Musings

Thoughts about books, publishing and writing

Fight Like a Man (Book One), by L.L. Akers

By Mary | Sep 4, 2017 |

Here’s a good post-apocalyptic book that just came out, but I’ve had the privilege of reading early.



Fight Like a Man (Book One), by L.L. Akers

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As a prepper, Grayson Rowan was prepared for almost anything; anything other than being totally alone when the sh*t hits the fan.


While he sat back and watched the United States rattle swords with Korea, play chicken with Russia, and strong-arm China, he felt sure if the lights went out, that he and his family would be ready and safe–whether it was due to a natural disaster or a man-made event. They had everything they needed at their homestead.

What he wasn’t prepared for, was his family not being home if it ever happened.

Olivia Rowan is with her sisters, Gabby and Emma, on a girls-only trip to Myrtle Beach. When chaos erupts and there’s no gas, their journey home is a nightmare, filled with predators and danger–and apparently, Olivia hadn’t learned a thing her husband tried to teach her.

When your neighbors run out of food and water, and turn on each other, what will you do?

Jake, a country boy mechanic, never believed in TEOTWAWKI, but he’d heard his brother-in-law preach about it many times. He knew what to do; but he didn’t prepare. He lazily left it all up to Grayson–he was the prepper after all. When catastrophe strikes, will he continue to keep his head stuck in the sand while his clueless neighbors destroy each other, and his wife is stuck out on the road; or will he stand up and fight like a man?

And if you’re alone? Bug in or Bug out?

Graysie Rowan, a freshman at University, just wants to go home. When no word comes from the government, and the state capital is overrun with looters, chaos and mayhem, the college administration puts the students on lock-down. But her dad, Grayson, had prepared her for this. Now, if she can only remember what it was he said to do…

If they want to survive this post-apocalyptic event, they’ll all have to learn to fight like a man.

The end came not with boots on the ground, nuclear weapons or an EMP. It snuck in with a quiet clatter at the back door and flipped the switch, covering the states in darkness and sending this family on three divergent paths that ultimately lead home. When they collide in this surreal and gripping family drama, it won’t be without bullets and bloodshed.

Book Review: The Never Dawn, by R.E. Palmer

By Mary | Jul 29, 2017 |

I review books on Amazon, but don’t often post reviews on my blog, but I just finished a book last night that I keep thinking about. It’s called The Never Dawn, by R.E. Palmer.

 

Description: All his young life, Noah has longed to see the sky he’s only heard about in stories. For over one hundred years, Noah’s people have toiled deep beneath the Earth preparing for The New Dawn – the historic day when they will emerge to reclaim the land stolen by a ruthless enemy.

 

All his young life, Noah has longed to see the sky he’s only heard about in stories. For over one hundred years, Noah’s people have toiled deep beneath the Earth preparing for The New Dawn – the historic day when they will emerge to reclaim the land stolen by a ruthless enemy.

 

But when Rebekah, the girl of his forbidden desire, discovers a secret their leader has been so desperate to keep, Noah suspects something is wrong. Together, they escape and begin the long climb to the surface. But nothing could prepare them for what awaits outside.

 

Review: I read and review a lot of books, but don’t often post the reviews here on my blog. I’m almost afraid to do it now because I get review requests weekly from authors looking for reviews. I get it–getting reviews is hard to do–but I only review books I find and browse on my own. It’s the only way I feel I can give an honest review because I have certain expectations when I’m searching for a book to read and when the cover and blurb seem to meet those expectations, then I buy or borrow the book. This particular book I found for free via Bookbot Bob. (I don’t know if it is still free, but I believe it is in KU)

 

Anyway, on to the review! At first, the dialogue seemed kind of stilted and odd, but then as I continued reading, I realized that was to convey how very different Noah’s life is from what we all know.

 

This dystopian novel is unusual in that the characters, due to their very different upbringing, are not the snarky know it all young adult characters who seem to populate most dystopian novels. They live such a sheltered life where everything comes from the revered Mother, that they seem to almost have a hive-like mentality. Consider them drones. The hierarchy is set at levels and each child, at about age 14, is directed to a level where they will stay…forever? I think. What happens after young adulthood isn’t clear and may be revealed in future books.

 

The premise is that a hundred years prior, something terrible happened and it drove the people down underground. There, they have waited generations for the air to be clean enough for them to return to the surface. They are told that there are enemies, though, and preparations needed before this glorious day can arrive. To that end, everyone works tirelessly–building the weapons and preparing for life above ground.

 

The levels reminded me of the old caste system in India. There are the lowest of the low who work in the trenches shoveling waste day in and day out. Then the mine workers, then the food servers, workers (of the farm, lab, or factory) and finally, the prefects–a benign term would be like hall monitors, but at times, they are more like the SS from Nazi Germany.

 

This whole set-up is well done and very interesting because knowledge is extremely segmented. There is very little interaction between people who are not directly on the characters small work team, which consists of about six workers who live in the same quarters after work. Everyone’s goal is to work to prepare for re-surfacing.

 

Everything is regulated by Mother. Food, clothing, jobs, schedule, and even their very dreams are all controlled by Mother–because Mother knows best. It’s a very creepy tagline that works well to set the mood. The perfect visual to convey this story is the old Apple MacIntosh computer commercial. That’s how I picture the characters and the plot of the book is how one person, Noah, starts to awaken from what amounts to brain-washing and realizing things aren’t what they seem. So, the dialogue is purposefully bland and stilted because the characters never reveal themselves to other characters. They can’t because they have only known a world where nothing less than blind adoration of Mother is tolerated. Those who speak out are quickly taken away. Those left are told that the offender was re-educated and put into another line of work, but they are never seen again.

 

I found the book to be well-written and the dangling carrot of what lies at the surface drove me to keep reading long after I should have gone to sleep. I just had to know! Of course, I can’t tell you what happened but I found it was an interesting twist and the ending spurred me onto borrowing the second book in KU.

Rating: 5 Stars

Full Disclosure–while I am an author and active on various author forums I do not know R.E. Palmer, have never heard of him/her and have never had any interactions with him/her. This review was not solicited and is my unbiased review.

 

John Jakes

By Mary | Jun 11, 2017 |

I grew up reading John Jakes’ books, beginning with The Kent Family Chronicles, and always enjoy them for the way he takes a time and place in history and brings it to life. I thought I had at least heard of all of his books, even if I hadn’t actually read every one, but today I saw that Amazon has one I’d never heard of on sale for just $1.99. Looks like I have another book to add to my To Be Read pile. 🙂

 

The Gods of Newport

 

In the late nineteenth century, Newport, Rhode Island-with its giant marble mansions, lavish dinner parties, and vicious social climbing- is a summer playground of the very rich. Into this rarefied world comes infamous railroad mogul and robber baron Sam Driver. He wants his beautiful daughter to have the best Newport has to offer-even if that means breaking all the rules…

Now Available! Isolation: Book Two (Sympatico Series)

By Mary | May 31, 2017 |

Isolation: Book Two is now available. Here is the description:

Cole Evans thought he’d found a safe haven for his family and a growing band of survivors of the most lethal virus the world has ever known. But he finds continued survival is far from guaranteed as they battle hostile encounters with other survivors, nature, and devastating accidents. Are they prepared to survive their first brutal Wisconsin winter after the rest of the world has perished?

 

When I began writing Isolation, the first image I had was of the group surviving a Wisconsin winter without the comforts they were used to. I also felt that Cole and the others may be dealing with survivor guilt to some extent, especially considering how Infection ended.

 

In Infection, their focus was very narrow. Get to the island and establish basic necessities. The challenge was in getting to the island without catching the virus. 

