Day by Day Armageddon

Review "There is zombie fiction and then there is crawl-out-of-the-grave-and-drag-you-to-hell zombie fiction. Day by Day Armageddon is hands down the best zombie book I have ever read." --Brad Thor, #1 New York Times Best Selling Author From the Author The Day by Day Armageddon project started on a simple pad of paper and from there propagated the universe of worldwide undead devastation.  J.L. Bourne intended the original work to appear as if it were hand written--very raw and realistic.  He began uploading his work piece by piece to the Internet as a serial depicted as a simple serial of journal entries.  The online journal was intended to immerse the reader into the world that was Day by Day Armageddon--J.L. Bourne's vision of one man, on the run from billions of undead, surviving against all odds.  After months of posting regular serial updates, Bourne began the laborious task of writing the novel version of the underground online cult phenomenon.  Suspecting that a traditional publisher might alter his work and take away the raw feel of the journal outlining the fall of humanity, Bourne originally published his work non-traditionally and unconventionally.  He wanted the story out there for everyone to enjoy.  He wanted it untouched, as a real post-apocalyptic journal might be. He was quoted as saying, "there are no publishers or editors in the apocalypse."  Several publishers contacted Bourne before he was approached by Permuted Press.  The two quickly came to an agreement and went to work.  The first edition was re-mastered to the underground cult classic it is today.  Handwritten notes, underlines, scribbles, random thoughts and other unique markings gave the journal a chillingly realistic (or was it surrealistic?) feel.  Day by Day Armageddon has since propagated massive interest among fans of post-apocalyptic and zombie fiction.   As a result if his cult success, J.L. Bourne was approached by Simon & Schuster on the prospect of joining up with their Pocket/Gallery Books divisions to release Day by Day Armageddon to the mainstream.  It was not long until Day by Day Armageddon was headed to the printing press on a 50,000 copy first print run.  Since that time it has seen many, many printings.  The sequel to the original cult classic aptly named, Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile is the wildly successful follow-up to Bourne's first novel.  Go ahead, click the Buy Now button, but first, lock your doors. About the Author J.L. Bourne is a commissioned military officer and acclaimed author of the horror series Day by Day Armageddon, and the dystopian thriller, Tomorrow War . With twenty years of active military and intelligence community service behind him, J.L. brands a realistic and unique style of fiction. He lives on the Gulf Coast but is sometimes spotted toting a rifle and a Bowie knife in the rural hills of Arkansas where he grew up. Visit him at JLBourne.com before the grid goes dark. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Day by Day Armageddon By J. L. Bourne Permuted Press Copyright © 2009 J. L. BourneAll right reserved. ISBN: 9781439176672 In the Beginning... January 1st 0358 hrs Happy New Year to me. After a drunken night of fun, I sobered up and headed back home. I am so tired and bored of being home on vacation. I'm thankful for the break in training but Arkansas gets old quick. All my good friends are still drinking the same beer and doing the same thing. I will be extremely happy to get back home to San Antonio. New Year's resolution: start keeping a journal. January 2nd 1100 hrs My hangover is finally gone. I like to watch the news when I am near a television, but out here at my parent's house it seems that all they get are the local channels. I'm not going to attempt to try the dial up connection, as it will only frustrate me to the point of madness. I guess I will just check my e-mail when I get home. It seems that something is going on in China; the local news reported some type of influenza virus sweeping them over there. The flu season was bad here this year. I received my flu shot on base, avoiding the shortages of vaccine. I'm glad I get to go home tomorrow and get re-connected with my nice high speed Internet connection and digital cable. My damn cell phone doesn't even work in this desolate place. The worst thing about being here is knowing I'm going to have to do a lot of flying to get back up to speed. When I signed up for naval aviation I didn't think it was going to involve constant work and studying just to stay competent. January 3rd 0609 hrs My grandmother called this morning to tell mom that we were going to war with China and to try to talk me into going to Canada to desert the military. I honestly think my grandmother has lost it. I turned on the news half expecting to see some kind of bullshit trade embargo deal with China. The news went on to say that President Bush has agreed to send medical military personnel over to China for consultation purposes only. Makes me wonder, what do we have in America that a big bad country like China would need? They have all the natural resources anyone would want. I keep thinking I may have kept a light on in my house back in San Antonio. I have two small solar cell panels on my roof but I am wired to the electric grid. I just use the panels to sell electricity back to the utility company when I'm away on deployment. They have already paid for themselves. January 5th 2004 hrs After a nice ten-hour drive from NW Arkansas, I made it home yesterday. I received a satellite radio for Christmas and activated it for my trip home. I listened to BUZZ, or FOX all the way home with some music from my MP3 player thrown in every now and then. Wish I would have thought to hook the satellite radio up at my parent's house because I am almost certain that it would have worked out there even though it's in the middle of nowhere. This China situation is starting to heat up. The news reports that we have lost over ten medical personnel to this China "bug." The other "military consultants" that are still in China are going to have to be quarantined prior to getting back to the United States. Talk about a pain in the ass. You go over there to help someone out and all you get in return is a prison sentence. Today was not a bad Monday. Had to go fly a few sorties for training. The EP-3 is basically a C-130 with a lot of antennas. It's somewhat non-maneuverable, but it can receive some valuable data from 20,000 feet. My friend in Groton, CT called today. Bryce is a Navy submarine officer. He really helped me out on a great deal on salvage parts off the old diesel boats when I was installing those panels in my house a few years back. He said that he was finally getting a divorce, she admitted to cheating on him. I kind of had a feeling about this girl, but I never said anything. Don't think it would have mattered if I did. We talked about this China thing for a long time and he seems to think it's some bad flu bug. I kind of think the same thing. January 9th 1023 hrs TGIF. My mother called today on my cell worried asking me if I knew anything about what's going on overseas. I had to once again explain to my mother that just because I'm an officer in the Navy does not mean that I know who killed JFK or what happened in Roswell, NM. I love my mom, she just drives me nuts. I comforted her the best I could but something just isn't right. This nonsense is getting too much coverage in the news. I know the reporters smell a rat by the questions that they are asking FEMA and the Whitehouse and Homeland Defense. The President made a speech (only available on AM band radio, probably to avoid to much publicity) and told the people that there is nothing to worry about and that the Army/Navy medical team in China had to send one of our doctors home because he was too ill to be left with the inadequate care/facilities in the location he was in. Another strange thing is that my squadron was scheduled to go to Atsugi, Japan next month for training in the Pacific and it was cancelled. I asked my skipper about it, he just told me that they were trying not to take any chances with anything, and that there were rumors of "sick persons" in Honshu, Japan area. He gave me the nod and told me not to worry. Something doesn't sound right about this whole thing and it's starting to mess with my mind. I have a feeling I might want to go to the store and get some bottled water and things of that nature. January 10th 0700 hrs Not much sleep for me last night. I kept the news on all night just in case I missed anything. "I can assure the American people that we are taking every effort to contain this epidemic within the borders of China." Go ahead; say it in your best southern accent. I went to Wal-Mart today and bought a few things just in case I had to stay indoors to avoid getting sick. I bought some bottled water, canned beef stew and went by the base to chat with my supply friend at the warehouse. He told me that he could part with a few cases of MREs for a new nomex flight suit. Didn't bother me, I have a couple dozen of them. I picked out one of my lesser-worn flight suits and brought it to him. At least I will have a little variety in my diet if I need to stay home despite the fact that MREs are not an optimum bug out food because of how much they weigh and the excess space taken up by the packaging. Vance (my supply connection) informed me he saw on an online government invoice, that a few thousand cases of MRE food were shipped to NORAD and a few other locations in the northwest. I asked him if it were normal, and he told me that these facilities haven't requested this much of a food supply since the Cuban missile crisis. I am thinking that if this is serious enough for the big wigs to want to lock themselves up for a few months it is more serious than I thought. 1042 hrs I unloaded my "meals ready to eat" and noticed that one of the packages was busted. The smell of "Case A" MRE filled the air and reminded me of all of them that I had eaten when on station in the Arabian Gulf area on a ridiculous ground assignment. I hated it over there. It was so damn hot all the time, and when I had to embark on the ship it didn't make it any better. I checked my battery bank and all six batteries were in the green. Made me think of Bryce, and the "steal" I got on those old submarine batteries. Back when submarines were diesel and not nuclear, they ran on batteries when under the water and when they surfaced they charged the batteries with a diesel generator. Some countries still use the old diesel boats. I thought this was a good idea, however, charging them with solar panels takes considerably longer, ten hours instead of three but the sun is free. I miss my sisters, Jenny and Mandy. I haven't seen much of them since I have been in the service; they have sort of grown up on me. I called my dad's house and spoke to Jenny, the youngest. She was still half asleep when I called. I used to pick on her badly when she was little. Oh well, I love the little shit, and it builds character. Mandy is living back home, until she can get back on her feet again. Mandy has never been one to open up and talk to me about anything. I wish things would have been different, or that we would have been closer in our childhood. I really need to clean my guns. Especially my CAR-15, she is really dirty. Might as well clean my pistols while I'm at it. While I'm on the subject, a few hundred rounds for the carbine is not a bad idea since it's so cheap. I don't exactly like looters, and if any of this quarantine shit comes this way, I want to be on the ball. 1436 hrs Ok, I'm starting to worry, the Atlanta Center for Disease Control has reported a case of this "disease" at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. Since there are no communists here to hush the news, the report got out. Apparently this disease causes the victim to lose some motor function, and also makes the victim seem to act erratic. I called in to the squadron to ask some questions. They told me that it's possible we might get Monday off so the Department of Defense can assess the threat to armed forces personnel inside the United States. My mother also called about the news report and told me that the Bethesda Naval Hospital was the same hospital that they took Kennedy