles, and some even climb on top of the car. They’re wild and frantic. It’s so terrifying that for a moment I can’t remember exactly why we decided to do this. My heart pounds and I cover my ears, trying to block out the sounds of the hammering and the alarm. 

Trying to keep the terror at bay. All I want to do is run, but there’s nowhere to go. The realization that we’re stuck hits me so hard I start to shake. Then the sedan drives off. It turns the corner with the truck close behind it, and I relax just a little. They’re going to make it. Nathan and his wife, their daughter. Two other little boys who have years ahead of them. Trey can get back to Parvarti and Winston to his daughter. They will have food and safety. That’s why we chose to commit suicide in this horrifying way.

 Axl pries my hands away from my ears and pulls me against his chest. He wraps his arms around me as the pounding continues. He doesn’t say anything, and neither do I. All I can do is watch silently as the truck pulls out of sight. After a few minutes, he turns the alarm off, but the damage is already done. They know we’re in here, and they won’t give up until they’ve broken in. A crack starts at the corner of the windshield and travels across. Then another. A dead man hurls himself against the glass and pounds his fists. Hundreds of cracks fan out across the windshield in a frightening web pattern, and I have to stifle the urge to scream. It’s safety glass, so it doesn’t give. At least not yet.

  “I won’t let them get us.” Axl’s lips brush against my head, and strands of hair fall into my face. They tickle my nose, but I can’t find the motivation to move them aside. I nod and swallow against the lump in my throat. He doesn’t mean he won’t let them get in, because we both know there’s nothing we can do about that now. Surprisingly though, I’m okay with it. A bullet to the brain sounds a lot better than being ripped apart by the undead.

 

  Kate L. Mary is a stay-at-home mother of four and an Air Force wife. She spent most of her life in a small town just north of Dayton, Ohio where she and her husband met at the age of twelve. Since their marriage in 2002, they have lived in Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and California. Kate enjoys any post-apocalyptic story – especially if zombies are involved – as long as there is a romantic twist to give the story hope. Kate prefers nerdy, non-traditional heroes that can make you laugh to hunky pieces of man-meat, and her love of wine and chocolate is legendary among her friends and family. She currently resides in Oklahoma with her husband and children.

 

Website │ Facebook │ Twitter

When a deadly virus sweeps the country, Vivian Thomas sets out for California in hopes of seeing the daughter she gave up for adoption. Then her car breaks down and she’s faced with a choice. Give up, or accept a ride from redneck brothers, Angus and Axl. Vivian knows the offer has more to do with her double D’s than kindness, but she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to reach her daughter. The virus is spreading, and by the time the group makes it to California, most of the population has been wiped out. 

When the dead start coming back, Vivian and the others realize that no electricity or running water are the least of their concerns. Now Vivian has to figure out how to be a mother under the most frightening circumstances, cope with Angus’s aggressive mood swings, and sort out her growing attraction to his brooding younger brother, Axl. While searching for a safe place to go, they pick up a pompous billionaire who may be the answer to all their problems. Trusting him means going into the middle of the Mojave Desert and possibly risking their lives, but with the streets overrun and nowhere else to turn, it seems he might be their only chance for survival.

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Get Addicted Tour & Guest Post by Becca & Krista Ritchie

You may remember how I recently gushed over the steamy Addicted to You new adult series by twin sisters Becca and Krista Richtie. Now I'm crazy excited to participate in their Get Addicted Tour, and bring you all sorts of goodies from the fabulous duo! Check out the five secrets about the Addicted series, then enter the giveaway at the bottom to win an Amazon gift card, and two books from the Addicted to You series!

Title: Addicted for Now

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Series: Addicted #2

Pub Date: November 30^th, 2013

Amazon: Link not available until Nov. 30^th. 

Add Addicted to Now to Your Goodreads Shelf!

He's addicted to booze. She's addicted to sex...staying sober is only half the battle.
No. More. Sex.

Those are the three words Lily Calloway fears the most. But Loren Hale is determined to be with Lily without enabling her dangerous compulsions. With their new living situation—sleeping in the same bed, for real, together—Lily has new battles. Like not jumping Lo’s bones every night. Not being consumed by sex and his body.