 

With Isolation, while still a nagging threat, the virus isn’t the main worry. Instead, they must figure out how to survive a brutal Wisconsin winter. Accustomed to central heat, electricity, and food readily available and snow is only a problem during major storms, they now must cope with finding food, fuel, and staying healthy. They also discover that there are other survivors…

 

The Mark Taylor Series: Books 1 & 2 Free 1/18-1/19!

By Mary | Jan 18, 2017 |

Many years ago I bundled No Good Deed and March Into Hell into a set as a way to save readers a little money. The bundle normally saves readers 40% off the individual prices of the books, but today and tomorrow, the price is going to 100% less! Woot! Yep, that’s right. It’s free! Two books-one bundle–FREE!

 

Seeing the future comes at a price. What price would you be willing to pay to save thousands of lives?

 

No Good Deed: Book One

Mark Taylor knows his actions scream guilty—but he was only trying to stop the horrible terrorist attack. Instead of a thank you, the government labels him an enemy combatant and throws him in the brig with no rights, no trial, and no way to prove his innocence. He learns first hand that the CIA can do anything they want to him—anything at all.

Mark’s just a regular guy—a photographer—who finds himself in an extraordinary situation when an antique camera he buys at a dusty Afghanistan bazaar produces photographs of future tragedies. Tragedies he’s driven to prevent.

His frantic warnings about September 11th are ignored but put him in the government cross-hairs where he learns what being labeled an ‘enemy combatant’ really means…

 

March Into Hell: Book Two

Mark’s life takes a dark turn when his heroism becomes the subject of a newspaper article. The media attention and a harrowing encounter while saving a young woman, puts him in the sights of the ruthless cult leader who covets the secret to Mark’s power.

Uncomfortable in the public spotlight, Mark suspects he’s being tested by the force behind the camera’s prophetic magic. Battling his own self-doubt, he must maintain the secret or risk certain death.

Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter by C. A. Verstraete

By Mary | Oct 31, 2016 |

lbzh-front-cover-4-sm2I can’t think of a better way to get in the Halloween mood than reading something eerie and spooky!I

 

Today, I’m welcoming C.A. (Christine) Verstraete, author of Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter. Also be sure to stop by her Girl Zombie Authors blog, to see what my character from Infection, A Pandemic Survival Novel has to say! Double the scariness!

 

About Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter

 

Every family has its secrets…

 

One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become… zombies?

 

Who is Lizzie Borden?lizzie-blood3

 

If you don’t know, you surely have heard the rope skipping rhyme:

 

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
According to the autopsy reports, the number is actually 10 and 18 hits … but did Lizzie do it?

 

Let her tell you:

I cringed every time I heard that awful rhyme. It was so cruel… and untrue.
I had to do it, you see. When Mrs. Borden came after me that August 4th morning, what else could I do? As incredulous as it seemed, she was as cold as death. And yet, she kept coming at me.
How did you get involved in your recent situation?
I never expected my life to change so drastically and dramatically. I never expected to find my mother acting so strangely, either. And then, when Father came home, that was only the beginning. It was horrible, simply horrible. He tried to bite me! How is this so? How can this happen?

 

The Author’s Turn: What inspired this book/story?

 

The author, C.A. Verstraete says one look at the autopsy records and photos hints as to why the victims were so viciously attacked and hit in the head. Why else would that be necessary but that they had become zombies?

 

Do you think this kind of scenario – the dead coming back to life – could happen in real life? Why or why not?

 

There are certainly all kinds of odd things occurring that could make such a thing somewhat feasible—synthetic drugs, viruses, even scientists saying that bodies can possibly be brought back to life in certain circumstances, under certain conditions, of course.

 

But drugs and psychotic episodes aside, that leaves the question of what about the soul? I lean more towards it being too “out there” to ever really happen. Dead is dead, or at least dead won’t be undead… For now.

 

About the Author:

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Christine (C.A.) Verstraete enjoys putting a bit of a “scare” in her writing. He stories have appeared in various anthologies and publications including Mystery Weekly, Happy Homicides 3: Summertime Crime, Siren’s Call and more. She is the author of GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie and her latest, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter. Learn more at her website,  and her blog, GirlZombieAuthors and see my book, Infection, over there for a special Halloween blog post.

Website: http://cverstraete.com
Blog: http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com

Buy:
Amazon, Print & Kindle – also on Kindle Unlimited
B&N Print
Add it on Goodreads

 

Excerpt:

 

Chapter One

 

Q. You saw his face covered with blood?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Did you see his eyeball hanging out?
A. No sir.
Q. Did you see the gashes where his face was laid open?
A. No sir.
—Lizzie Borden at inquest, August 9-11, 1892, Fall River Courtroom

 

August 4, 1892
Lizzie Borden drained the rest of her tea, set down her cup, and listened to the sound of furniture moving upstairs. My, my, for only ten o’clock in the morning my stepmother is certainly energetic. Housecleaning, already?
THUMP.
For a moment, Lizzie forgot her plans to go shopping downtown. THUMP. There it went again. It sounded like her stepmother was rearranging the whole room. She paused at the bottom stair, her concern growing, when she heard another thump and then, the oddest of sounds—a moan. Uh-oh. What was that? Did she hurt herself?

 

“Mrs. Borden?” Lizzie called. “Are you all right?”

 

No answer.

 

She wondered if her stepmother had taken ill, yet the shuffling, moving, and other unusual noises continued. Lizzie hurried up the stairs and paused outside the partially opened door. The strange moans coming from the room sent a shiver up her back.
Lizzie pushed the door open wider and stared. Mrs. Abby Durfee Borden stood in front of the bureau mirror, clawing at her reflected image. And what a horrid image it was. The sixty-seven-year-old woman’s hair looked like it had never been combed and stuck out like porcupine quills. Her usually spotless housedress appeared wrinkled and torn. Yet, that wasn’t the worst. Dark red spots—Blood, Lizzie’s mind whispered—dotted the floor and streaked the sides of the older woman’s dress and sleeves.

 

Lizzie gazed about the room in alarm. The tips of Father’s slippers peeking out from beneath the bed also glistened with the same viscous red liquid. All that blood! What happened here? What happened?

 

She gasped, which got the attention of Mrs. Borden, who jerked her head and growled. Lizzie choked back a cry of alarm. Abby’s square, plain face now appeared twisted and ashen gray. Her eyes, once bright with interest, stared from under a milky covering as if she had cataracts. She resembled a female version of The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Another growl and a moan, and the older woman lunged, arms rigid, her stubby hands held out like claws.

 

“Mrs. Borden, Abby!” Lizzie yelled and stumbled backward as fast as she could. “Abby, do you hear me?”

 

Her stepmother shuffled forward, her steps slow but steady. She showed no emotion or sense of recognition. The only utterances she made were those strange low moans.

 

Lizzie moved back even further, trying to keep some distance between her and Mrs. Borden’s grasping fingers. Then her foot hit something. Lizzie quickly glanced down at the silver hairbrush that had fallen to the floor. Too late, she realized her error.

 

“No!” Lizzie cried out at the strange feeling of her stepmother’s clammy, cold hand around her wrist. “Abby, what happened? What’s wrong with you?”
Mrs. Borden said nothing and moved in closer. Her mouth opened and closed, revealing bloodstained teeth.

 

“No! Stay away!” Lizzie yelled. “Stop!”

 

She didn’t. Instead, Mrs. Borden scratched and clawed at her. Lizzie leaned back, barely escaping the snap of the madwoman’s teeth at her neck.

 

Infection is FREE!

By Mary | Oct 25, 2016 |

 

 Get  Infection: Book One FREE 10/25  

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 Description:

What started as a “flu” outbreak on a military base proves deadlier than Ebola and more contagious than the Spanish Flu. Sympatico Syndrome is unlike anything the world has ever seen. Victims’ behavior is changing to accommodate the rapid spread of the virus.

