BooksChatter: ☀ℚ End of Day: The Zero Trilogy [3]

Thank you for joining us for the Release Day Party for End of Day, a Dystopian Sci-Fi novella by Summer Lane (9 October 2015, Summer Lane, 144 pages).

This is the third and last book in the The Zero Trilogy series.

PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis and excerpt below, as well as the promotional Q& with author Summer Lane. Read the first chapter with Amazon Look Inside.

Summer Lane will be awarding a Touchscreen 6" Kindle, or 2 Autographed Collectible Cards to a randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour.

Synopsis | Teaser | The Series | Author Q&A | About the Author | Giveaway

Synopsis

The end has come.

Elle Costas and her dog, Bravo, have survived the dangers of Hollywood and escaped the clutches of Slaver Territory. The apocalypse has been cruel, and the wasteland of California has forced them to seek shelter in a civilian refugee camp at a place called Bear Mountain.

Here, they meet Cheng, a mysterious boy with the skills of a samurai, and Luli, a steampunk warrior with a thirst for vengeance. But friends cannot always be trusted. When a horrific tragedy befalls Bear Mountain, Elle and Bravo come face to face with their most dangerous enemy yet.

Betrayal and heartbreak threaten to destroy the bonds of friendship. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Run, or be caught. Kill, or be killed. Fight, or be forced to surrender.

The end of the day will change everything. Will Elle and Bravo survive?

The explosive, thrilling conclusion to the #1 Bestselling Zero Trilogy by Summer Lane.

Teaser: Excerpt

Prologue

      “Whoa,” the girl said. “Hold up.”
      She stopped and crouched, the cool breeze ruffling her black hair. A red scar sliced down her cheek. The night was dark. The silence of the lower foothills was stifling. All around her, there were fields of grass and abandoned cattle pastures. The mountains rose up in the distance, huge, impressive peaks against the infinite sky.
      A dog followed the girl. He stopped when she stopped. She held her hand up and made a patting motion, bringing her palm down. The dog crouched, too. They sat quietly in the tall grass at the bottom of a small foothill. About two hundred yards away, an empty stretch of Highway 180 wound into the hills. It was lonely and desolate.
      But that was not what the girl was watching.
      She slowly turned around. She searched the ridgeline of the foothill, looking for any sign of movement. She had been sure something was following them. The dog could sense it, too.
      The scent is there, the dog said. But it keeps disappearing.
      The girl frowned. This was bad.
      “Man or animal?” the girl asked.
      The dog sniffed the air.
      Human.
      She had begun to notice a tingling sensation on the back of her neck. It was not just superstition or worry. She had sensed the presence of another living creature. It had been just her and the dog for a couple of days now, and it was easy for her to pinpoint an intrusion.
      Something was following them.
      Somebody.
      “We’ll keep moving,” the girl said.
      The dog growled deep in his throat.
      I don’t like this.
      “Neither do I.”
      They had to keep going. Time was running out.
      The girl stood and moved through the tall grass, staying in theshadows. The dog walked beside her, stoic and vigilant, occasionally pausing to sniff the air. The girl’s feet were sore. A lightweight sword was strapped across her back. Her clothing was dark. The dog was a German Shepherd, tall and strong, his coat a swirl of caramel and dark tones.
      The two companions were barely more than whispers in the darkness, moving with all the silence and stealth of the wind.
      “We’re close,” the girl whispered. “Maybe two miles.”
      It’s about time. The dog moved ahead of her. I’m hungry.
      “I know. Me too.”
      They had been living on meager rations for the last couple of days. The dog craved large portions of protein – his instinct to hunt for meat was overwhelmingly strong. But they were close to arriving at their destination. They just had to hang on.
      They walked for another mile.
      “There it is again,” the girl whispered. She whirled around, searching for movement. Again, there was nothing. She shook herself. “Am I imagining it? Are we both getting delusional?”
      The dog huffed.
      My nose never lies.
      The dog rumbled a predatory growl. The girl’s hand flew to the sword on her back. She whipped it from the sheath and held it en garde.
      There was a line of bushes and trees before them. The foliage was clustered around a creek bed. Several figures emerged from the shadows, tall and ominous in the darkness. The dog barked low, a warning.
      The girl scanned the figures and made an assessment.
      Four men and three women. Uniforms. Guns. Aggressive.
      The girl held the sword tightly. The dog maintained his defensive stance beside her.
      “Put your weapon down and tell your dog to relax.” It was a man’s voice. He was standing in the center of the lineup of enemies. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
      The girl didn’t move.
      “You expect me to believe that?” she demanded.
      These people could be anything. Slavers, bandits, robbers…
      “We’ve been sent from Bear Mountain Military Camp to retrieve you,” the man went on. He lowered his gun. “Sector Twenty-Seven told us you were coming.”
      The girl loosened her grip on the sword, swallowing.
      “Prove it,” she said.
      “Your name is Elle Costas,” he went on in his gravelly voice. “That’syour bomb dog Bravo, formerly the partner to Lieutenant Nathan Ingalls, Marine.”
      “Why would they send you?” she asked, hesitating.
      “Because we’re the good guys,” the man replied. “We don’t hurt good people. We help them.”
      The girl slowly lowered the sword.
      “I’m Lieutenant Felix,” the man went on. As the moon crested above the ridgeline, his face became visible. He was young, fair-haired, blue-eyed, and handsome.
      “You’ve been waiting for me,” the girl stated.
      “Yes. We knew you’d be here soon. We’ve been searching for you, actually.” He paused. “We wanted to make sure you made it alive.”
      “We can take care of ourselves.” She glanced at the dog. “We’re here for a reason, Lieutenant.”
      “Yes, you’re here to find your uncle.” Felix waved his hand, and the rest of the men and women in his group lowered their weapons. “We can help you with that.”
      The girl and the dog exchanged a glance.
      “If you’re lying,” the girl warned, “we’ll kill you.”
      Felix smiled.
      He replied, “I would expect nothing less.”