Loren plans to stay sober, to right all of his wrongs. So when someone threatens to expose Lily’s secret to her family and the public, he promises that he’ll do anything to protect her. But with old enemies surfacing, Lo has more at stake than his sobriety.

They will torment Lily until Lo breaks.

And his worst fear isn’t relapsing. He hears the end. He sees it. The one thing that could change everything. Just three words.

No. More. Us. 

5 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets about the Addicted Series

We may have mentioned some of these before on Twitter. (Truthfully, late-night writing time leads me to loopy deliriousness and I take to social media too quickly with secrets – not spoilers!) Krista may hate me in the morning (or maybe I’m just projecting). But I make it up to her with chocolate. Chocolate is the answer to everything :D 

5) The novels are more detailed (sex-wise) with each consecutive book because Lily becomes more comfortable talking about sex. And in Addicted for Now, we see Lo’s POV, and he’s never been as ashamed as Lily when describing the act. I’m not sure anyone will pick up on that, but we were always conscious of it. 

4) From the beginning of Addicted to You, Lily is 20, and by the end of the series with Addicted After All, Lily is 23, almost 24. So the series spans nearly 4 years. 

3) We never meant for Addicted for Now to be so long. We constantly consider deleting subplots and scenes, but in the end, we’re keeping everything that we intended to give. Most especially because Lily and Lo’s story will have a break while the spin-offs go on, and we wanted to give our readers as much as possible without adding any filler. 

2) Addicted to You (Addicted #1) may feel repetitious in a couple places. We’ve wanted to come out and explain this aspect for a while, so I guess that makes this a secret. But when we were editing the first book, we both knew there was a part that seemed to repeat. Krista even said, “I feel like I just read this.” And after a long, long conversation, we decided to keep it. We knew that addiction was a cycle, and we wanted to accurately depict that sense of “whoa, this is happening again?”

1) Okay, this is the hardest secret for me to write (even though in my haste, I know I shouted this one out on Twitter). If you have NOT read Ricochet (Addicted #1.5) or Addicted for Now (Addicted #2), divert your eyes. Spoilers ahead! …

 … There’s a very controversial convo that happens in Ricochet on the boat. Daisy is talking about sex (naturally, the series is a discourse about sex)—and Ryke offers her some advice. Here’s the secret: I was given the same advice at 17 by a guy I just met. Daisy was 16 in the book. This stuff happens. And while it’s awkward, I look back on the moment and think about his views on sex. He hated the idea of a guy not giving the girl any lead-up, anything in return. Getting in and getting out made him cringe. He wanted sex to be about her high, her experience. 

And Ryke, as a character, is very, very empathetic towards women. He was raised by a single mother. He’s self-assured and doesn’t care what people think of him. All he wants is to make sure that you’re okay. And if you’re okay, he’s fine. He’ll move on. But Daisy isn’t emotionally fine yet. She’s tricked everyone but him. 

So that’s the number one secret. It’s hard to justify something that I went through. And the Ryke and Daisy friendship has quickly become one of the most taboo aspects of the series. She’s a high fashion model. She has been an adult since she was 14 and sucked into that world, and I can’t wait to share her story in Hothouse Flower. Our plan isn’t to convince you to like these two. If you don’t like them now, I can’t guarantee you ever will. We’re just going to show them as they are. Raw, honest people—flaws and all. 

For more stops on the Get Addicted Tour, check out their schedule here!

AUTHOR BIOS

Becca Ritchie claims she's from Mystic Falls, but really, she lives in Atlanta where humidity is her greatest foe. She loves comic books, blue nail polish and Jonathan Taylor Thomas circa 1995. She frequents Twitter to dish about too many TV shows, and when she's not blogging, she writes novels and has teamed up with her twin sister to collaborate on a New Adult series.  