Former Navy epidemiologist Cole Evans is well aware of the rare, infectious diseases the military studies. He also knows, first-hand, the government’s stance on sharing information with the public, so if the media has already learned about the disease, then it’s far too late to contain the outbreak.

Faced with an extinction event, Cole’s only chance to save his family is to establish a safe haven. Isolated, hard to reach, and with enough space for his brother’s family as well, he has the perfect location–if only they can all reach it before they’re infected…

Introduce yourself. What are you best known for?

I’m Cole Evans and I knows about viruses and understand how the military works. As an epidemiologist with the Navy for almost twenty years, I’ve seen what Ebola can do and studied the Spanish Flu. This new virus is deadly and more contagious than either and it scares the daylights out of me—and I don’t scare easily. I volunteered to go to West Africa during the Ebola outbreak and didn’t bat an eye.

I warned the Navy about the virus just before I retired from the Navy to spend more time with my son.  Apparently, they didn’t listen to me. I almost wish I hadn’t retired, but as a widower, I’ve been raising Hunter alone since he was six. He’s a good kid, but he was in high school at the time and needed me around more. Now, he’s in college and I have to figure out how to get him home safely because if this virus is out in the wild, then it’s far too late to contain it.  I have a safe place for everyone, including my brother, Sean’s family, but can we all get to it before we catch the virus?

In the Navy, my job was to save the world from a pandemic. Now, I can only save my family—if I’m lucky.

What inspired this story?

 A love of apocalyptic stories and a chance read in a science news story led to an idea about a virus that at first makes the victim feel social and euphoric instead of ill. It does that so victims will gather in groups—which allows the virus to spread much more quickly than most illnesses. The name of the virus is Sympatico Syndrome.

Do you think this kind of scenario could happen in real life? Why or why not?

This particular virus, no, but I wouldn’t doubt that someday there will be an engineered virus that could be spread rapidly. As far as seeking a refuge, yes. There are many people who have prepared a ‘bug-out’ shelter for scenarios similar to the one in Infection.

Excerpt:

Cole turned onto his street and slammed on the brakes.

Yellow barricades like police used when trying to hold back mobs of demonstrators blocked off the street. Three men with guns manned the roadblock. Cole tensed as one of the men approached his vehicle.
Sean was right behind him with the truck and Jenna and the kids following Sean. He hoped his brother wouldn’t jump out and start waving his handgun around. He was grateful for Sean’s forethought to bring the weapon, but it was three against one, and now Jenna and the kids were around.

Cole rolled his window down a crack, squinting at the man who was backlit by the sun and wearing a baseball cap pulled low. “What’s going on? I live on this street and need to get home.”

“Do you have proof of residence?”

Cole glared. “Since when do I need proof that I live in my house? My key is proof, now get those barricades out of the street and let me through.” He had his license, of course, but that wasn’t the point. He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. “The two vehicles behind me are family. Let them in, too.”

“Cole, is that you?”

He blinked up at the face. “Who wants to know?”

The man pulled off his cap. “It’s me. Jerry Keeling.”

“Doctor Keeling? The dentist?” He’d taken Hunter to the guy a few times after their regular dentist had retired. He’d also spoken to him at the annual block party, but he’d never had the impression the man would become militant in a situation like this.

“Yeah. We’ve had outsiders trying to seek shelter in the neighborhood. They think because we’re upscale here, that we’re safe.”

Cole bit back a retort. Their neighborhood, while nice enough, was hardly upscale. “Look, Jerry, I just need to get home. It’s only going to be for a few hours, then we’re leaving.” Crap. He probably shouldn’t have said that.

Jerry scratched his cheek, his gaze wandering to the other two men as if seeking permission. “Okay, I guess I can let you pass, but the truck and the other car will have to stay out. Only residents allowed.” He smiled as if he was doing Cole a favor.

Cole fixed Jerry with a hard stare. “Listen, Jerry, that’s my brother in the truck and his family in the red Ford. Now, unless you’re going to shoot me, they’re coming, too.”

“Who the hell are you to tell us what to do?” One of the men circled the barricade. He was taller and heavier than the short, slim dentist, and he shouldered Jerry out of the way. “We say who comes and who goes.”

Cole narrowed his eyes and straightened his shoulders. “As it happens, I know a thing or two about diseases since I’m an epidemiologist. I worked with the CDC for many years and even went to Africa to help manage the Ebola outbreak. Do you have better credentials?”

Get Infection: Book One, FREE 10/25
 

Infection: Sympatico Syndrome (Book One)

By Mary | Aug 12, 2016 |

InfectionFinalKindle

Infection: Sympatico Syndrome is now live! I’m super excited about this one and hope readers enjoy it. It’s the first book in a planned trilogy.

 

Here’s an excerpt:

 

Cole turned onto his street and slammed on the brakes. 

 

Yellow barricades like police used when trying to hold back mobs of demonstrators blocked off the street. Three men with guns manned the roadblock. Cole tensed as one of the men approached his vehicle.

 

Sean was right behind him with the truck and Jenna and the kids following Sean. He hoped his brother wouldn’t jump out and start waving his handgun around. He was grateful for Sean’s forethought to bring the weapon, but it was three against one, and now Jenna and the kids were around.

 

Cole rolled his window down a crack, squinting at the man who was backlit by the sun and wearing a baseball cap pulled low. “What’s going on? I live on this street and need to get home.”

 

“Do you have proof of residence?”

 

Cole glared. “Since when do I need proof that I live in my house? My key is proof, now get those barricades out of the street and let me through.” He had his license, of course, but that wasn’t the point. He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. “The two vehicles behind me are family. Let them in, too.”

 

“Cole, is that you?”

 

He blinked up at the face. “Who wants to know?”

 

The man pulled off his cap. “It’s me. Jerry Keeling.”

 

“Doctor Keeling? The dentist?” He’d taken Hunter to the guy a few times after their regular dentist had retired.  He’d also spoken to him at the annual block party, but he’d never had the impression the man would become militant in a situation like this.

 

“Yeah. We’ve had outsiders trying to seek shelter in the neighborhood. They think because we’re upscale here, that we’re safe.”

 

Cole bit back a retort. Their neighborhood, while nice enough, was hardly upscale. “Look, Jerry, I just need to get home. It’s only going to be for a few hours, then we’re leaving.” Crap. He probably shouldn’t have said that.

 

Jerry scratched his cheek, his gaze wandering to the other two men as if seeking permission. “Okay, I guess I can let you pass, but the truck and the other car will have to stay out. Only residents allowed.” He smiled as if he was doing Cole a favor.

 

Cole fixed Jerry with a hard stare. “Listen, Jerry, that’s my brother in the truck and his family in the red Ford. Now, unless you’re going to shoot me, they’re coming, too.”

 

Jerry glanced back, his grip shifting on the hunting rifle. He cast a nervous look at the other two men still on the other side of the barricade. “I don’t know. We’re only supposed to let residents through—”

 

Cole had had enough of this. He put the car in park and opened his door. He looked at the other two men, their rifles pulled closer to their bodies as if they were ready to aim them. He spread his arms, palms out. “Listen, I live here. Right over there, in fact.” He pointed to his house. “We’re coming through here, getting my belongings and then leaving. We’re not stealing anyone’s stuff, and we want to keep all contact to a minimum. I don’t even want to be this close to any of you. I’d recommend that you keep back from anyone trying to approach the barricade and get yourselves some good masks.”

 

“Who the hell are you to tell us what to do?” One of the men circled the barricade. He was taller and heavier than the short, slim dentist, and he shouldered Jerry out of the way. “We say who comes and who goes.”