to when he was shot. I laughed at my mom's conspiracy theory attitude and told her to look after her husband (my stepfather) and try to avoid town if they already have enough supplies to stay put. I'm off to the local H.E.B. grocery store to get some stores, oh yeah, bought a thousand rounds for the carbine. Had to go to a few different stores to get them all. No one wanted to sell me that much all at once. It was probably some kind of liberal law that I didn't know about causing the red tape, or it could be a worried gun shop owner conserving some for himself and trying to keep his customers happy at the same time. Almost out the door when I got the call to get in uniform and report to squadron H.Q. More to come. 1912 hrs Just got back from my meeting at my squadron on base. I'm a little troubled. We got word that we have an important mission to fly tomorrow, on a Sunday. Apparently we are to fly recon over Atlanta, actually Decatur, Georgia. We are to focus on a specific area, namely the area around the CDC in Atlanta. It's nothing serious, we are just ordered to be a check and balance for the "G-men" in Washington, to make sure the CDC isn't hiding anything. It is just a photo recon, and signal recon mission. Reminds me of the time I listened to my ex-girlfriend's phone conversation when I was flying training missions around the San Antonio area. I love the signals intelligence (SIGINT) equipment as it saved me a lot of money and time with that woman. Also in the news, one of the reporters was really punking out the Bethesda public affairs officer for not allowing press passage into the hospital to ask the medical personnel questions. O'rielly was asking..."What are you people hiding?" The young officer held her ground and insisted that it was just for the protection of the press corps that no extra personnel be admitted to the hospital, and besides it was not public property, it was a U.S. Government military hospital. Sort of odd that such a low ranking officer would be giving this type of interview. January 11th 1944 hrs I don't know what to think now. We were on station, sent to spy on our own government (CDC) at 0816 this morning. We started tuning our equipment to intercept any cell phone/land line/data transfer in or out of the CDC. I almost couldn't believe some of the things that were being said. There was an FBI agent on board, which is very unusual. During the brief prior to flight he stated it is technically illegal under Posse Comitatus for the military to be deployed inside the United States for official missions. The agent was to be the official mission commander of the aircraft as to circumvent the military from being implicated for breaking any laws by operating inside the US. We were getting broken transmissions between the different CDC compounds about the virus being difficult to contain, and how the director of the CDC doesn't wish to look bad or in a bad light in front of the President.They were being as confidential as possible about this problem. They were using Secure Telephone Units (STU phones), but we had a little help from the National Security Agency so breaking the code was as easy as hitting decrypt on our proprietary software. They went on to say that one of the infected males that they had quarantined had bitten a nurse in a fit of rage when she was trying to feed him. They had strapped him to his bed and put a mouthpiece in his mouth to avoid any further problems. The nurse wasn't doing so well and he had started to run a fever over the last few hours. The CDC voice also said, "Jim, (person on the other end) you wont believe the vital signs we are getting from the male." Jim said, "What do you mean, can you give me specifics?" CDC voice, "no, no specifics over the phone." That is enough to start worrying for me. After we landed, I was forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement then I promptly broke it. I called my parents and told them what I thought they should do, then I started my own preparations. I found out we were not coming in tomorrow and that we were only required to call in by 0800 hrs. I already cleaned up my rifle, so it was time to take care of the pistols. That brings my weapon number up to four firearms and a good knife. Went up on the roof to clean my solar cells, they were dingy and dusty. I also pulled up my notes on switching power from the power grid to submarine batteries, as it might prove useful in the future. I loaded all my magazines (10) for a total of 290 rounds. I never like to load the full thirty per magazine, as this could cause an inadvertent weapon jam. My bottom floor windows are only double pane, so I went to the local super hardware store to purchase some DIY window bars for the two windows I have that are chest level. All others are too high to effectively reach without a ladder. I am going to install them now. I installed the bars using a tape measure, pencil, 5/32 drill bit, and a square head screwdriver (proprietary screwdriver that came with the bars and it's supposed to be difficult to get the screws out without using a drill.) If a looter is good enough to drill out my bars and take my shit while I'm still sleeping, I'll fucking load it on his truck for him. While doing a quick walk around my yard perimeter, I have decided that my rock wall is not nearly high enough. Any ablebodied man could easily jump it. I had the wall built with the house. I have broken some bottles that I had in the spare room and I used some bonding cement to glue the shards around the top of my wall perimeter every foot or so. At least it might slow someone down. I was listening to my headset radio while I worked and now that I am more informed, I can only see the situation getting worse. The radio says that the president is issuing a statement in the morning at 0900 EST. Down the street in the distance I can see a family packing up the SUV and leaving. No one takes vacations this time of year so I can only infer that they are bugging out. I'm going to get more supplies tomorrow after I listen to the president's speech and call in to my squadron to check in. January 12th 0934 hrs All I can say is, wow. The President pretty much said that the disease is highly contagious and there is no cure at this time. He said that Americans are encouraged to stay indoors and to report anyone with "suspicious symptoms" to the authorities at once. One of the press cronies managed to get a question in and asked, "Mr. President! Mr. President! Could you please elaborate on suspicious symptoms?" The President replied that we should be on the look out for person or persons acting wildly and looking ill. He also said, "It is extremely important that if any of our family members have these symptoms it is paramount that you give them no special treatment, turn them in just as you would a stranger with the same symptoms." A 1-800 number flashed on the screen and he then said: "I urge you to call this number in the event that there are any outbreak symptoms in your community. We have specially trained men and women to handle the situation, we will take your loved ones to a suitable medical facility for treatment." The President also said that he is ordering a full withdrawal of American military and civilians in China and Iraq. He commented that he was considering withdrawing troops from the DMZ in South Korea. A video clip played in the background showing the U.S. Embassy in China being evacuated under the close supervision of heavily armed U.S. Marines. One of the clips showed three Marines taking down the American flag to signify that the embassy was officially decommissioned. A scene not unlike the fall of Saigon flashed on to the screen. There were mobs of U.S. citizens being evacuated via helicopter from a random rooftop in Beijing. There were sounds of automatic weapons in the background but the people on the roof didn't seem concerned, they just wanted out. I'm off to get supplies. 1522 hrs It was a total mad house. I got into an accident in the parking lot at the hardware store, and some lady almost fought me for the (4) five gallon barrels of water that I bought at Wal-Mart. I also bought some more 9mm rounds while I was there. I am happy that I have a few cases of MREs and enough water to sustain me in case this gets worse. I also bought some cheap throwaway facemask to wear in case there are any outbreaks at my location. I bought what was left on the shelf in the canned goods section. I purchased fifty cans of different soups. I can't believe this. I haven't felt this surreal since 9/11. My parents are safe out in the hills of Arkansas, I advised them to stay home and don't go into town for anything. They always have a freshly stocked freezer, and water is not an issue since they use well water. They have a small generator for electricity in the winter when the power lines freeze and break. I bought some hardware at one of the major hardware chains; some boards for general purpose and some heavy steel brackets and bolts to install a primitive barricade on my front and back doors. It was just a simple 4x4 board sliding into a rest on the inside of my door to keep anyone from smashing their way in. I think that if I ration myself to one liter per day and 1000-1500 calorie diet, I could last for at least five months on my current supply of food. I also turned on the citizen band radio today to see who was on. I selected channel nineteen to hear what the truckers had to say about all this. They were generally angry about all the roadblocks and cargo searches they were experiencing. Apparently the CDC and INS were concerned about semi trucks carrying a truckload of illegal immigrants in the trailer over the border. Something about it not being safe and that they had an incident of a case of this bug when an INS agent opened gate to the back of another trucker's trailer. According to what I was hearing, they had to quarantine the whole truck and the agent on duty because every damn person in the back was infected and one of the infected immigrants attacked the agent, probably scared of going back to Mexico. I'm going to call one of my Marine buddies out in San Diego to see what he is doing about all this. 1854 hrs I just got off the phone with my buddy Shep in the Marines. He said that there were armed National Guardsmen on the street corners in San Diego and that he was being called in to be a part of his base's security team. He told me that he was told to move his wife on base to the cold war shelter that was being reopened and that they were going to close the gates and quarantine the base in the event that there was an outbreak in that area. The sun is down now. I have motion sensor lights on my house around the perimeter. In the event a looter sneaks over and tries to steal anything, at least the light will go on. When I go to sleep tonight, I will sleep with the Glock under my pillow and the CAR-15 next to my bed. The news is going on about reports of strange phenomenon reported in the major cities, apparently some cases of cannibalism have been reported. That is America for you. The shit hits the fan and everyone goes crazy. Since I happen to live in the outskirts of the eighth largest city in the nation, this news isn't good news. I hear police and ambulance sirens going up and down the street outside my wall. I'm hungry but I have already had too much to eat today. Celery fits the bill I suppose. 