Krista Ritchie has a clone...or someone who looks exactly like her. If she's not writing books with her twin sister, she's pouring over entertainment news and ingesting copious amounts of pop culture. She likes tennis, that thing called the TV, and beating Becca (her clone) on Sega Genesis. She created  YA Book Exchange to combat her book buying addiction and started Nawanda Files, a YA Book Blog that features books into movies news, to share her love for all things bookish. Oh, and she does something called science. Whatever that is. 

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Book Review: Addicted for Now by Krista & Rebecca Ritchie

This was originally a series I decided not to tackle on this blog as it's definitely for adults, and nowhere near my usual young adult genre. So I recently posted my review of Addicted to You, the first book in the series, on another blog I contribute to (The Writer Diaries). You can check it out here. But then I realized that most of my followers are over the age of 18, so I decided it would be okay to review the third book on here with the understanding that THIS BOOK IS FOR MATURE ADULTS ONLY. And if you haven't yet read the first book in this series, you're going to want to wait to read the review of this book until after you've finished it, because there are MILD SPOILERS AHEAD. Okay, now that I've cleared that up, (*takes giant breath*) here we go.


Addicted to You (book #1) is the story of childhood friends Lo and Lily who fake a relationship together in an attempt to hide two very big secrets from their families—he's an alcoholic, and she's a sex addict (aaaaand cue mature part). At the end of that book they decide they're in love, and promise to give their addictions up for each other. I'm not going to lie, their journey is a big ugly mess that at times is extremely painful to witness (except of course when they're having hot, wild sex). There's a book #1.5 (Ricochet) in which Lo goes to rehab while Lily struggles to stay celibate, but I'm here to review the next book in the series in which Lo finally returns home.

First of all, whoa. Immediately after setting down Addicted for Now, I decided I needed a drink. Then I realized that would just be disrespectful to Lo. The first book was pretty intense as we watched the two main characters spiral downward with their addictions, but this one was just CRAZY. Hanging out with these two as they try to fight off their cravings was beyond intense. At times I felt like my stomach was being crammed down my throat.

I continued to feel for Lily as I have from the beginning. Yes, she's spoiled, and selfish, and a total introvert, but she hasn't exactly been treated fairly by her family (a fact that comes to light by the end of the story). And her love for Lo is so sweet, I've continued to cheer for their relationship through all the ugly messes they've endured. I even wanted Lo (also a spoiled brat who can be a total prick to people who are trying to help him) to come out of this with his head held high, and his addition beat. You can't help but love him when at times his sole purpose in staying sober is to make Lily happy.

It's bad enough that they're fighting their personal demons, but suddenly there's an anonymous outsider who contacts them, threatening to spill Lily's secret to her family and the press (both Lily and Lo's parents own multi-million dollar companies). So logically, they take a spring break trip to Mexico with their siblings that turns out to be the ultimate test for two people trying to fight off their dark addictions. And when Lily's fifteen-year-old sister (who kind of has a thing for Lo's way older brother) shows up, all hell begins to break loose. There are so many "oh crap" moments for Lily and Lo that I kept waiting for them to break. Or even break up.

When it was all said and done, I honestly felt like I could sympathize with Lily and Lo's support group—Rose (Lily's neurotic but strong older sister), Connor (Rose's genius level on-again-off-again boyfriend), and Ryke (the sometimes jerky brother Lo didn't know he had until the end of book #1). Not only did they all stay faithfully by Lily and Lo's sides, but they had their own crap to deal with.

There were so many sub-plots to this story, my head almost literally spun. Towards the end it got a bit long, and I could've done without the added story of Rose and her friend Sebastian, as I didn't feel like it added anything of value to Lily and Lo's journey. But otherwise, I loved the complexity of everyone's lives, and the twisted web Lily and Lo kept falling into. At times I seriously forgot I was actually reading a story, and not witnessing first hand as these two tried to hold it together.

While it seems a bit odd to give this kind of story a rating of zombies, I'm doing it anyway. Because it's my blog and I can do whatever I want. And I kind of feel exhausted after reading about Lily and Lo's journey. I give Addicted for Now five wandering zombies, because the story is hot, and gut-wrenching, and tragic, and beautiful, and one hell of a ride that I'm glad I went on.