 

Cole narrowed his eyes and straightened his shoulders. “As it happens, I know a thing or two about diseases since I’m an epidemiologist. I worked with the CDC for many years and even went to Africa to help manage the Ebola outbreak. Do you have better credentials?”

 

Infection–Catch it August 19th!

By Mary | Aug 3, 2016 |

InfectionPrint2Bwith subtitleInfection: Book One (Sympatico Syndrome) has begun the countdown to publication. It’s available for pre-order right now. Order now and you can wake up to find it on your Kindle waiting for you.

I am so excited for this book. Yeah, I’m excited about every book, but I have wanted to write a post-apocalyptic novel for so long.  So far, feedback on Infection has been very positive. In fact, I’ve begun writing the second book already.

So, what’s it all about? Here’s the description:

What started as a “flu” outbreak on a military base proves deadlier than Ebola and more contagious than the Spanish Flu. Sympatico Syndrome is unlike anything the world has ever seen. Victims’ behavior is… changing to accommodate the rapid spread of the virus.

Former Navy epidemiologist Cole Evans is well aware of the rare, infectious diseases the military studies. He also knows, first-hand, the government’s stance on sharing information with the public, so if the media has already learned about the disease, then it’s far too late to contain the outbreak.
Cole’s only chance to save his family is to establish a safe haven. Isolated, hard to reach, and with enough space for his brother’s family as well, he has the perfect location–if only they can all reach it before they’re infected…

Excerpt:


Cole kept vigil by the front window while Sean watched the back of the house. Elliot had been true to his word about a party brewing as loud music blasted throughout the neighborhood, the beat emphasized periodically by gunfire. It set Cole’s nerves on edge and several times, he had to fire warning rounds at people trying to venture close to the house.

He rose and peered over the edge of the window frame, his blinds bent all to hell to allow him a narrow gap to look through while still providing some cover. His last warning round had been just a minute or so before, and he wasn’t even sure anyone noticed it. Three women, several children, and nearly a dozen men ran around in the street, playing some kind of game. It looked like tag, except that nobody seemed to be ‘it’.

Either they were all drunk off their rockers, or they were very ill. Maybe it was a combination. As he watched, a woman staggered and fell. He waited for her to get up laughing. It wasn’t the first time she’d fallen. All of the partiers had hit the ground at least once but always staggered back to their feet. This time, the woman stayed down. She moved briefly, in a spasmodic way, then became still.

Cole stood and pushed the blind out of the way. Was she struck by the last round? He’d been confident he’d aimed high enough to avoid hitting anyone, but maybe he hadn’t? What if he’d killed her?

 

 

Bloodline-the Netflix Psychological Thriller

By Mary | May 29, 2016 |

 

bloodline-season-2

So if you’re here because you’ve read some of my books, you probably know I go for psychological thrillers. Last year, Netflix debuted Bloodline, starring Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, Sissy Spacek, Norbert Leo Butz, Owen Teague and Enrique Murciano.

With a cast like that, you can’t go wrong and Bloodline doesn’t. Season one reminded me a bit of Breaking Bad. Kind of hard to explain without giving away spoilers, but both series started with a flashback that intrigued. Events build slowly in both first seasons but then escalate towards the end.

 

Scene from season two. (NSFW-swearing)

 

But, I’m not here to compare the shows or even to talk about the first season of Bloodline. I just wrapped up a three-day mini binge of Season Two of Bloodline.

No spoilers, but here are some things I felt as I watched. My heart was pounding practically the whole way through. I think maybe they should issue a warning about that. You know, like they do for roller coasters? “If you have a history of heart problems…” 😉

 

Whereas last season was a slow burn through the first 8 episodes or so, this one burst out of the gate at a flat out sprint and never let up. Relentless and riveting,  it was akin to watching a trainwreck in slow motion. You want to cover your eyes but can’t help peeking out between your fingers. There is no possible way things can end well, and yet…you keep hoping for a miracle.

 

Every single actor nailed their parts. I think they should just fling Emmys at all of them and be done with it this year, but special mention, and I’m not just saying this because I’m a huge fan, but Kyle Chandler just…wow. I don’t want to give spoilers, but there’s a scene in episode seven between his character, John, and his wife, Diana. I think he says one word in the entire scene, and it wasn’t even anything major.  But he didn’t have to say anything. Looking at him, I’d say he was feeling dread, guilt, nausea, and incredible fear. Fear for his relationship, his children, his family and himself. I think he felt those things because that is what I felt watching the scene.

 

Whew. This show had better return for a third season. You hear me, Netflix? Or I may have to go all Rayburn on you….;)


First Book Trailer!

By Mary | Oct 27, 2022 |

Thanks to my amazing cousin, Nicole, who made this first book trailer for Infection, I’m now on a book trailer kick! She inspired me to make a few of my own. Nicole’s is so good, it’s hard to follow her, but I’ve been having a great time doing a few of my own that I’ll post in subsequent posts.

Infection: Book 1 (Sympatico Syndrome Series)

COVID Milestone

By Mary | Mar 29, 2022 |

My Facebook memories this month keep popping up with posts from 2 years ago. It was a very weird time. I remember feeling scared and worried. I was worried about my parents and my own family, as I’m sure everyone else was too. In the midst of that fear, many of us drew on humor from silly memes to get us though another day.

Many people were home as offices shut down, with quite a few businesses still working out their work from home plans with their employees, so any posts about Covid tended to get quite a few comments. None of us knew what to expect from even the next few months, let alone the next few years but what I thought of today is that there are ONE MILLION PEOPLE, many who probably partook of those FB posts with their own friends and family who are no longer with us.

I can’t help wondering how they felt when they got sick–how scared they must have been. In my own experience treating COVID patients I never actually had anyone ask me if they were going to die or, later when vaccines came out, show regret for not getting vaccinated. I also never talked about vaccination with patients I treated. By the time they saw me, they were usually on significant amounts of oxygen and discussing vaccines would have been pointless and, honestly, cruel.

There’s a weird sense you get though, when treating these patients, where you start just knowing which ones will succumb even while they’re still very much alert and talking, albeit, in short sentences as their respiratory rates are usually pretty high. And you’re looking at them and in your head, you’re thinking they’re going to die but you can’t show that on your face so you keep talking about the weather or baseball, as you’re also explaining how this BiPap will hopefully help ease their breathing. I saw too many men around my age or my brothers’ ages, and often I’d see them in the ER first, or maybe when they transferred up to the unit I would have that day. All I could think was they are middle aged. They should be able to beat this, but I don’t think they will–but that didn’t stop me from trying my best. It didn’t stop any of us from trying our hardest.

Some patients would be there for weeks, a few, even months, before COVID finally claimed them. This scenario was repeated at every single hospital in the country to some degree. I wonder how many other healthcare workers would get that feeling when they would be talking to and treating their COVID patients? I’m curious. I’ve worked in my field for decades and can’t recall any other time it happened to me, or at least not the same weird feeling I’d get as I’d adjust their high flow oxygen yet again to try to get a decent O2 sat on them. I’ve seen plenty of COPDers not make it and cancer patients, but most of them were on a long path to the end. For COPD patients, it was often years that we’d see them and it would become much more frequent at the end. While still very sad, it was different. It’s hard to explain. All deaths are sad and tragic, but it happens to all of us eventually. I think with COVID it’s just that so many went from healthy to very sick so suddenly. Thankfully, not everyone died and there were some happy recoveries. I just hope we’re through the worst of it.