2113 hrs CNN is reporting with a web camera in Times Square. Apparently they own it and the feds haven't thought to have it shut down. They are panning it around and the grainy images are showing armed military troops shooting civilians. Damn, there are going to be some lawsuits over this one. The image was quickly cut-off by the emergency broadcast system. After a few minutes the picture came in as the Secretary of Homeland Defense stepped up to a podium marked with the seal of the President. "America, I'm sorry to report that despite our best efforts, this disease has broken the bonds of our containment measures. It is no longer safe to inhabit larger cities. Safe zones are being set up on the outskirts of high population areas and will be open to those not infected with this disease. Please try to remain calm, as what I'm about to say will sound quite abominable. This disease is reportedly transmitted by the bite from one of the infected. We are not sure if this is linked to saliva, blood or both. The infected soon succumb to their wound and expire, only to rise within the hour and seek out living humans. It is not known why those who die of natural causes are returning; however this is also the case. I apologize that the President could not be here, as he is being transferred to a secure location. May God be with us all in this trying time. I now turn you over to General Meyers." As soon as the Homeland Defense Secretary began to close his folder, he was bombarded with questions from the press corps below the stage. It was more like Wall Street trading than a press conference. Even though you couldn't see the crowd of press in front of the podium, you could feel them there by the ambient noise, camera flashes, and garbled voices. One of the particularly alarming question and answer included one of the reporters asking how the Secretary knew the creatures were dead or if they were merely infected with a disease. The Secretary replied by saying, "Living humans don't have ambient body temperatures that match the ambient air temperature. This morning we locked one of the creatures in a lab reefer. We have recorded a sustained body temperature at 40 degrees Fahrenheit for over twelve hours and counting." The crowd gasped at this in disbelief and more questions poured toward the podium. "What are the chances of being infected by a bite?" The secretary took a deep breath and said, "So far the communicability of this disease is one hundred percent post-attack if the skin is broken by a bite." I can't fucking believe this is happening. I am calling my family. 2200 hrs After trying to call for over thirty minutes, I realized that that's exactly what everyone else in the United States is doing. The phone lines can't handle that kind of usage. I tried my mobile phone. Same results. "Network busy." I also listened to what the General had to say during my redial attempts. "The best defense in this situation is to remain in your home and await the evacuation teams. Avoid infected personnel at all costs. If you are forced into an altercation with one of these individuals, the only thing that will have effect is trauma to the cranium. If you are unfortunate enough to be forced to defend yourself from a loved one, do so with same vigilance you would a stranger, as that is what he or she is. Try your best to avoid getting bitten as there is no way to avoid infection by these means. The reports coming in from our troops returning from China indicate that the creatures are primarily attracted to loud noises. It seems they use this as a primary method for finding prey. I must stress that it is in your best interest to remain indoors and to remain quiet and calm. Our best guess from our CIA human intelligence (HUMINT) operators on the ground in China is that the disease has been rampant in China for more than three weeks and they are in a state of disaster. If we don't do things differently than the Chinese did we could be doomed to the same fate." The General was then ushered off the podium and given a stern glance by one of the civilian government officials. What followed next was an attempt by one of the speakers to apply a calm tone to what the General had relayed. I'm scared...I really don't know what else to do other than turn the lights out sit here and write...my rifle is slung over my shoulder even as I sit here...There is a knock at the door. Back soon... 2350 hrs One of my fellow officers from the squadron came over to tell me about the rumors he had heard from Jake, our mutual friend when Jake had returned from a mission over one of the outbreak areas in Atlanta, GA. During the mission Jake said that he had seen numerous infected corpses walking the streets in the south part of town. He said he could see the stray dogs barking at them in the streets and watched as the infected tried to lunge at the dogs. He was using the camera pod to digitally zoom in. To him it seemed like some of the younger gang members were trying to take law into their own hands by shooting the infected corpses. From what my friend said, Jake was as white as a ghost when he landed, not believing what his eyes had transmitted to his brain. Chris, my midnight visitor was scared from what Jake had told him, I could see it in his eyes. He asked if I wanted to come with him and stay on the base in the shelter that they had organized. I knew what he was talking about. On the base there are numerous cold war bomb shelters still active and mostly being used to store civil defense food and water and various medical supplies. I looked at Chris and told him that he would be ok, just keep a level head and watch his back. I told him that I was going to stay here alone and try to keep out of view of anybody and anything. He asked me if I was sure, I told him yes. He left and I'm tired. Going to lock it up and watch some news then TRY to get some sleep. I still can't believe this. Part of me wants to see for myself, part of me wants to just hide under the table with my guns and shiver. January 13th 1143 hrs No sleep came for me last night. I kept hearing police and ambulance sirens and fire trucks. Very disturbing. Thought I could hear gunshots in the distance, but it could have been vehicle backfire. Got out of bed at 0500 hrs. Went to the garage to get the florescent bulbs for perimeter and inside lights. I normally use regular bulbs because they are a little brighter, but given my situation, I may have to temporarily live off solar/battery power if any fires knock out the transformers or power grid. The news is only portraying death doom and destruction. The news is now saying that every major city is reporting cases of the dead walking. This morning I began boarding up all my windows, even the ones that are not on ground level. I also boarded up the two vulnerable windows that I recently installed bars on, just in case. I feel pretty safe about the windows. I put the efficient bulbs on my perimeter lights. Disadvantage: It takes them a couple of seconds to come on when the motion sensor trips. Advantage: Will not drain my deep-cycle batteries as quickly. I'm concerned about my safety, but I am taking every precaution to ensure that I am doing ok. I'm making a new section for supplies so that I can keep track of the amount of water and food I am consuming. I also checked the acid level of my batteries. They are good to go. Should last through this, unless...well I don't want to go there in my mind right now. 1555 hrs I finally got through to my Mother and Stepfather (Dad). Mom was hysterical. I had to talk to dad to get any words in. He told me that things were fine and that they were as safe as possible. They hadn't seen any signs of the disease, but told me that there were reports in town of possible outbreak (10 miles away). They had the guns and dogs ready for looters if the situation should arise. I asked dad what his plans were if things got too bad at home. He said that he and mom and the dogs would probably head out to Fincher cave if things got too bad. It is just a small cave that I used to play in when I was young. Old man Fincher used to threaten to shoot me with his rock salt loaded twelve gauge if I kept trespassing in his cave without my parents. That seems like ages ago. I was only twelve then. I told them that I would stay in touch as long as the lines were up. It was no use with the cell phone as it was already dead. The high maintenance services would be the first to go. 1910 hrs The lights were flickering today. Not a normal occurrence here. I was cleaning my rifle when it happened. I thought they were going to go out, but they held. Sirens and gunshots can be heard in the wind. That sums most of the sounds I heard today. After I got of the phone with my family (decided to call my Dad, no answer), I also started preparations to keep my house from looking too inhabited. I took the staple gun and some extra blankets and gunned them over my re-enforced windows to make sure no ambient light gets out when I check the TV for news or turn on a light, or use my computer. I have a couple old batteries left over from my last laptop. Not the same model as my Apple, but I could get it to work with some electrical wire if I had to. I'm just thinking worse case. I used some duct tape and wired my web cam to overlook my front yard so instead of opening curtains to look outside, I could just look in my screen. When my computer is in sleep mode (clamshell closed), I can't even see the needles move on my drain gauge of my battery bank. I had to use my extra USB cable from my printer, but who really cares about printing anything at a time like this. It's not like I'm going to be printing pizza coupons. I sent out some e-mails but got them all back. There were numerous error messages stating that server (insert random IP) was down. It's dark here now. I would get my camera out and take a picture outside my upstairs window. I'm just too scared. 2319 hrs I woke up to the sounds of gunshots nearer this time and turned the cam on. Looks like a green Army transport truck parked under a street light on the corner in front of my house. There are soldiers loading a body in the back of the truck. I have to sleep tonight. Perimeter is secure...I just took the risk of taking an off-the-shelf sleep aid (just 1/2 dose) to try to cut the edge off. The news says that martial law is in effect in the inner city. I'm on the outskirts. It could be put into effect here too if these Army guys keep showing up. Oh yeah, I got a call from the squadron today, I didn't answer. It was my Executive Officer telling me I had to report to the shelter and to call him immediately upon receipt of his message. Yeah right, fuck you sir...feeling the effects of sleepiness... January 14th 0815 hrs I fell asleep to the sound of ocean tides on my mp3 player. I turned it up to drown out some of the noise. Woke up around 0300 to take a piss. I actually forgot what was going on. It reminded me of my childhood and early adulthood when something bad would happen, like a death in the family. There were brief moments of levity where my mind would forget the tragedy and then the cold hard facts would hit me. The second my hand reached out to turn on the television the tragedy returned to my conscious thought. I watched as endless talking heads were giving their theory on the cause and effect. The stock market is to the point of non-recovery. The Coast Guard's helicopter fleet has been reassigned inland to aid law enforcement and military personnel evacuate some of the harder hit areas. A news clip that really got to me in particular, showed a group of survivors on a rooftop in San Diego. The helicopter was circling the roof of the building and I could see the wind from the helicopter rotors blowing the people's hair and clothes around. The people were trapped on top of a large air conditioning unit; apparently they had climbed up there to escape their pursuers (a dozen walking corpses). A particular shocking image was that of a mother and her daughter. The mother had her daughter's mouth taped over and her hands and feet bound. She wasn't one of us anymore. The daughter was dead. The mother just couldn't let go. The poor ignorant woman. I don't know how to react to seeing the world crumble. There are countless cities scrolling by on the news tickers. Even my own city made its way across the bottom of the screen. There are no commercials on the television, only the talking heads. Reporter: "The following scenes display material that is not suitable for young children." The scene showed a group of reporters in their news van driving through downtown Chicago. The camera was pointing to the driver and you could see that he was visibly shaken and trying his best to keep the van on the road. The camera then panned to a frontal view. There are seas of figures in front and on the sides of the van. I could tell the van was moving as quickly as it could. You could hear a male voice crying from the back of the van. The driver did his best to weave in and out, but there were just to many bodies walking into the van to avoid. The camera panned back to the rear seat to get a shot of the female reporter. She said, "As you can see, it would be SUICIDE to enter the city of Chicago, may god help us all." She then made a "cut-throat" gesture and the camera cut out. The screen went back to the reporter. He made a half-hearted statement about hoping they would return safely, all the while trying to keep up a fake smile. I turned off the TV and made my own assessment outside my house. 