{Book Blitz: Interview + Giveaway} State of Fear - By Summer Lane

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State of Fear - By Summer Lane
(Collapse Series, #8)
Release Date: 6/24/2016
Genres: Dystopian, New Adult

The world has gone nuclear, and the militias have met their first major defeat.
Torn and desperate, Cassidy Hart and her team make a difficult decision to relocate their forces to the cold, barren wilderness of Alaska. In the snowy mountains of the Gates of the Arctic, Yukon City has become a stronghold for survivors of the apocalypse. 

Or has it? 

Commander Chris Young remains in California to combat the shadowy forces of Omega, while Cassidy attempts to rebuild the militia’s strength at Yukon City. Uriah True has ideas of his own when it comes to surviving, and the militias are splitting apart. 

Veronica Klaus is unleashing hell upon the west coast. The true, terrifying nature of Omega is revealed at last. A dangerous, desperate move is made to find reinforcements and seize a weapon that could give the militias an upper hand. 

The downside? 

It just might kill everyone on planet earth. 

Cassidy, Chris and their friends have made it this far. 

How much longer can they survive? 

How much longer can the world survive?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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Q&A WITH SUMMER LANE

This is the 8th book in the Collapse Series. How do you keep the storyline and world going this far into the series?

The issue with Cassidy Hart is not running out of stories – it’s containing them! Cassidy’s world is monstrously huge and the options for story pathways are endless, so I really had to zero in on what I wanted the eighth book to be. In terms of technicality and research, this was a challenging book – but it was also exciting to write. I was able to utilize some elements that I have wanted to use for a long time, like submarines and ice…trust me, it’ll make sense when you read the book!

Do you find it difficult to write about one set of characters for ten books?

No, I don’t. The longer you’re with your characters, the better you get to know them. In this case, I have had the opportunity to get familiar with my characters to such a level that their development and characteristics are incredibly organic. It’s a real blast!

Are you Team Uriah or Team Chris?

A lot of people like to think that Uriah is the perfect guy for Cassidy – while some much prefer Chris, since he is the original male lead (and he’s pretty awesome, in all honesty!). I have my own secret thoughts on this subject, and I don’t like to project my opinions on such an emotional element of the series. I leave that to my readers. But I will say that, in the end, Cassidy is a strong woman who doesn’t need anybody. She’s one of those kickass characters that can survive no matter what – and anyone she falls in love with is just a bonus. I don’t say to belittle the importance of the male leads, but to stress that Cassidy is just that kind of character at this point in the series.

What’s with the title? Why ‘fear?’ What’s there to fear in this book?

The title is really a projection of the underlying theme of this book. My characters are thrust into a type of warfare that’s really unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. They go to the barren wilds of Alaska, where the icy glaciers surround them and the dark winter solstice blots out the sun. Omega could kill them all – so many terrible things have happened, and could continue to happen. Cassidy is doubting herself and her relationships. This book is about exploring all of those fears, and then figuring out if our heroes are going to succumb to the darkness or stand up and kick its butt. It’s gritty, it’s dark and it’s intense. It’s my kind of story, and that’s why I wrote it.

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About the Author

 

Summer Lane is the #1 bestselling author of The Collapse Series, The Zero Trilogy and The Bravo Saga. She is also the author of Collapse: The Illustrated Guide, a #1 bestselling graphic companion to the phenomenal original series.

She is the owner of WB Publishing and Writing Belle, an online magazine where she has worked with countless authors from around the globe. Summer is also an accomplished journalist and creative writing teacher.

Summer lives in the Central Valley of California, where she spends her days writing, collecting tea, and writing some more.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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GIVEAWAY

Collapse Gift Pack from the author, which includes a $40 Amazon Gift Card, an Autographed Surprise Book, and an exclusive piece of artwork featuring Cassidy Hart, from artist Oskari Niittymaki, the artist behind Collapse: The Illustrated Guide.

$15 gift card for Barnes & Noble

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{Release Blitz + Giveaway} Bravo: Apocalypse Mission - By Summer Lane

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Bravo: Apocalypse Mission - Summer Lane
(Bravo Saga, #1)
Publication date: April 22nd 2016
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult

Civilization, collapsed. Society, gone.
The apocalypse rules all, and mankind struggles for survival.
But there was a dog, and his name was Bravo. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

First, there was the training. 