Photo is of me going in to do an EKG on my very first COVID patient. A coworker snapped my picture. That was the only time I ever wore a PAPR. (I look like Austin Powers! lol) After this, it was an N95. The first 3 months or so we had a handful of N95s issued to us. I kept mine in a Gladware-type covered bowl and wore a drawstring bag with my bowl and my face shield in it. Even though we now have plenty of N95s, I still grab an extra here and there to have just in case…

Pandemic Thoughts from the Trenches

By Mary | Dec 31, 2020 |

Our summer haven during the pandemic.

I know someday I’m going to regret not keeping a journal during this pandemic, so here’s at least a few thoughts I have regarding it. If you’re on my blog reading this, it’s probably because you’ve perhaps read some of my books, and maybe even my books about an apocalyptic pandemic that wipes out most of civilization. I started the first series with Infection, and gave the series the title, Sympatico Syndrome Series in 2016. I’m continuing with the same virus I cooked up for the first series, but with all new characters in my Sympatico Syndrome World. So, basically, different people with a different set of circumstances.

I finished the first book in the SSW series just as the real pandemic was beginning. It was a crazy time for me as my day job is as a respiratory therapist. In the beginning, there was a lot of fear, especially as the first few patients came into the hospital. I have a health issue and my work had an exemption anyone who was at high risk could apply for. I did so but was told that they needed me and that I should just not take COVID patients. Uh…yeah. That hasn’t really worked out. While I’m not usually in the ICU with them, (though I have been.) I still see them on the COVID floor or in the ER pretty much every shift. In one day, I might see from 8-10 COVID patients—but not in the beginning because it took several weeks for us to see the first wave. I’d say late April and early May, things were pretty crazy. It’s all a blur to me because I was moving and trying to finish up edits for Alone at the End of the World.

June came along, and things quieted down. I felt I could breathe a little bit and so, started on my next book. However, our new house has a pool and the summer was hot with nowhere to go. I think I swam a little bit almost every day. The pandemic wasn’t as scary then because where I lived, numbers were down a bit. I will admit that the prospect of coming home from work and writing about a pandemic while treating patients from a real pandemic wasn’t nearly as appealing as hopping into the pool and floating around on a pool noodle.

I keep seeing people say healthcare workers are heroes. I gotta tell you–we don’t feel like heroes. Most of us just asked that people wear mask and socially distance as much as they could. If we all did it, then we could beat this. It would have been a huge accomplishment, but it would have only happened if the whole country was on board. I imagine during WWII there was a unity and a feeling of everyone working to beat the Axis. That unity never materialized and instead we got accused of the pandemic being fake and deaths from anything being attributed to Covid. I gotta say, those patients I saw sure didn’t look fake and I didn’t pretend to take care of them.

November was horrible at work and not only was I terrified I’d get sick, but that I’d give it to my family, especially my husband, who is high risk. I was also going straight from work, to my parents’ house because my dad had his own health emergency that ended up with him on a ventilator, then to rehab (not Covid related). My mom needed help 24/7, so my siblings and I took turns staying for 24 hrs at a time. Good thing there’s so many of us! Thankfully, my dad is probably 90% recovered and is even back to driving. It’s like a freaking miracle!

But, I guess I feel like every person who refuses to wear a mask has no regard for anyone. They don’t care about their own family getting sick, or friends, or coworkers, so why should they care about strangers who work in healthcare? I don’t think they care about the exhaustion, the daily fatigue from stress of caring for COVID patients. The physical discomfort from wearing an N95, face shield, gowns that I swear were raincoats in another life, or fatigue from running from room to room, and down to the ER. It’s not like our regular patients went away either.  Some days I’m taking care of Covid patients and then running to the NICU to assist with a neonate. If we could see a light at the end of the tunnel, I guess that would help, but all I can see now is a never-ending stream of patients and people in stores wearing their masks under their noses.

I’ve worked in my field for 34 years and have seen plenty of bad winters with flu patients. We get our usual COPD patients every year too. Those are almost the worst because we get to know them. They ask about our family, we ask about theirs. I can still remember many of my COPDers names who died years ago. We’re always saddened when we learn of one of them passing. So, we’re not unused to people getting sick and not making it. Or of running our butts off from one end of the hospital to the other (we cover the whole hospital, although one might have just ICU, sometimes they have to cover another unit in addition to ICU.)

No other year has compared to this, and we’re not even into January yet. February and March tend to be the worst for some reason. How will it be this year? I just saw someone on Twitter complaining about new restrictions in Harris county, Texas, and I just have no sympathy for them. None. It was clear they are one of the anti-maskers and it pisses me off.

As reviews came in for Alone at the End of the World in the summer, I was struck by the contrast with the appreciation from readers for my stories, vs. what feels like disdain from those who won’t listen to healthcare workers. Obviously, I think what I do during my day job is more important, but I guess since nobody sees it unless they are a patient, there is no recognition. It really makes me re-think my career choices, that’s for sure. I daydream about becoming a bestseller so that I could quit being a respiratory therapist, but that hasn’t happened yet. I flirted with it a few times, but always, sales spike and then plummet. I don’t write fast enough to have dozens of books to sell so that even if I only sold a few of any one book, I would still be okay because I would have lots of books. Meanwhile, Monday will come and I’ll don my N95 and go put some poor soul on an Airvo or Bipap, and hope that I can help turn them around.

At least I have my first vaccine dose already doing its thing with the second in a couple of weeks.

Inception: A Dystopian Thriller (The Defiants Series Book 1)

By Mary | Apr 29, 2020 |

If you’re a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale, be sure to check out this new novel from J.R. Tate. As I read INCEPTION, it had the same feel as Margaret Atwood’s classic novel. It’s the story of a tyrannical government ruling with an iron fist and one man’s fight to save his family from being destroyed by the firestorm of changes that they can’t seem to escape.


It was a normal election year. There were two top candidates and the American people left with a choice to make – stay with the incumbent or elect ultraconservative Alfred Millstone. Elections have consequences, and Charlie Cooper and his live-in girlfriend, Annie Russell, learn this the hard way after millions of Americans elect Millstone as the new US president.

Millstone’s dictator-like decrees soon fly in the face of the freedoms Charlie and Annie have always taken for granted – government officials begin to follow everyone, outrageous rules are implemented, and people’s constitutional rights are violated. Those who do not follow the new rules and laws are labeled as DEFIANTS and are put on disciplinary levels. Each level has stricter consequences, including arrests and criminal sentences leading up to execution. Food purchases are regulated, medical care is monitored, and people are quickly stripped of the freedoms they once knew.

With the Millstone administration’s power growing rapidly, freedom becomes a relic of the past. Charlie desperately struggles to save his family from a dark and deadly future he never imagined could be possible in the land of the free.

Get Your Copy Now!

Guest Post from Beth Orsoff: Protecting Your Film Rights

By Mary | Mar 16, 2019 |

This interview was originally posted on 08/05/2013 on my previous blog. Reposting. NGDKindleVersionwith quote

I briefly posted about my recent experience with someone who was interested in the film rights to my book, No Good Deed. As you can imagine, when I read the email, I felt a thrill of excitement. Within minutes daydreams fired up with visions of how No Good Deed would appear on screen. Who would be cast as Mark Taylor? What about Jim Sheridan? Would I get to watch filming? *sigh* Sadly, my little dream bubble popped this morning when I couldn’t come to an agreement with the guy who asked about the rights.

As soon as I was approached about the rights, I activated
the BethSignalto get in touch with Beth Orsoff. Beth is not only a bestselling author, but also an entertainment lawyer. I learned from the would-be matchmaker (known from here on out as John Doe, or JD for short) that he wanted to basically option my book so that he could pitch it to some big name producers. He has interviews lined up for a PBS series. The producers he listed in an email are seriously legit, so I was really getting excited but I’ve learned to be wary over the last few years. JD already had produced one short series where he interviewed successful business owners who started small businesses.