0900 hrs Perimeter wall: solid Street view: Emergency vehicles only. I see some human figures, but can't tell friend or foe. Threats: I see a fire burning in the distance about a mile up the road. I can tell by direction of smoke that it's blowing away from me. 2212 hrs I came across a post on a survivalist forum online. I guess the news isn't reporting the whole truth. A sailor holding out on a U.S. Naval warship posted today. Apparently he is living off fish and seagulls. I hope he makes it. This just reassures my thought that the government is and will continue to hide the facts. This brings up a question. What government? I haven't seen any representatives of the White House on the TV in over 24 hours. I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon prepping my backpack with a "bug-out" kit, in the event I have to get the fuck out of Dodge, and also filling up the bathtubs in my house. The water hasn't shut off yet so I'm going to start drinking out of the tub to conserve my bottled water. I began rationing food today. Only had a can of stew and a banana. Might as well eat all the fruit now because it will be useless within a week (sans the apples). I checked the perimeter again, and decided that I will keep my flight suit on at all times and remain as camouflaged as possible when I go out. I have a nomex mask and gloves and ten nomex flight suits. I think it's a good idea to wear the flight suit because: 1. They are fireproof, and 2. They are one piece and no hassle, which means less to get snagged on shit if I have to get on the run. The only bad thing is that I need to be in a very safe place if I need to use the head. I fashioned a pretty good washboard from the grill part of my propane grill. Had to wire brush it clean, but it will serve a good purpose in keeping my clothes clean and giving me less of a chance of catching disease or rash. I'm going to shave every other day to save on razors. 2350 hrs I heard movement outside my gates and disabled the motion sensor lights while putting on my mask and gloves. I grabbed my rifle and went outside to investigate the area. I saw a strange man in civilian clothes stumbling up the street bumping into my rock wall at random intervals. Looked a lot like those corpses on the TV (the way he walked). I'm not taking any chances, nor am I going to get "commando" fever. I shall remain silent too avoid being seen or heard by anything alive or dead. Besides, it was too dark to tell whether or not he was alive or dead. I feel like a fucking idiot for not stealing some NVGs from the squadron when I had the chance. They would be handy in this situation. Good night journal. January 15th 2237 hrs I spent the whole day monitoring the situation outside my home. I saw some of the poor bastards shuffling up the street around 1045 this morning. I used my binoculars to get a decent view. Some of the ashen bodies looked normal, some of them not so normal. One of them had its throat torn out. Very unsettling. My phone rang today around noon (it was out momentarily earlier). I had set it to quiet mode a couple days ago. I was sitting next to it, so I decided to pick it up, half expecting it to be one of my superiors wondering why I'm not on the base in the shelter. It was one of my squadron buddies, Jake. We went through Officer Candidate School together. Surprisingly enough, we both picked the same profession, and ended up the same places. He was telling me the situation on base, and I can say that I made a good decision by staying here. He told me that he was sent to pick up some blankets from the base storage units near the west gate. When he arrived he said that the military police were constantly shooting over the fence at the creatures in an effort to weed out some of the mass before it was too much for the gate to handle. A Humvee with a .50 cal was dispatched to deal with the crowd but they had to retreat when the gunner almost got pulled off the vehicle. He said he didn't know how long the gates would hold, but he was sure that they couldn't get by the concrete bomb shelter. I asked him from where he was calling. He told me that he was calling the base's DSN lines (lines strictly for DOD use). He said that the officers were all heavily armed in the bunker and that he thought they had enough food for at least a few weeks. I told him not to worry about me, and that no one knows I'm even here. Instant Karma was playing in the background. That is all for today, journal. January 16th 2200 hrs The phones are dead again. At least the broadband is still working. All the news websites have stopped putting up the nice colorful flash images and are just sticking to basic tickers. I suppose they don't have time to be fancy. I spent the day preparing, loading up some bottled water and one case of MREs to the attic just in case. I also took some plywood from the garage and made a temporary floor up there big enough to sleep on. No emergency vehicles today. The air was thick with smoke from fires in the city. I can see the fires outside now even through the rain. All the lights are off in my house. The electricity kept flickering again today. If the electricity goes out all together, it will take me at least twenty minutes to set up for solar/battery power "off grid." The news isn't even broadcasting live anymore on TV. It's obvious they are controlling the broadcast remotely because all you see are street corner cameras that are only connected to the world through the WWW. Oh, and the tickers on the screen keep rolling by showing government shelter centers. Half of it is misspelled and hastily typed, not unlike this journal. One camera of particular interest was a traffic camera pointing at a random interstate in California. It showed those dead bastards trapped in their vehicles with their seat belts still on trying to scratch and moan their way out. From the looks of it, they died in an accident and came back only to be stuck in a car with no motor skills to unfasten the seatbelt. That makes me feel better, because if they can't un-click the belt, they can't turn the doorknob. Theory: Phones down, Internet up...why? I think it's because most of the lines dealing with the Internet are buried or satellite. Most of the phone lines are above ground and susceptible to fire and weather. January 17th 1424 hrs The sun is out. It is getting hot indoors. I don't want to run the air conditioner out of fear of the noise it will make. Electricity is intermittent. Water pressure is failing. I'm keeping the tubs filled up as I drink water. I'm not risking a shower or bath because I will have to drain the water to do this and I might lose total pressure. Using a bucket and sponge to take a bath. Trying to shave every other day to keep my morale up. The same news keeps flashing on the screen. No reporters in two days. I'm trying to establish a routine as to maintain sanity. In the early AM I am walking the perimeter before the sun rises as to avoid attention from those things. Later in the AM I intend to work out by doing basic calisthenics. I had a real scare this morning. A cat had jumped my fence in order to avoid being killed by one of those things. I didn't think much of it until the cat had ran off and jumped the fence opposite the side it came in on. That's when the thing that was pursuing it decided it wanted to keep up the chase. I could only see its hands as it groped over the fence feeling for the cat. It just kept cutting itself on the broken glass that I had glued there a few days earlier. I guess these things have no fear of pain. I think it got angry because it started beating on my wall. I could hear the thuds from the other side. Let it thud away I suppose it's going to take a lot more than that to tear down my rock wall. There are four or five of them in that area now. They are shambling around. I get a feeling they sense I'm here, but I cannot be sure. If it gets too bad, I will have to deal with them. I was thinking I might get my stepladder and some of my reserve kerosene and put it in my pesticide sprayer. I will climb the ladder and spray them down then light a match and burn them to death, again. It's much quieter than shooting them I suppose. At least this way I will be able to get a good look at one of them. I'm off to make preparations for this. 1600 hrs I cannot begin to describe how disgusting these things look. I am a believer now. They are certainly dead and certainly want me to be dead with them. I quietly went to the garage to get my kerosene, ladder and sprayer. I set the ladder up first. Went over to the section that I thought they were near. I could hear footsteps where I placed the ladder. I wanted so bad to see, but I was scared to look. I went back to the garage, and picked up the rest of my death squad gear. I could have easily shot them, but I don't want to make the noise, or waste the ammunition. I filled the sprayer up and climbed the ladder. First rung...I could see the tops of three of their heads...second rung, they noticed my presence and this awful gurgling moaning sound erupted from one of them. Sounded like, well I don't know what it sounded like. I got to the top of the ladder and there were six of them gathered around my position on the opposite side of the wall. I pumped the canister to get pressure to the sprayer and doused the bastards with kerosene. They were fucking pissed, or hungry, or both, I don't know. I lit a match and threw it at the closest one, no dice, didn't ignite. I repeated this three more times as these vicious things kept clawing at the wall trying to get to me. Finally on the fourth attempt one of them caught fire. I knew I had to stay there on the ladder so I could make them bump into each other and spread the fire. Finally when they were all up in flames, I stepped down from the ladder and put away my gear. I could hear the popping sound of burning fat for the next two hours. I'm glad it had rained for the past few days, or I wouldn't have even thought about doing this. I really have to start making a back up plan in the event I get SNAFU'ed here at my house. 1. They feel no pain. 2. They want to eat me. 3. Fire re-kills them. 4. Not sure about small arms fire yet. 1815 hrs The sun is quickly going down. From my laptop web cam, I can see numerous figures up the street gathering around another house. I wonder if someone is alive in there? I hear birds going crazy in that direction. Not sure what the deal is. I hope if someone is alive in there, they have the common sense to stay quiet, because I really don't want to find out how gunfire affects them just yet. I don't want to be a hero today. I miss the world already. I miss flying. I miss being a Naval officer. I guess I still am, but I'm not sure if there is even a government around to recognize my commission. I sharpened my knife to a honed perfection today. It was sort of a relaxation technique. Also cleaned my carbine, although she didn't need it. A visual inspection was made of all weapons. The solar panels are running efficiently. I dread going on the roof to clean them, because I'm sure I will be spotted. I should do it at night. That's a ways off. I heard the sound of a helicopter today, didn't take the chance to go outside and look even though those things can't spot me from ground level. Maybe they can smell me. It makes me wonder what senses they lost or gained from dying and coming back. I think it probably took longer than normal for the ones that I burned to die, as compared to a normal human. I saw the caps of the flames from my house over the wall stumbling around for at least three minutes. The average human would collapse from pain in less than thirty seconds, I would guess. When it gets dark, I am going to use the LASER sight on my pistol to try to signal the house up the street. At least that way the creatures will not see the signal, only the recipient will if they exist or are even alive. Copyright 2004, 2007 by J. L. Bourne Continues... Excerpted from Day by Day Armageddon by J. L. Bourne Copyright © 2009 by J. L. Bourne. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site. Read more