Bravo, a strong and loyal German Shepherd, is born and raised to be a bomb detection dog in the Marines by his handler, Nathan Ingalls. Together, they prepare to become fighters.
After the training, there was the desert.
Deployed to Afghanistan, the brutality of desert warfare shows no mercy to neither man nor dog. 

And then, there was the Collapse. 

When the apocalypse strikes, Bravo is cruelly torn from his handler in the dying days of society. Bravo fights for survival in the city, longing to be reunited with his handler, his friend. 

His journey will take him into the most dangerous parts of the city and country, into the heart of the apocalypse. He will meet new friends, and he will fight for them.
Bravo will not stop until he finds his partner. 

This is the story of a dog. This is the story of a hero. 

This is the story of Bravo, the bomb dog, and his apocalypse mission.

Goodreads / Amazon

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GUEST POST

Think Like A Dog
By Summer Lane

The most interesting part of writing Bravo: Apocalypse Mission was being able to look at the apocalypse through the eyes of a dog. What does he see? What does he care about? How does he survive, and more importantly, how does he deal with loss?

I’ve always loved dogs, so it was a great treat to be able to write this story. I had the idea a little over a year ago. Bravo himself was inspired by an offhand comment from a child who had read my books and exclaimed, “You should write about a dog in the apocalypse!” From that comment, I immediately pictured Bravo in my head. And thus he was born! First as a sidekick in The Zero Trilogy, and now as the star of his very own story. I had always wanted to write a story about a dog, and this was my chance.

I think the most challenging thing about getting into the head of a dog is realizing that 1) dogs don’t necessarily have a reason for everything they do. They simply do it because they are creatures of instinct. And 2) a dog can be just as emotional as people when it comes to losing a friend or handler. I had to find a balance between instinct and emotion when it came to writing Bravo’s adventure, and I think I was able to locate the sweet spot and make it work!

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Author Bio 

 

Who is Summer Lane? 

Summer Lane is the #1 bestselling author of 12 thrilling books, including the phenomenal bestselling Collapse Series, Zero Trilogy and Collapse: The Illustrated Guide. Her newest series, The Bravo Saga, is releasing April 22nd, 2016, and is hotly anticipated in the reading community. 

Bravo: Apocalypse Mission is the first installment of the Bravo Saga. It follows the story of a military working dog named Bravo who is separated from his beloved handler when the apocalypse strikes. It is a poignant and thrilling tale of love, loyalty and survival.

Summer also owns WB Publishing and Writing Belle, an online magazine where she has interviewed and worked with countless authors from around the globe. 

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{Book Blitz + Giveaway} State of Destruction - By Summer Lane

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State of Destruction - By Summer Lane
(Collapse #7)
Publication date: January 29th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
 

The destruction of California is at hand.
Cassidy Hart and Chris Young have survived a dangerous mission into the heart of Sky City, a secret Omega base hidden deep in the mountains, but their vengeance has come with a price. The dark, ominous cloud of nuclear war threatens to destroy everything they love, and they are forced to make one final stand against Omega’s western invasion force.
San Francisco. 

Cassidy and her friends retreat to Alcatraz Island, regrouping with their lethal strike team, the Angels of Death. Their mission: infiltrate the most important Omega base on the west coast, and assassinate everyone they find there, including a new and dangerous enemy, the ruthless Omega leader Veronica Klaus. 

The clock is ticking. 

Ashes rain from the sky.  

Cassidy Hart must make a choice. 

What is more important? Victory, love or revenge? 

Omega is the enemy’s name. 

Survival of the fittest is their game. 

Cassidy Hart will not stop until she has saved California…but will she be too late? 

Book #7 of the Bestselling Collapse Series by Summer Lane

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SNEAK PEEK:

The dark, dank smell of the cave seeps into my bones and chills my soul. Dim, flickering firelight crawls up the walls, throwing a shadow across my face. I hug my blanket tightly around my shoulders, shivering. It is painfully silent.