A big thank you to (twin sisters) Krista Ritchie and Rebecca Ritchie for giving me this ARC—I'm so glad I got the chance to review such an amazing book! Keep an eye out on my blog for a special guest post by them, coming soon as part of their release party!

Krista & Becca Ritchie write New Adult books that make you cringe, gasp, and go ooh-la-la. (If you do that sort of thing.) They are currently working on the spin-offs and final books in the Addicted series. Connect with them on their website, and find the first two books of this series on Amazon. Don't forget to share the love—review their books on Goodreads!

Review of "Cheating Death" and Fun Interview

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by the lovely ladies Jenny & Malisa over at J&M's Book Diaries. Click the link below to check out their review of my book Cheating Death, and also find out fun things like which book so far has been my favorite to write, what things I would like to do differently, and a little info on the very first book I wrote in junior high. It also includes a very special message to my fans!

J&M's Book Diaries Review/Interview

The Indie Bookshelf: Cheating Death by Jen Naumann

The Indie Bookshelf: Cheating Death by Jen Naumann: 4 Star Review by Laura Wilson

COVER REVEAL: To My Hero by Danielle Sibarium

So I met my good friend/fellow author Danielle Sibarium maybe a year ago on Twitter. I love everything of hers that I've read so far, including the sneak peak I was given of her upcoming release, To My Hero. So when she recently asked if I wanted to participate in the cover reveal for this emotional tear-jerker coming April 21st, I jumped at the chance!

Without any further delay, I give you the stunning cover along with the book's summary!

It would’ve been different if I had courage, even an ounce of it. But I was a coward from the day I met you, Ryan Crowley. I still am. In the end it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is the same. It’s my fault. 

When the unthinkable happens Carly Cavanough is left beaten, betrayed, and devastated. Her best friend doesn’t understand. Her parents won’t listen. Everyone in her life turns against her. She’s alone. Completely alone, except for Ryan Crowley, the boy she’s been crushing on for years. She won’t admit to him what she can’t admit to herself. But he understands without words. He knows more about what she’s going through than she can possibly imagine and he knows what it will take to start the healing. 

With Ryan’s help Carly begins to piece together the fragments of her once perfect life and embarks on a journey of love and healing, just long enough for the rug to be pulled out from under her again. Can she find the strength and will to pull herself together to save Ryan and herself when their lives are on the line?

Ways to visit Danielle Sibarium online

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Debut of Official Book Trailer for 'Cheating Death'!

I've been waiting so long for this moment, I could just die.

I finally get to share my newest book trailer with all of you! These are a ton of work, but also a ton of fun. This is another reason why I love being an indie author—I get to choose everything from the music to the images (which is as addicting as I would imagine crack to be). Sadly, only a few of the images are my own this time, but I found some excellent photography work that I thought was quite stunning. And the music was composed by a man named Bjorn Lynne. The tune is both haunting and beautiful—I could listen to it all day long (and I literally did).

So kick back, grab a cold beer—or soda—and enjoy!

Book Cover Release: Cheating Death

As promised, here's the cover for my fourth novel, Cheating Death, as well as a hot-off-the-press description!

Lysandra Brooks remembers everything about the day she almost drowned alongside her grandma, especially the set of mysterious eyes she saw at the bottom of the lake. Ever since then, she's been seeing strange things when she is near water - things that aren't really there. Because of it, Lysandra has the tendency to avoid anything that isn't on dry land. On her last day of high school, however, the biggest party of the year is set to take place at a fellow senior's lakeside mansion. Despite her fears, Lysandra decides to prove to her friends and herself that she can handle it.

But after a horrific night of drinking and drama that leaves Lysandra feeling lonely and confused, she nearly drowns for a second time, only to be saved by the new guy in town. From that moment on, Lysandra's world is turned upside down with the discovery of mind blowing secrets, including a revelation that something sinister is after her soul.

While I take great pride in doing all the design work for my covers - including the photography, this time I broke down and purchased a stock image. I really wanted something hauntingly beautiful and underwater as my main character nearly drowns twice in this story. The minute I found this picture I knew it was absolutely perfect.