Training for Sudden Violence: 72 Practice Drills

Review Those of us who teach self-defense have a vital responsibility to ensure that our students can actually use what they learn. The challenge is that we can never know when a student will be forced to apply their skills. It could be today, tomorrow, next year or never. That makes it the instructor's responsibility to make each and every student as competent as possible as quickly as possible. In Drills Rory Miller gives exercises and training philosophy that serve this goal. Some of the drills are mental, because the author recognizes that survival is not just a physical problem. Some are simple, things you can do right now. Some, like scenarios, are on the leading edge of current professional training. There's a lot in this book, and no fluff. Concise, effective, and useful, I cannot recommend it highly enough! -- Lawrence A. Kane, martial artist, author of Surviving Armed Assaults, co-author of The Little Black Book of Violence and Scaling ForceRory Miller has once again provided a master piece delineating not only his well thought out and useful drills for martial arts and self-defense, but providing invaluable insight for teaching martial arts and self-defense skills across the broad range of experience and need. Many of his drills provide more mental and psychological training than physical and, as such, viable to any practitioner from the novice to the expert. His book provides practical exercises building off of his previous books, Meditations on Violence and Facing Violence. -- Jeffrey Cooper, MD, Emergency Physician, Tactical Physician, 6th Dan, Okinawan Goju-Ryu KaratePower is the ability to do things. So knowledge isn't power. Just “knowing” has no ability to get things done. Knowledge has to be effectively applied to be powerful. That's why this latest book from Rory Miller is so very important; it teaches drills that effectively develop the ability apply many differing skills and attributes. Rory once again shares his hard won expertise in a logical and accessible way.―Iain Abernethy, 6th dan, World Combat Association Chief International Coach, author -- Iain Abernethy, 6th Dan, World Combat Association Chief International Coach, author of Mental Strength, Throws for Strikers, and Karate's Grappling MethodsThe best way to train for a serious fight is full out; however, if you do that, you may break your toys -- or they may break you. If somebody doesn't get hurt, you are doing it wrong. Rory Miller has developed a series of drills that can help. No drill is perfect, but those in this book on how to survive serious mayhem, are effective. Read it, and learn. -- Steve Perry, New York Times bestselling author, Shadows of the Empire About the Author Rory Miller is a writer and teacher living peacefully in the Pacific Northwest. He has served for seventeen years in corrections as an officer and sergeant working maximum security, booking and mental health; leading a tactical team; and teaching subjects ranging from Defensive Tactics and Use of Force to First Aid and Crisis Communications with the Mentally Ill. For fourteen months he was an advisor to the Iraqi Corrections System working in Baghdad and Kurdish Sulaymaniyah. Somewhere in the midst of that he received a BS degree in Psychology; served in the National Guard as a Combat Medic (91A/B); earned college varsities in judo and fencing and received a mokuroku in jujutsu. He has drunk chichu with reformed cannibals and 18-year-old scotch with generals...and loves long sword fights on the beach. Wim Demeere began training at the age of 14, studying the grappling ats of judo and jujitsu for several years before turning to the kick/punch arts of traditional kung fu and full contact fighting. He won four national titles and a bronze medal at the 1995 Word Wushu Championships. In 2001, he became the national coach of the Belgian Wushu fighting team. Wim instructs both business executives and athletes in nutrition, strength, endurance, and martial arts. Wim Demeere lives in Belgium.