Beth has graciously offered to be interviewed for this blog post, so, I’ll begin with my first question right after I received the email where JD named the producers and outlined his idea. Of course, it sounded good, but I knew there were things I should ask him, but I had no idea what those questions should be. Am I the only one who is clueless? (Hey, I see you nodding!)

All joking aside, we’re talking about my book here, and I didn’t want to screw it up so I asked Beth some questions. Here they are along with Beth’s replies:

Before I answer questions I just have to state for the record to anyone reading this that I am NOT giving anyone legal advice.  You, reader, are not my client and I am not your attorney. That said, as someone who works in the entertainment industry and has drafted many book option-purchase agreements, I can give you some general pointers so you (hopefully) don’t get scammed.  It’s important to remember that anyone can call himself or herself a “producer.” It doesn’t mean they actually know anything about how the industry works, have any contacts, or have any ability to get your book made into a movie.  Hundreds of books are optioned every year; only a handful of them are ever produced as feature films or TV shows.

What is the first thing an author should ask someone who approaches them about film rights?

Ask for a list of their credits/credentials.  You should also google them and look up their name on IMDB. If you can find no information about this person other than their Facebook page and Twitter handle be suspect. Producers are not generally known as humble people who try to hide their accomplishments.

If, as in my case, the interested party doesn’t have money to pay an option, is that a deal breaker?

No, not necessarily.  But in that case you’re better off entering into a shopping agreement. This document would give the interested party the right to “shop” your project to other interested parties (e.g., studios, major independent production companies, major producers with a track record) who have the money to actually option your project and develop it. Three important points to remember when negotiating a shopping agreement is: (1) it should be for a limited period of time (i.e., 6 months)—you can always agree to extend it if you want to; (2) you are only granting this person the right to shop your project, you are not granting this person rights in your project i.e. there should be no language assigning rights or copyrights, and all deals should be subject to your approval; (3) you should not be paying this person anything – if he/she incurs costs, they are his/hers to bear.

I know that there is probably no such thing as a ‘usual’ film option, as the terms can vary, but can you give us an idea what kind of option that would be something to consider?

I work for studios and major production companies so those are the sorts of agreements I am most familiar with.  These are not parties who are going to make a feature film for $500K and then enter it into film festivals hoping to find a major distributor.  That’s an entirely different scenario.  In a typical deal with a major studio/production company/producer (I’m going to use the term “studio” to represent all three) the studio will option the book for a 12-month or 18-month period with the right to extend for an additional 12-month or 18-month period. The first option payment will be applicable against the purchase price, extension payments usually are not.  Option payments vary, but a good rule of thumb is 10% of the purchase price. In terms of actual numbers, these vary hugely depending on the book, the producer, the studio, whether lots of people want to buy your project or you were lucky to get one offer.  It’s a negotiation. A purchase price of $100K would be on the low end.  A purchase price of $1M would be on the high end.  And often times when the option-purchase agreement is with a producer instead of with a studio or production company the deal will contain a “set-up bonus” i.e., an additional payment to the author when the producer sets the project up with a studio or production company.  Deals can also include bestseller bonuses, box office bonuses, profit participations, and passive payments for additional productions; plus there are lots of other non-monetary points that have to be negotiated including the all-important rights grant i.e. what rights are you, the author, keeping and what rights are you granting to the studio.

One thing I didn’t care for in the option offered me, other than the $1 payment, was that there was a purchase price already written in the contract. Is that normal?

Yes, that’s normal. It’s not an option agreement, it’s an option-purchase agreement. There can be some variance in the purchase price e.g., a percentage of the budget of the film with a floor of a certain dollar amount and a ceiling of a certain dollar amount, but there should be a purchase price—and more importantly, that purchase price needs to be for an amount that is acceptable to you.

If someone offers one like that, how do they arrive at the purchase price?

I don’t know how the person who approached you arrived at the dollar figure that he did. Usually these deals are negotiated by book-to-film agents (who represent the authors) and business affairs executives (who represent the studios). The number will be based on all the items I noted above (i.e., who the parties are and how much interest there is in the project), plus everyone will look at their precedent –what they’ve received/paid out on other similar deals. The point is it’s a negotiation. The person who approached you made you a take-it-or-leave-it offer. That’s not a negotiation.

General comment – As I mentioned above, I come at this from the perspective of a studio lawyer.  But there are hundreds or perhaps even thousands of low budget films produced every year by passionate people who enter their films into festivals and competitions with the hopes that the film will get picked up by a major distributor.  And sometimes they do.  It may not be likely, but it’s definitely possible.  So, if you’ve been approached by one of these people who has passion for your book but not a lot of money, don’t dismiss them out of hand. And if you want to option your book to one of these people for little to no money, that is your choice.  Just understand what you’re giving up—which is the right to maybe one day sell your work to a major for substantially more money. Because once you assign your rights to someone else in perpetuity those rights are gone for good—unless you negotiate a reversion clause and/or benefit from a copyright termination, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog post.

And just one more myth I’d like to dispel: There seems to be some oft-repeated rumor out there that in order to get a studio interested in your book you have to write a screenplay (or hire someone to write it for you).  THIS IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT FALSE.  In fact, the existence of a screenplay written by the author/author’s friend/author’s cousin/random stranger just complicates matters.  The studio only wants to option the rights to your book. The studio will then hire a screenwriter of its own choosing to write the screenplay based on your book.  That’s called “development” as in “my book has been in development hell for ten years!”  If you retain nothing else from this blog post retain this:  DO NOT WRITE A SCREENPLAY BASED ON YOUR BOOK—not unless you’re actually a working screenwriter (and no, reading Syd Field’s entire collection of screenwriting books does not make you a working screenwriter).

Thank you so much, Beth, for taking the time to answer my questions as I’m sure you have helped a lot of authors out there.

Beth

Beth Orsoff  has been been published by Penguin, Amazon Publishing, and has also self-published. 
For more information about her books, visit  Beth Orsoff.

I Responded to a Negative Review…

By Mary | Sep 19, 2018 |

I committed the cardinal sin for an author, especially an indie author, I responded to a review. The review on Invasion was a 3-star, so not horrible, but the rating wasn’t the problem for me. I don’t care if it was a 1-star or a 5-star. It was what the reviewer tried to call me out on. It wasn’t about my writing or even the plot of the book. I can deal with those. We can’t please everyone, right? No, this was about a comment one of my characters made. My main character, Cole Evans, is an epidemiologist, so he was speaking from a voice of authority in the book, so anytime he made statements addressing diseases or health-related things, I would double and triple check to make sure what he said was true. I won’t promise that everything I stated about being an epidemiologist is true (because it seems to depend on where they work) but this particular statement was fact-checked. Here’s the statement the reviewer had an issue with:

 

“there’s never been a disease that disappeared without a vaccine”

 

Here’s what she said in the review regarding that:

 

“Please do some research on vaccines. The statement you made, that “there’s never been a disease that disappeared without a vaccine”, is utterly false. In fact, every so-called vaccine preventable disease was on the decline PRIOR to the introduction of a vaccine for it. Proper nutrition, shelter, and most importantly, Hygeine (sic) were responsible for the decline in diseases today, in developed countries.”

 

First, let me point out that even including good hygiene, proper nutrition, and shelter, my statement still stands. Tell me one disease that doesn’t have a vaccine that has been stamped out? I’ll wait…

 

There are plenty that have treatments, but in order to be treated, they have to occur first, so those can’t be considered eradicated.

 

While I’m waiting, let’s discuss the rest of the review:

“Even polio is a mild enough illness that most people who’ve had it, don’t even know it! Furthermore, think about diseases like scarlet fever, for which there isn’t a vaccine, yet it has declined. The truth is out there, so stop spreading propaganda for the pharmaceutical industry! Research, don’t regurgitate.”