Now that THAT'S out of the way, this is totally how I feel right now.

Cheating Death is (very tentatively) set to release some time in March. I really hope that I'm able to freak you out with this story, if only just a little. I know I've been losing a lot of sleep at night writing it, waiting for things to come bother me at night. As one of my cousins suggested, I may end up writing about rainbows and puppy dogs for a while.

Be sure to add Cheating death to your Goodreads list here!

Writer Wednesday: London Cole

So this week I felt compelled to introduce all of you to one of my favorite Twitter friends. He's witty, charming and a big fan of rum. Plus he's really good at telling paranormal stories that involve ghosts, sexual tension and a dystopian world unlike any other. His book Whisper Walker just underwent a major redo, getting a new title (Splinter), cover (see below) and some scene rewrites.

In honor of London's new release, he's giving away one digital copy (ePub or Mobi) of Splinter! Enter on Rafflecopter giveaway below. Winner will be announced on January 30th.

Tell us about your new release, Splinter.

Ahh, straight to the point. I like that. Ok, that’s not entirely true, I don’t mind a little beating around the bush on occasion. Splinter is a New Adult Post-Apocalyptic novel with elements of romance and paranormal set around eighty years after WWIII. It's a story told from two points of view of two best friends, Kelsie and Drake, as they stumble onto a paranormal mystery and threat that will impact their entire existence.

What's your favorite scene in this book?

That’s a hard one. That’s like asking a Star Wars fanatic to pick their favorite Han Solo action figure. I’d have to say (even though it’s a few scenes) that the second chapter is my favorite. It’s the introduction to Kelsie and some of her dirty little secrets.

Were any aspects of the story brought on by either personal experience or inspiration?

Whoa. The answer to this question is quite extensive. I’ll try to keep it brief. I grew up on a large island in Washington State. Every inch of that island was fodder for how my imagination works. There are many haunted locations on the island, including two seriously creepy and awesome old concrete forts left over from the World Wars, as well as some heavy woods where some completely inexplicable things have happened to me over the years. The very first scene is quite similar to something that happened to me while I was playing night games with some friends in high school at one of the forts. I fell into a pit at the bottom of an ammunitions lift without a flashlight and scene one was more or less born. There are many more scenes inspired by actual locations on Whidbey Island, but I don’t want to spoil the book.

What are some of your personal favorite books?

The whole Harry Potter series. The Iron Druid Chronicles, The King Killer Chronicles, Poison Study, The Emperor’s Edge series, dude, I could keep going. I love reading.

What music do you listen to while writing?

I normally opt for silence or a really loud room full of people, such as a pub. But sometimes I listen to A Day to Remember or Four Year Strong when I’m writing action scenes. Yellowcard is a good all around one for me, too.

What's the most satisfying thing about writing?

Having a reader come up to you and shake your hand, saying how much they loved your book, how much they could relate to one of your characters. It’s surreal.

Hardest thing?

Editing and revisions. Revisions always make my head get turned inside out! If I could write the first two drafts and then let someone else do all the intensive revisions, I would totally do that.

What are you working on next?

I’m working feverishly hard on another NA book that’s paranormal. I also have the outline for the coolest Santa Claus book ever.

What’s your favorite scary movie?

Cabin in the Woods was pretty awesome. Other than that, I’m not really into scary movies. I have been to the house that’s in The Ring though, which was totally cool.

If you could shake the hand of anyone you wanted, who would that be?

That’s tough. Maybe J.K. Rowling. She has done so much to help bring the younger generations into reading and I have the utmost respect for her.

Ways to follow London: Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, his website

Where to find his books: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

London Cole is the author of Paranormal Young-Adult novels and novellas. He resides in the large and highly over-heated state of Texas, though he's not originally from there. He was born in the Pacific Northwest, growing up on an Island very near Canada. That means that he slips up and occasionally uses words like “ehh” and pronounces “about” like “abooot”. He's also told that he unknowingly slips into a light accent on occasion and says “dude” in an odd fashion.

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