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Author Q&A

Does writing post-apocalyptic fiction make you want to be more prepared for an emergency or disaster?

"Naturally! Because I’m constantly writing about survival situations, I can’t help but think about how I need to be prepared for an emergency. I walk into a store and think, “If something crazy happens right now, how am I going to react? Will I survive?”

So dramatic, I know. But I can’t help it! My head is ALWAYS in the world of the apocalypse, because I’m always working on my series. By extension, I would say that a good ninety percent of my dreams for the last three years have revolved around the end of the world. Staying alive. Hiding in bunkers under the ground, or escaping the zombie apocalypse. I can’t say that I’m sorry, because I really love writing about survival scenarios."

Who is your favorite character in The Zero Trilogy?

"Without a doubt, my favorite character is Bravo. I love his selfless nature and his heroic actions. He’s a true role model for me. I didn’t create him – he created himself, and he’s based on the true inspiration of real heroic canines everywhere who work in the military and in law enforcement."

What’s next for you?

"Now that I’ve finished this trilogy, I’m working on the seventh installment of The Collapse Series, and beginning a new trilogy starring Bravo. I am so in love with his story, it’s not even funny. I think everyone will love it, because everyone has heard about the apocalypse from the viewpoint of people – but how about the dog? The way he sees the collapse of the world might be so different than how we see it! "

What are your favorite post-apocalyptic book, TV show and movie?

"You know, I get asked this question a lot. It’s really hard for me to choose just one favorite! The Road, by Cormac McCarthy is definitely in my top five favorite novels, and so is World War Z by Max Brooks. My favorite post-ap show is The Walking Dead. The zombies terrify the heck out of me, but I watch it for the character development and the outstanding post-apocalyptic sets. Robert Kirkman and Scott Gimple are brilliant.

I’m not sure that I have a favorite post-ap movie. I do sincerely enjoy the Resident Evil films and The Book of Eli. Modernly, The Maze Runner and Scorch Trials are excellent looks into that genre. Movies are bringing it to life better than ever these days."

The Series: The Zero Trilogy

Day Zero | Day One |

The Zero Trilogy is a novella series complementing the international bestselling Collapse Series. Click on the book cover to Look Inside the book on Amazon and read an excerpt.

Day Zero [1]

Elle is a survivor.

Since the collapse of modern society, she's been living in the remains of downtown Hollywood, California, foraging for food and fighting for her life.

And then everything changes.

After she is forced out of her home, she heads north. What she finds is a group of bunker survivors, unlikely comrades, and the hope of a safe haven. Together, they journey toward the dregs of civilization, facing starvation, imprisonment and death.

They are alone, but they are ready.

Day Zero begins today.

[Published 10 October 2014, 168 pages]

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Day One [2]

The apocalypse took everything from Elle: her family, her world and now...her friends. After escaping the ravaged streets of Los Angeles, Elle finds herself stranded alone in California when her friends are kidnapped by a new and dangerous enemy. Determined to rescue them from a horrible fate, Elle begins her trek across the unforgiving desert, into the mountains, and into Slaver Territory.

All is not what it seems. Death lurks around every corner. Enemies are everywhere. With the help of a new and brave companion, Elle fights against all odds, clinging to hope and life.

Day Zero is behind her. Day One is before her.

The end of the world is just beginning.

[Published 16 March 2015, 112 pages]

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About the Author

Summer Lane is the author of the international bestselling Collapse Series and Zero Trilogy.

She owns WB Publishing and Writing Belle, an online magazine dedicated to the Art of Storytelling.

Summer is also an accomplished creative writing teacher and professional journalist.

Summer lives in the Central Valley of California, where she spends her days writing, teaching, and writing some more. When she is not writing, she enjoys leisurely visits with friends at coffee shops, movie dates, reading and spending the day at the beach or mountains.

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