 

Hmmm…”polio is a mild disease…”. Technically, that is true in the majority of cases, but if you were one of the 15,000 people in the U.S. who were paralyzed every year prior to the introduction of the polio vaccine, that statement would bring very little comfort. Did you know 1 in 200 cases led to paralysis? That may not sound like many to you, but let’s put it this way. Picture a big sporting event. Let’s go big and make it the Super Bowl. Let’s say the attendance is 60,000. That sounds about right for a Super Bowl. Now, if they had a lottery to win a million dollars and 300 people in the stands would randomly be selected to win, would you buy a dollar ticket? Chances are, you would. I know I would. While my chances would be slim, 300 winners are a lot of winners! Let’s gather those lucky men, women, and children on the field at half-time. This is a special lottery and there is no minimum age so even children can win. How awesome is that?

 

Now, have them all drop to the ground, paralyzed. This is what that scene looked like in 1952.

 

 

The machines are different now, but no less terrible. It would look something like this but multiplied 200 times.

 

And that’s just for every 60,000 people who get it. I did the math, and it looks like to get those 15,000 people paralyzed every year means 3 million people caught the disease. This was in the 1950s, not the 1550s. It happened in suburban towns where mom stayed home and kept house, made home cooked meals and doctors made house-calls. How much different was hygiene and sanitation then compared to now? If anything, it was probably cleaner! (Hey, I’ve watched a lot of Leave it to Beaver–that house was super clean! I’d eat of June Cleaver’s floor without giving it a second thought!)

 

Keep in mind, this is just the U.S. Polio is still not eradicated world-wide. There are still countries where it exists and the main reason is due to conflict. That makes it very difficult to vaccinate all the children if the families are in a constant state of upheaval due to civil wars.

 

And Scarlet Fever? Really? You do realize that’s caused by a bacteria and is treated with antibiotics, right? The same bacteria that causes strep throat, which is WHY it’s treated–to prevent Scarlet Fever from developing.

 

I won’t argue that hygiene doesn’t play a role. Of course it does. It does for every disease, but it won’t cure anything, just slow the spread.

 

seen patients with post-polio syndrome and I’ve treated people with pertussis. I also know all about hand-hygiene and how to curb the spread of infection. I’m tested on it yearly as part of my job. I wash my hands and use hand-sanitizer dozens of times a day–but when I was exposed to a baby with pertussis a few years back, I was still required to get a booster dose of the vaccine. Claiming I had washed my hands would not have changed that requirement because that would not have been enough to protect me or anyone who came in contact with me if I came down with the disease. I really don’t want to give a baby this disease.

 

So, yes, dear reviewer, in regards to vaccines, I have done my research. Have you? And by research, I mean real research with peer-reviewed studies, not regurgitated autism, anti-vaccination theories.

No Good Deed Info

By Mary | Jul 3, 2018 |

(7/3/18  This is a reposting of a blog post I did about my research for No Good Deed on my previous blog. The cover over there is the old cover. I’m keeping it here for old time’s sake. 🙂 )

In light of the recent declassification of the CIA Torture Reports, I’ve been thinking a lot about the “enhanced interrogation” I depicted in No Good Deed. The more I read of the reports, the more I think I got right. Caveat– I have not seen anything saying that torture was used against an American citizen as it does in No Good Deed. That part is fiction. Probably. 


However, that picture right over there?

That is an actual photo of Jose Padilla, one of the three American citizens held as an enemy combatant. He had no trial until something like seven years after he had been held in a brig. I believe that photo was taken when he had to be escorted to see a dentist. The one below is after they put the blackout goggles and sound canceling earphones on his head. To go to the dentist. Anyway…

And as I read the reports, I thought of a review No Good Deed recently received that said: 

“…the post-9/11 enhanced interrogation was old news. Not that it isn’t horrific, but it’s just not current. Terminology such as ‘enemy combatant’ is endemic to the vernacular of anyone who reads any news in 2014.

I normally wouldn’t call out a less than stellar review, because, really, what author wants to put any spotlight on a review where the reader didn’t connect with the story? However, in this case, I’m mentioning it because of the remark that the topic is “old news”. Heh. I just was at Google News and here is the sidebar list of Top Stories: 

TortureGolden Globe AwardsRepublican PartyArizona CardinalsCaliforniaEbola virus diseaseAngelina JolieLos Angeles LakersKabulSony Corporation

Um, yeah. I guess it’s back in the news now. I have not read all 500 pages of the torture report, but what I did read wasn’t much different from what I researched back in 2008 and 2009, when I wrote No Good Deed. 
 
I also noted somethings that are highlighted now, but didn’t seem to be mentioned much before, such as physicians’ roles in the interrogation techniques. In a couple of scenes in No Good Deed, a doctor is present and my character, Mark, is pretty freaked out about that. While researching, I had come across info that said a doctor had to be present while using certain methods, so I made that part of the scene. I don’t know how often that protocol was actually followed in real life, but I wanted to give the benefit of the doubt to the government that a doctor would be there in case anything went wrong.  
 
For something that is “old news”, these snippets from reviews No Good Deed has received read like they came from today’s stories: 


No Good Deed: Book One 


…Whatever possessed our country’s policy makers to give a green light to the torturing of others? …


…I will never think of torture in the same light again. ..


…How do you deal with government incarceration, physical torture and mental dismantling? …


…The author also makes you sit back and think about what is going on in the world of our anti-terrorism policies…. 

 

… The author’s description of waterboarding & other inhuman torture methods is chilling and all too believable. …


…Fluid writing style with an in-depth look at what its like to be tortured by your own government. … The torture scenes are not overly graphic and you can easily skip the most gruesome parts. …


…One thing that I really liked was how the author handled the political question of whether torture is a viable means of getting answers and information from terrorists. …


 …regardless of your politics, should get you thinking. Are the responses to 9/11 making the US a better or worse place to live?…


However, I also did try to show the other side to the story, as noted in the review snippet below:


…The character development in this story is superb. Mark is the main character, but McDonald does a great job of showing the point of view of several other characters, including one of the interrogators who is involved with Mark and his situation. I liked the depth of it in showing what Mark was going through, as well as the turmoil and ethical issues the investigators were enduring…


…No Good Deed reveals the good and the bad about our government and the desire to take care of us. …


…This book is a real eye-opener about the Govt. Enhanced Integration program and the zeal of certain people get when doing their job of torture…


***


Here is another even older blog post:

I have no sympathy for terrorists. When I first heard the term enemy combatant, I thought, “Hell yeah! Give ’em what they deserve!” I didn’t go much beyond that. As far as I was concerned, out of sight, out of mind. I remember reading about the ‘dirty bomber’ Jose Padilla. He was accused of plotting to detonate a ‘dirty bomb’ in a U.S. city. The guy, in my mind, was the lowest of the low, and no punishment would be too harsh.

Then I saw a picture of Padilla taken when he was taken out of his cell for a dental visit.

The ‘swat team’ surrounding the chained guy, and the blackout goggles and earphones seemed like overkill. What can’t be seen in this pic, but I read descriptions of, are the mitts used on his hands too, so that basically, the only sense he has is smell and taste. Touch is only through his feet and if any of the guards hold on to his arms.

While I thought the security was a bit overboard, I still didn’t think too much about it. Then came the controversy of water-boarding. Maybe because I’ve seen people gasping for breath too many times, seen the fear in their eyes but that form of interrogation made me sick. I still didn’t think it was too harsh for terrorists, and in fact, even with all I know now, I don’t think it should be totally banned. Btw, I’ve never come across confirmation that this happened to Padilla. His lawyer–when he finally got one–said yes, it happened, but Padilla says no, that he was treated well. (As he looks over his shoulder to make sure nobody is lurking.)