A History of Violence:: An Encyclopedia of 1400 Chicago Mob Murders.1st Edition

The Official Kata Manual of The Kodenkan Danzan Ryu Jujitsu Association: KDRJA Kata Manual

Student Study Guide to accompany Chemistry

About the Author Raymond Chang received his B.Sc. degree in chemistry from London University, England and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Yale University. After doing postdoctoral research at Washington University and teaching for a year at Hunter College, he joined the chemistry at Williams College, where he has taught since 1968. Professor Chang has written books on spectroscopy, physical chemistry, and industrial chemistry.

Conflict Communication: A New Paradigm in Conscious Communication

Review A manual of advice born of long experience with violence…Unpleasant but useful information, particularly for those who routinely come in contact with highly aggressive people. ― Kirkus Concise, helpful, and well-organized, this is strongly recommended reading for those interested in learning to verbally de-escalate violence. ― Foreword Reviews Like the Post-it® note, Conflict Communications is something you never knew you needed but cannot live without. The materials are straightforward and easy to apply, yet profoundly insightful. Once you begin to recognize the patterns that Miller describes within yourself and others it will forever change the way you interact. Armed with this new information I was able to resolve a longstanding deadlock on a $168M contract in less than two hours. It’s amazingly powerful and wholeheartedly recommended. -- Lawrence Kane, Sensei; Sr. Leader, ITI Strategy, Sourcing, and Asset Management at a Fortune® 50 company; best selling authorA set of extremely effective tools for predicting, avoiding, and managing conflicts. -- MAJ Gregory Postal, MD…a priceless skill... -- Jack HobanShould be mandatory reading… -- Tony Blauer, Blauer Tactical SystemsBreaks out of the martial arts and law enforcement genre... -- Jeffrey Cooper, MD, Emergency Physician, Tactical Physician, 6th Dan, Okinawan Goju-Ryu KarateThe standard by which others [writing] on the subject shall be judged. -- Steve Perry, New York Times bestselling author, Shadows of the EmpireWon't just help your relationships, it just might save your life. -- Alain B. Burrese, JD About the Author Rory Miller is a writer and teacher living peacefully in the Pacific Northwest. He has served for seventeen years in corrections as an officer and sergeant working maximum security, booking and mental health; leading a tactical team; and teaching subjects ranging from Defensive Tactics and Use of Force to First Aid and Crisis Communications with the Mentally Ill. For fourteen months he was an advisor to the Iraqi Corrections System working in Baghdad and Kurdish Sulaymaniyah. Somewhere in the midst of that he received a BS degree in Psychology; served in the National Guard as a Combat Medic (91A/B); earned college varsities in judo and fencing and received a mokuroku in jujutsu. He has drunk chichu with reformed cannibals and 18-year-old scotch with generals...and loves long sword fights on the beach.

War Stories of the Green Berets

About the Author Hans Halberstadt studied documentary film in college and later took up writing, authoring or co-authoring more than fifty books. Most of his books have been on military subjects, especially U.S. special operations forces, armor, and artillery. He has also written extensively about farming and railroads. Halberstadt served in the U.S. Army as a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam. He and his wife, April, live in San Jose, California.

The Night Trade (A Livia Lone Novel Book 2)

Review “An entertainingly riveting read from cover to cover, The Night Trade showcases author Barry Eisler as a master of narrative-driven fiction enriched for the reader with unexpected twists and turns throughout.” —Midwest Book Review Praise for Barry Eisler’s Livia Lone : An Amazon Best Book of 2016 A Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction of 2016 Selection “An absolutely first-rate thriller…Emotionally true at each beat.” — New York Times Book Review “An explosive thriller that plunges into the sewer of human smuggling…Filled with raw power, [ Livia Lone ] may be the darkest thriller of the year.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Readers may be reminded of Stieg Larsson’s beloved Lisbeth Salander when they meet Livia Lone, and will be totally riveted by the story of this woman on a mission to right the wrongs in her past.” —Bookish “You won’t be able to tear yourself away as the story accelerates into a Tarantino-worthy climax and when you’re left gasping in the wake of its gut-wrenching vigilante justice, you’ll belatedly realize you learned a lot about a social travesty that gets far too little attention… Livia Lone is a harrowing tale with a conscience.” — Chicago Review of Books About the Author Barry Eisler spent three years in a covert position with the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, then worked as a technology lawyer and startup executive in Silicon Valley and Japan, earning his black belt at the Kodokan Judo Institute along the way. Eisler’s bestselling thrillers have won the Barry Award and the Gumshoe Award for Best Thriller, have been included in numerous “Best of” lists, have been translated into nearly twenty languages, and include the #1 bestseller Livia Lone . Eisler lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and, when he’s not writing novels, blogs about torture, civil liberties, and the rule of law. Learn more at www.barryeisler.com.

Prepare Now Survive Later

Combat Conditioning: Functional Exercises For Fitness And Combat Sports, Revised Edition

The Door to Saturn (The Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, Vol. 2)

About the Author Clark Ashton Smith was a self-educated poet and author best remembered for his short stories of fantasy, horror, and the supernatural published in genre pulp magazines such as Wonder Stories and Weird Tales in the late 1920s and 1930s. Smith died in 1961 in California.

How to Be the Happy Wife of an Unsaved Husband

From the Back Cover Every time you get your hopes up, they come crashing down--shattering like broken promises. You crumble under the weight of your own disappointment. In despair, you cry out to God, "Why don't You do something? I need your help! Will You ever save my husband?"This is the heart-wrenching cry of a Christian woman whose husband doesn't know Christ as his Savior and Lord. A great spiritual gulf separates them. It is difficult to agree on day-to-day decisions, let alone larger questions. Everyday life becomes a lonely and painful existence.Linda Davis lived in this difficult situation for fifteen years as she prayed and waited for her husband to become a Christian. Her pain came not only because her husband wasn't saved, but also because very few people in the church knew how to help her during her struggle. Yet understanding how to cope with this situation is crucial for a wife's own spiritual health and for strength to endure the strain she is under. Drawing from personal experience and biblical wisdom, Linda Davis describes how you can: * Be happy in spite of your circumstances* Understand your husband's point of view* Witness to your husband without saying a word* Release your husband to God* Rely on God's perfect timing for your husband's salvation* Understand what God means by submission* Deal with rejection and hostility* Be set free from worry and guiltThe Christian wife of an unsaved husband has a special ministry that no one else can fulfill. Linda Davis explains how to minister to your husband while living a rewarding life both spiritually and personally. This book will benefit any woman who desires a deeper spiritual life for both her husband and herself. About the Author Linda Davis is a registered nurse, real estate agent, speaker, and writer. A lifetime resident of the St. Louis area, she and her husband, Mark, are avid hot‑air ballooning enthusiasts. Married since the age of eighteen, Linda and Mark have two adult sons, Scot and Todd. Linda’s ministry gifts are in the areas of evangelism and encouraging others to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Roumeli: Travels in Northern Greece (New York Review Books Classics)

