EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
The Dead Days Journal:
Volume 1
Volume 1
by Sandra R. Campbell
Description
The daughter of a radical doomsday prepper, Leo Marrok spent her entire life preparing for the end. A skilled fighter and perfect marksman, Leo is her father’s second-in-command when Armageddon comes to pass. Together, they lead a group of survivors to a secure bunker deep in the Appalachian Mountains.
Vincent Marrok is willing to take extreme measures to repopulate their broken world. Leo’s refusal marks her as a traitor. With father and daughter at odds for the first time, their frail community is thrust into turmoil. Until the unthinkable happens, a blood-thirsty horde arrives. The impending attack will destroy all that they have worked for.
To protect her home and everything she believes in, Leo puts her faith in the arms of the enemy - a creature only rumored to exist - the one she calls Halloween. An alliance born out of necessity evolves into feelings Leo is ill-equipped to handle.
The Dead Days Journal is a post-apocalyptic story of love and family told through Leo Marrok’s first-hand account and the pages of Vincent’s personal journal, giving two very different perspectives on what it takes to survive.
Note: Mature themes, adult language, sexual situations, violence and gore. 18+
Excerpt
“Let me go!”
Halloween slung me over his shoulder and ran in the wrong direction. I screamed for Ben and beat my fists against Halloween, but he moved too fast. The continuous jerks and bumps from Halloween’s hasty retreat made it difficult for me to lift my head.
I knew Ben could have gotten off a shot, but I was a flopping sack of laundry over the vampire’s left shoulder, blocking the majority of his target. I was the only reason Ben hadn’t pulled the trigger.
Bracing my hands against Halloween’s lower back, I pushed up to get a look at Ben. Instead I caught a glimpse of a blurry black streak careening through the night woods.
Holy shit!
Instinctually I brought my hands up to shield my head as I curled my body tightly over Halloween’s thick mass. A half a second later the streak hit us with the force of a tornado. Tumbling end over end, I felt the hot scrape of the ground against my side followed by a swift breeze to cool the pain away.
Huge clawed-hands pulled at me while another pair seemed to be digging straight through me. The pain was excruciating. I wanted to scream but refused to give them the satisfaction. I kept quiet and listened to the sounds of tearing fabric and ripping flesh.
In the dark woods, I couldn’t make out one from the other. Are there only two? I caught glimpses of slick black-grey skin and instant flashes of blood-stained nails and fangs. Through all the twisting, pulling, and pain I made eye contact for a brief second with one of my attackers - wide round eyes with a murderous-red glare.
Then there was a soft click followed by a shotgun blast, and the torture was over. My body dropped a short distance to a soft moss-covered mound of earth. I pinched my lips together to keep the screams inside. But when I moved to alleviate some of the pressure off my side, I failed to keep quiet. Cries ripped from my lungs as my mutilated body turned and stretched to obtain a seated position.
Before inspecting the considerable damage I’d endured, I made sure another attack wasn’t coming. Moving slowly, I turned only my head to see who - or what - had ended the chaos. A full moon hung high over the tiny patch of field spotlighting the standoff between Ben, Jack, and Halloween. While Ben aimed his rifle at Halloween’s chest, Jack’s pistol was pressed against Ben’s temple. Halloween’s deadly hands contained my skinning knife.
Praise for the Book
"I love this book, its themes of family and survival, its execution, and its unique cast of characters. The Dead Days Journal offers a new slant on what it takes to survive in a ravaged world. In this tale of heartbreak, twisted ideals, and monsters, Sandra R. Campbell has envisioned a future where the 'right thing to do' is not a black and white issue, but a very dark gray. It’s a journey fraught with peril, both from the outside and from within. The reader witnesses what is a mostly-thriving community making its way suddenly descend into all-or-nothing survival, and the choices that must be made to protect one’s own life - and maybe the ones you love. The author does a phenomenal job of showing how family ties can weave together beyond the bond of biology, and also shows how all it takes is one snag to pull loose the threads of a tight-knit community." ~ gogalgodes
" ... it makes the reader wonder who the real villain is. In any story of the apocalypse there are always threats and dangers. We never know who they are and where they came from, but The Dead Days Journal really made you ask yourself, who is the real monster? [...] Overall, the story was entertaining. There were a few places where I found that things moved a bit too quickly, but it didn’t take away from the flow of the story. I, for one, will be looking forward to following Leo and Orrin’s story." ~ Greg a 2 Book Lovers Reviews
About the Author
Sandra R. Campbell lives along the tranquil waters of the Chesapeake Bay with her husband and weight challenged cat. She can trace her passion for the macabre back to reading Edgar Allan Poe as a child, with her pet crow, Big Fellow, by her side. She has since submerged herself in a wide range of dark literature.
An avid thrill seeker, Sandra is always looking for her next big adrenaline rush, and when spelunking, diving and monster hunting fails to deliver, she turns to the creation of through-the-rabbit-hole worlds and sends her characters on their own adventures.
Sandra also writes children's stories, is a member of the Maryland Writers' Association, the head of a M.W.A. critique group, and the founder and co-author of Waterfrontwriters.com.
Giveaway
Enter the giveaway for a chance to win an ebook copy of The Dead Days Journal: Volume 1 by Sandra R. Campbell. The prize will be sent out after 28 April.
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