See, the thing that gets me is Padilla is an American citizen, but he was held for years without a trial. Yes, there was some evidence, but it wasn’t ‘smoking gun’ ironclad, as far as I could tell.  The guy is no choir boy, that’s for certain. He’s a former Chicago gangbanger, and for that alone, I wouldn’t care if he was locked up for the rest of his life–after a fair trial and guilty verdict. That’s what was missing. Even if Padilla is 100% guilty of everything they initially accused him of doing, there still should have been a trial or Padilla given the right to waive a trial if he decided to plead guilty. Then he should have been formally sentenced to whatever term that crime deserves. That’s how the judicial system works. Only he never really got into the judicial system. Once he was designated an enemy combatant, he no longer was entitled to those rights. That is a terrifying outcome.

What if an innocent person was caught in that endless pit? How could he/she fight for their freedom if they are never even given a chance?  If the person ever did get out, how would that affect them? What kind of life would they return to?

So, that was where my muse for NO GOOD DEED came from. An interesting thing came out of writing it. I have a ‘bad’ guy in the book. He’s one of the interrogators. The more I was in his head, looking at it from his angle, the more I realized what a difficult position it was. As the book progresses, even my protagonist has a moment of revelation about how hard it would be to have that kind of responsibility.

Alternate Ending for Invasion

By Mary | Feb 3, 2018 |

Just for fun, I wrote this alternate ending to the Sympatico Syndrome series. It came about when my daughter scolded me for procrastinating on my writing and I said something like I’m just going to end it with they all lived happily ever after, or something to that effect.

* * *

Cole blinked awake, disturbing images from his dream fading so quickly, he wasn’t sure what he’d dreamed about, just that it left him feeling uneasy. He shook off the feeling and glanced over at Brenda, still sleeping beside him. He bent and kissed her warm cheek. “You go ahead and sleep in. I’ll get Hunter ready for school.”

 

She mumbled a thank you and turned the other way, pulling the covers up over her shoulders.

 

As he spread peanut butter on a slice of bread, he heard snippets of news from the television on in the living room. Hunter hadn’t yet turned on SpongeBob as he still sat at the kitchen table, playing with his oatmeal. “Hurry up and eat, Hunter. You don’t want to starve later in school.”

 

Cole chuckled…as if the kid would even know what starvation was. The longest he’d ever gone between meals, not counting sleep, was a few hours. He’d survive on a few bites of oatmeal between now and snack time at school. As Cole tucked a mini juice box in Hunter’s lunch.

 

“The flu virus is expected to be widespread this year and the vaccine isn’t going to be as effective as normal.”

 

“Thank you, Dr. Jackson. How bad do you think it’ll be?”

 

Cole glanced at the screen as he grabbed a pack of Twinkies from the pantry, the short hallway between the kitchen and living room affording him a view of the screen. The doctor was pretty and petite, but for some reason, he expected her to be a redhead, not a blonde. He paused, golden cakes in hand.

 

Dr. Jackson smiled. “Well, it’ll be the usual flu, nothing too severe. Not pandemic level, certainly. We’re not talking the Spanish flu or Ebola. Just your typical fever, aches, pains. But I always encourage vaccines to protect the old, the young and those with compromised immune systems.”

 

Cole froze. Spanish flu? Ebola? He had glimpses of an island and … something about pandemics.

 

Brenda came into the kitchen, yawning as she tightened the belt on her robe. “Cole, you really need to turn off the television before you to bed.”

 

“I’m sorry. I forgot. Did it wake you?” He had a bad habit of dozing off, then getting up to get a midnight snack before heading to bed. She then recited flu statistics. Cole’s paused as he returned to the counter. “How’d you do that?”

 

He stuffed the Twinkies in Hunter’s lunchbox and added an apple. The same one he’d taken out yesterday after school. He looked at it critically. It wasn’t too bruised yet. It’d be good for another day or two. At least it made him look like a good father providing healthy food even if his kid didn’t eat it.

 

Brenda laughed as she started a pot of coffee. “I only heard it repeated about five times through the night. I was too lazy to get up and turn the damn thing off, but you left it on and I bet the volume is all the way up.”

 

Now that she mentioned it, he had turned it up last night so he could hear the sports scores while making himself a bowl of cereal. Oops.

 

“Now that you mention it, I had the weirdest dream last night about pandemics and people dying…”

 

She took a couple of mugs out of the cabinet and set them beside the coffee maker. “Sounds more like a nightmare.”

 

“Yeah…it kind of was.” More images from his dream came to him. Dead people and his brother, Sean. “And my brother and his family were in it too. Everybody was dying, but get this, they partied themselves to death, sort of.”

 

“Sounds like one of your frat parties when we met.” She grinned at him as she handed him his steaming cup of coffee.

* * *

 

So, that’s the alternate ending. If you want to be sure to get the REAL one, just put in your pre-order now. Invasion: Book Three

 

 

 

Cyber Monday Super Sale!

By Mary | Nov 27, 2017 |

 

First, a huge thank-you to Bookbub for featuring my book, No Good Deed in the 11/27 newsletter.

 Love the Bub!  

To help kick-off the holiday season, I am offering a special price on March Into Hell and Deeds of Mercy. They are each normally $5, but from 11/27-11/29, they will each be just $2.99! And of course, both are also in KindleUnlimited, so if you have that, you can read them for free.

 

Mark’s life takes a dark turn when his heroism becomes the subject of a newspaper article. The media attention and a harrowing encounter while saving a young woman, puts him in the sights of the ruthless cult leader who covets the secret to Mark’s power.

Uncomfortable in the public spotlight, Mark suspects he’s being tested by the force behind the camera’s prophetic magic. Battling his own self-doubt, he must maintain the secret or risk certain death.

 

In Deeds of Mercy: Book Three, an unexpected visitor from Mark’s past brings him unwanted attention from the authorities. Unable to decide who is friend and who is foe, Mark becomes a fugitive from the law, but with thousands of lives at stake, he is forced to put aside his fear of capture, and instead, seek help from his pursuers.

The Haunting of Dr. Bowen: A Mystery in Lizzie Borden’s Fall River (Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter)

By Mary | Oct 19, 2017 |

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We’ve all heard the jump-roping rhyme,

Lizzie Borden took an axe
She gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one.
Lizzie Borden got away
For her crime she did not pay.

But, what if there was a supernatural reason for her actions?
Just in time for Halloween, we have another Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter mystery.  It’s only $2.99 and is also available in Kindle Unlimited. 

The Haunting of Dr. Bowen: A Mystery in Lizzie Borden’s Fall River (Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter)

Gruesome deaths haunt the industrial city of Fall River, Massachusetts.

 

Dr. Seabury Bowen—physician to the infamous Lizzie Borden—swears he’s being stalked by spirits, though his beloved wife thinks it’s merely his imagination. But the retired doctor insists that neither greed nor anger provoked the recent sensational axe murders in Fall River. Rather, he believes the city is poisoned by bad blood and a thirst for revenge dating back to the Indian and Colonial wars.

 

Now, two years after the Borden murders, Dr. Bowen is determined to uncover the mysteries stirring up the city’s ancient, bloodthirsty specters. Can he discover who, or what, is shattering the peace before Fall River runs red? Or will he be the next victim?

 

Part mystery, part love story, The Haunting of Dr. Bowen reveals the eerie side of Fall River as witnessed by the first doctor on the scene of the legendary Borden murders.

 

A supernatural tie-in to the book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, but without the zombies. Based on real-life events and historic documents, though some parts have been fictionalized to fit the story. * Contains some light horror details.