Review "… Mani and Roumeli remain extraordinarily engaging books. This is partly thanks to Leigh Fermor’s ability to turn an insight into a telling phrase…and partly thanks to his capacity to weave a compelling story out of sometimes unpromising material. One of the best tales of all is the hilarious digression in Roumeli on the attempted recovery of a pair of Byron’s slippers from a man in Missolonghi, on behalf of Byron’s very odd great-granddaughter Lady Wentworth…When you see through all the nonsense about Hellenic continuity, there is, underneath, a much more nuanced account of the ambivalences of modern Greece, its people and its myths (its own myths about itself and us, as much as our myths about it)." — Mary Beard, The London Review of Books "Recommended to those who admire exotic people, unbookish intelligence and captivating style." — Gilbert Highet " Here it all is once again: brilliance, the felicitous profusion, the exuberance of learning and information. . . . Roumeli is not a beginning and middle and end book, but a series of pictures loosely related, mainly placed in Roumeli, in the north of Greece. Its unity, however, is not geographic so much as psychological. It deals with secluded ways and people—communities but not minglers—people who either by the necessities of their crafts or the strength of their traditions have kept to their own stream, side by side but not deeply affected by the changes around them….Placed as we are at probably the most sudden turn in history, any writing that deals with what has so short a time of survival ahead adds, as it were, a museum interest to its own intrinsic qualities. These pictures of Greece are things that a coming generation will look for in vain among the realities of their day." — Freya Stark, The New York Times “Patrick Leigh Fermor has written great travel books besides Roumeli and Mani , but I like to think that his extraordinary style is especially well suited to the subject of Greece, that the beautiful cragginess and almost blinding brilliance of his prose correspond particularly to that country’s rugged, dazzled landscapes. Here Fermor establishes an ideal of travel writing: no one responds to a people and a place with more erudition and sensitivity.” —Benjamin Kunkel“[Leigh Fermor] becomes fascinated by the last true nomads of the region, the Sarakatsáns.  His description of their wanderings is, for me, the best sort of literary geography lesson, and has even more geopolitical relevance now than when he wrote it.” - Robin Hanbury-Tenison, Geographical Praise for Patrick Leigh Fermor: "One of the greatest travel writers of all time”– The Sunday Times “A unique mixture of hero, historian, traveler and writer; the last and the greatest of a generation whose like we won't see again.”– Geographical “The finest traveling companion we could ever have . . . His head is stocked with enough cultural lore and poetic fancy to make every league an adventure.” – Evening Standard If all Europe were laid waste tomorrow, one might do worse than attempt to recreate it, or at least to preserve some sense of historical splendor and variety, by immersing oneself in the travel books of Patrick Leigh Fermor.”—Ben Downing, The Paris Review About the Author Patrick Leigh Fermor (1915-2011) was an intrepid traveler, a heroic soldier, and a writer with a unique prose style. After his stormy schooldays, followed by the walk across Europe to Constantinople that begins in A Time of Gifts (1977) and continues through Between the Woods and the Water (1986), he lived and traveled in the Balkans and the Greek Archipelago. His books Mani (1958) and Roumeli (1966) attest to his deep interest in languages and remote places. In the Second World War he joined the Irish Guards, became a liaison ofﬁcer in Albania, and fought in Greece and Crete. He was awarded the DSO and OBE. He lived partly in Greece—in the house he designed with his wife, Joan, in an olive grove in the Mani—and partly in Worcestershire. He was knighted in 2004 for his services to literature and to British–Greek relations. Patricia Storace is the author of Heredity , a book of poems, Dinner with Persephone , a travel memoir about Greece, Sugar Cane , a children’s book, and The Book of Heaven , a novel. She lives in New York.


Wanderlust: A Dark Romance Novel

Review Praise for Wanderlust: "I loved this dysfunctional couple and couldn't get enough of them." - Reader's Confession"I would say this wasdark and disturbing.....and it kind of was but for me, when it counts,it's a seriously sweet emotional book." - Dark Reading Room"I love how Ms. Warren is able to make the angst of these two people so real...downright heartbreaking." - Salacious Reads"And Hunter - you psychotic, tortured and oh-so complex beast of a man...how I adore you!" - Not Now...Mommy's Reading About the Author Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dark romance.Don't miss a release! Find out about new releases and exclusive giveaways here:skyewarren.com/newsletter And like Skye Warren on Facebook here:facebook.com/skyewarrenThank you for reading! <3

Love, in English

Book Description A standalone, contemporary romance.... He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three. He speaks Spanish. I speak English. He lives in Spain. I live in Canada. He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos. He’s married and has a five-year old daughter. I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything. Until now.Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the damn truth. *** To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love. Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Spanish charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more. Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time. Something that can never, ever be. Or so she thinks **Reviews** "A three-dimensional love story with depth, hope, and heart-wrenching consequences. This book makes me want to drop everything and fly to Spain." - K.A. Tucker, author of Ten Tiny Breaths "I have to say that this is the most emotional and beautiful book Halle has written. She's written great love stories before but there was nothing else to distract you here, no horror, no action. This is all emotions, real and gritty and hard." - Ginger Read Reviews "Love, in English is so much more than just boy meets girl. It's a story of two people from opposite sides of the world that find something in each other that makes them question what it is to live and what it is to just be alive. I dare you not to be moved by the story of Vera and Mateo." - My Book Muse "I fell in love with this story and all of the characters. Halle created such a passionate, romantic and magical story that it is in a word....Unforgettable. Love, In English is addictive complete with amazing writing and many heartwarming moments that anyone looking for their next brilliant read should look no further." - Shhh Mom's Reading "Stormy. Passionate. Gripping. A tumultuous story with ups and downs, with shades of gray and vibrant colors. It's a story about choices and emotions, bravery and fate, of boldly being yourself and fighting for the destiny we choose." - Vilma's Book Blog

Hers

About the Author Dawn Robertson is a two time best selling, twenty-something indie author, and mother. She lives in sunny senior citizen packed Florida, where she wrangles her flock of kids and writes smut. Dawn can normally be found swearing like a sailor, making late night drive-thru appearances, arguing with her kids (or being run over by their power wheels), reading a steamy romance while hiding in her bathroom, writing her little heart out on her laptop (or dragging her Macbook to the Genius bar praying they can save her latest work in progress), shopping for My Little Pony goodies, being the life of the party at a book signing, or sipping on a smoothie. She loves to hear from her fans, readers, and authors alike. Feel free to drop her a message. Dawn rarely takes life seriously, so be sure to expect heavy sarcasm from her. She is also the life of the party, so be sure to meet up with her at one of the many author events she will be attending in the next couple months. Buy her a shot of whiskey, and she will love you for life. Find Dawn Robertson: Facebook: http: //facebook.com/authordawnrobertson Twitter: http: //twitter.com/eroticadawn Website: http: //eroticadawn.com AuthorDawnRobertson@gmail.com

Pretty Stolen Dolls

The Queen and the Cure (The Bird and the Sword Chronicles)

Review "Emotional, vivid, lush. Heart wrenching and heart healing. One of my favorite books EVER." - - Mia Sheridan, New York Times bestselling author. "With The Queen and the Cure you have a breathtaking tale of epic proportions, one which I will be re-reading over and over again." -- USA Today bestselling author, Penny Reid. "We loved absolutely everything about this magnificent story. This wasn't just a read, this book was an adventure. And the romance! The romance was captivating, beguiling, and so beautiful! We completely lost ourselves in this exquisite story." --- TotallyBooked Blog About the Author Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Her books have been published in thirteen languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah. Amy Harmon has written ten novels - the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her recent release, The Bird and the Sword, is a Goodreads Best Book of 2016 nominee. Her next release, FROM SAND AND ASH, a historical set during WWII, will be available on December 1, 2016 via Lake Union Publishing. For updates on upcoming book releases, author posts and more, join Amy at www.authoramyharmon.com.

The Song of David (The Law of Moses)

About the Author Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in several countries, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah. Amy Harmon has written eight novels - the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, Infinity + One, The Law of Moses, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her newest release, The Song of David, is now available.

Until November (Until Series)

About the Author Aurora Rose Reynolds is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose wildly popular series include The Until Series, Until Him, Until Her, Underground Kings and Shooting Stars. Her writing career started in an attempt to get the outrageously alpha men who resided in her head to leave her alone and has blossomed into an opportunity to share her stories with readers all over the world.

Tension

King (The King Series)

Review "Dark and gritty, sweet and sexy, raw and shocking, and utterly addictive, with an unapologetic, badass Alpha male hero and unexpected twists that I never saw coming!! I couldn't put it down from the moment I started it..." -Aestas Book Blog"King brought me into the dynamic, sexy, and thrilling world of T.M. Frazier's books and I never want to leave." - NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan"Super hot and oh so wrong." -NYT Bestselling Author Kylie Scott"The pacing is stellar. The writing is profound. And the characters are emotionally-gripping. This is a stop-what-you're-doing-and-one-click book. But be prepared to get nothing done, because you'll read it in one sitting. Then you'll stew about it. Then you'll search frantically for the sequel." -NYT Bestselling Author Pam Godwin "Dark, emotional, gritty, compelling, exciting, heartbreaking, and romantic, King and Tyrant had it all." -Ana's Attic Book Blog"The story of King and Doe is different, unique, captivating, heartbreaking, funny and passionate."-Read More Sleep Less Book Blog

Fraternizing

Tug of War

Review SMIBookClub - "I highly recommend this book and it is a definite 5 star read for me!" BookBoyfriendReview - "I like drama & Larsen delivers. She did a wonderful job of slowly exposing Clara's past, making me want to continue reading to find out what happens next. I liked that it wasn't all put out on the table before me. It was set up in courses, this way my palette was ready for the next taste and I could savor it." NerdGirl - "This book is amazing! The characters are so real you read the words and the movie plays in your head. I went through many emotions with the characters. 5 Stars!"Get your FREE books today; eepurl.com/2Svvb From the Author This book was challenging to write. Clara is hard to love. She is not whiny, or a push over. She is loud, and stuck in her ways and she has faults. I love a strong female lead and I wanted to write one that isn't perfect. I wanted a real life type story. We all have that friend who does stupid stuff or makes mistakes that we still love in the end. This story is for all those women. The ones who are imperfect, works in progress.

Bluff

From School Library Journal Gr 9 Up—In this cautionary tale of a cheerleader's descent into poker addiction, 17-year-old Chelsea is one of the less privileged members of a cheer squad filled with rich girls. She has an absent mother and a deeply depressed father, her family's bills don't always get paid on time, and there's certainly not enough money for the necessary squad fees. Her first visit to the casino is altruistic: to make enough cash to keep her family going. But quickly the thrill of the games—and the presence of handsome security guard Nate—draw her to the table night after night. In an unusual departure from more frequently seen settings of teens coping with addiction, Dill places her drama at the smoky poker tables of unglamorous casinos, where Chelsea struggles with her inner demons while surrounded by senior citizens with bouffant hairstyles. Her burgeoning romance with Nate is always shown as sweet, a bright light amid her downward spiral. Both poker lovers and cheer fans will appreciate the detail included about both worlds, though previous knowledge of either is not necessary to enjoy the story. VERDICT The engaging style, fast pace, and unusual settings make this a solid choice to recommend to reluctant readers.—Ann Foster, Saskatoon Public Library Review "A sly, insightful close-up of risk-taking’s seductive, addictive appeal." - Kirkus Reviews - - Kirkus Reviews DILL, Julie. Bluff. 250p. Amberjack. Feb. 2017. pap. $10.99. ISBN 9781944995058. Gr 9 Up–In this cautionary tale of a cheerleader’s descent into poker addiction, 17-year-old Chelsea is one of the less privileged members of a cheer squad filled with rich girls. She has an absent mother and a deeply depressed father, her family’s bills don’t always get paid on time, and there’s certainly not enough money for the necessary squad fees. Her first visit to the casino is altruistic: to make enough cash to keep her family going. But quickly the thrill of the games―and the presence of handsome security guard Nate―draw her to the table night after night. In an unusual departure from more frequently seen settings of teens coping with addiction, Dill places her drama at the smoky poker tables of unglamorous casinos, where Chelsea struggles with her inner demons while surrounded by senior citizens with bouffant hairstyles. Her burgeoning romance with Nate is always shown as sweet, a bright light amid her downward spiral. Both poker lovers and cheer fans will appreciate the detail included about both worlds, though previous knowledge of either is not necessary to enjoy the story. VERDICT The engaging style, fast pace, and unusual settings make this a solid choice to recommend to reluctant readers.–Ann Foster, Saskatoon Public Library - - School Library Journal Seventeen-year-old Oklahoma native Chelsea Knowles has grown up playing cards with her single father, and with their financial situation in a very dire place, she puts those skills to the test, sneaking into a local casino, where she wins big at poker. Suddenly, Chelsea has money to spare, and she begins to see playing poker as a means to help her father pay the bills and to afford the clothes and social opportunities she’s only dreamed about. Thus begins a gambling spree with all the highs and lows that come with the territory, as well as a romance with Nate, an attractive casino worker a few years her senior. Debut author Dill paints a visceral portrait of the way financial pressures take a toll on a family, particularly on teenagers who don’t necessarily feel as though they can anything about it. Chelsea’s tender if fraught relationship with her father, given extra depth through flashbacks, and the electric thrill she gets as money starts coming in, will make it easy for readers to understand why she embarks on such a risky path. Ages 13–up. (Feb.) - - Publisher's Weekly From the Back Cover Seventeen-year-old Chelsea Knowles is surrounded by the privileged. Michael Kors gym bags and designer shoes are part of her daily scene, but the talented cheerleader has a secret: she and her dad can barely pay the bills. Broken by his wife walking out on their family, Chelsea's father ignores his responsibilities. Between cheer costs, grocery bills, electricity, and other regular financial burdens, it's no surprise when a cut-off notice arrives in the mail. Chelsea knows it'll be up to her to keep the lights on.With the deck stacked against her, Chelsea decides to bet their future on the dubious poker knowledge she learned from her father before he gave up on parenting. Nervous but determined, Chelsea heads to a casino with very little security and wins big. Thrilled by her win, she's quickly drawn to the casino again and again. She risks it all, especially when the attractive, young pit boss takes an interest in her.Chelsea's life, no longer filled with cheerleading, school, and hanging out with her friends, is now consumed by smoky casino floors and the ups and downs of a gambler's life. True gamblers know when to fold, but Chelsea keeps betting long after her needs are met. The complicated web of lies soon begins to spin out of control, threatening to expose everything. Will someone see through her bluff? About the Author Julie Dill lives in Oklahoma City where the wind always comes sweeping down the plains—literally.   As a young girl she always wanted to be a teacher, so she went on to receive her Bachelor’s of Science in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and taught in elementary schools for ten years. Currently, she serves as an adjunct professor and loves helping students achieve success. One of her greatest professional accomplishments is earning her National Board Certification.   She holds a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Oklahoma City University and continues to work on various writing projects.  From hiking in Colorado, to playing poker in Vegas, she’s always up for a new challenge.  Julie is a busy mom of two teenage daughters, and any extra time that she may carve out is spent reading, writing, and rooting for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Read more

Behind The Hands That Kill (In the Company of Killers Book 6)

Review "This series is Spectacular!" - SMI BOOK CLUB "Mind-f*ck at its finest and I loved every single minute of it." - Amazon Customer on The Swan & the Jackal "Say goodbye to your nails..." - Amazon Customer on Killing Sarai "Dark, compelling, deathly violent and just fan-bloody-tastic!" - Goodreads Reviewer on Reviving Izabel "There is no going back for me, this series has me completely and utterly addicted..." - Books She Reads "5+ Crushing, Amazing & Shocking STARS" -Seeds of Iniquity The Book Enthusiast on The Swan & the Jackal " These books are genius!!!" - Amazon Customer on Seeds of Iniquity About the Author J.A. (Jessica) Redmerski is a New York Times , USA Today , Wall Street Journal , and #1 Amazon bestselling author, as well as international bestseller and award winner. She is a hybrid author who began indie-publishing in 2012, and later, with the success of THE EDGE OF NEVER, signed several titles with a traditional publisher. She juggles several different genres; her works have been translated into more than twenty languages, and have been optioned for film and television.

Don't Lie To Me

Catch My Fall

About the Author I love to read. Always have, always will. My favorite genre is romance, but I also enjoy thrillers, mysteries, some sci-fi, rock n' roll biographies and autobiographies. I'm obsessed with music. OBSESSED. I'm very partial to rock music, but I also enjoy rap, country, classical, oldies and pop. I could go on "Don't Forget The Lyrics" and clean up! My two favorite bands of all time are Fleetwood Mac & The Foo Fighters, followed VERY closely by Social Distortion, Alice in Chains, Jerry Cantrell, The Eagles, Blondie, Heart, Tori Amos, Pearl Jam, U2, The Cure, Garbage, The Goo Goo Dolls, Duran Duran, The Beastie Boys, Depeche Mode, Elton John, The Misfits and Metallica. Clearly, I've got eclectic taste. If you got a look at my iTunes library you would die laughing. I live for the GREASE soundtrack and can sing the hell out of any Guns n' Roses song. I'm a total practical joker. I love to laugh. My favorite TV shows and movies tend to be comedies but I absolutely love Twin Peaks, Lost and Dark Shadows. I have a soft spot for eighties music. If I could hang out with any celebrity for one day, I'd choose Dave Grohl from The Foo Fighters. My celebrity crush is (currently) Ian Sommerhalder. I think he's adorable.

By J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)

The Complete Tales of Winnie-The-Pooh

The Inn at Angel Island (An Angel Island Novel)

About the Author Thomas Kinkade is America's most collected living artist. He lives in California. Katherine Spencer was a fiction editor before turning to a full-time career as a writer. She is the author of more than twenty books for both children and adults. She lives on Long Island.