There are people everywhere—about thirty of us—but there is no talking. No whispering, no laughing. We are too tired to talk. Too cold. Small fires have been lit here in the cave, but it is hardly enough to remedy the cloying chill of the winter storm.
It is all sharp angles and rocky slopes in here. There is no soft surface, no privacy. Most people are asleep right now. It has become the only way to make the time pass quicker. Waiting, as we are, for the storms to end. For this harsh winter to be over.
But it is not getting better.
It is getting worse.
I cough and shudder. We have been trapped here for weeks. I feel as if the walls are falling down around me, devouring me. I close my eyes tightly, brushing my calloused fingers over the familiar, worn grip of my rifle.
Soon, this will all be over.
Soon, we will all be dead.

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Interview with Summer Lane

Where Collapse is Headed: And What Happens After!

This is your seventh installment in the Collapse Series! When is the series ending?

The Collapse Series will end at the tenth installment, but that does not mean that the characters are going away forever. The Collapse Series does exactly what it’s name suggests: it follows the collapse of society and civilization. After I’m done with that, I can move to what happens after.

When is Book 8 releasing?

Summer 2016. The next book will take Cassidy somewhere she has never been before – far away, to a place full of surprises. I can’t say too much, because I don’t want to spoil State of Destruction! Let’s just say it will be pretty cold where she’s going.

Any other books?

I announced that I’m working on releasing another series this year, The Bravo Saga. This series follows the adventures of the fierce and loyal Bravo, the German Shepherd companion of Elle Costas in the Zero Trilogy. He’s one of the most popular characters – if not THE most popular – that I have ever created for readers, so I’m excited to share his story next.

How do you write so many books a year?

Hmm. I’m not really sure. I’ve been so incredibly busy for three years – I haven’t stopped to think or breathe. It’s definitely a positive thing, but I will probably start to roll back to 2-3 book releases a year after the Collapse Series has finished. Just so I can have a little downtime between books. It’s important to rest your brain when you’ve been creating non-stop for such a long period of time.

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About the Author: 

 

Summer Lane is the #1 Bestselling Author of The Collapse Series and the compelling tie-in novella books of The Zero Trilogy, as well as the upcoming Bravo Saga (releasing Spring 2016). She is also the author of Collapse: The Illustrated Guide, a #1 bestselling graphic companion to her phenomenal original series. 

She is the owner of WB Publishing and Writing Belle, an online magazine. Summer is also an accomplished journalist and creative writing teacher.

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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{Release Blitz + Giveaway} State of Vengeance - By Summer Lane

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State of Vengeance - By Summer Lane
(Collapse #6)
Publication Date: June 26th 2015
Genres: Dystopia, New Adult

Vengeance is coming.

Monterey Bay, California, has barely survived a brutal attack from the evil invasion forces of Omega, and Cassidy Hart is exhausted. She has lost a friend and gained a new enemy. The militias seem to be weakening, and Omega seems to be getting stronger.

In an effort to recruit more troops, Cassidy travels to the desolation of the high mountains to find the mysterious troops of Sky City, and to eliminate a threat that has long been growing just out of the militia’s reach.

Cassidy is not alone. Old enemies greet her, and the most dangerous person of all just might be the one she trusts the most.

The fate of the free world is at stake. The end is coming.

The militias – or Omega – will have its revenge.

Book #6 of The International Bestselling Collapse Series

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Author Q&A:

Where do you write?

I write at my desk. I rarely write anywhere else. It is my bubble of creativity, I suppose. I just turn on my music, close the door, and write. Sometimes it takes me thirty minutes – sometimes it takes me seven hours. It depends on what I’m writing. It depends on how difficult it is for me to create a specific scene or convey a certain emotion. If I’m writing an emotional scene, it can take me a long time.

My favorite place to write, though, is in the mountains, in the seclusion of a quiet forest. That’s where imagination really works well.

Favorite movie? Favorite television show?

I don’t think it’s possible for me to choose a favorite movie. I like so many! I really enjoy anything that’s action or adventure. I adore superhero movies and animated films – don’t even get me started on Wall-e. The Book of Eli is really cool, and so is any movie with Dwayne Johnson.

As far as television goes, I usually only have time to watch TV during June and July. I love Pretty Little Liars, Gilmore Girls (La, la, la, la!), and I’m positively obsessed – and by obsessed I mean madly in love – with The Walking Dead.

Favorite classic book?

When I was growing up, I ONLY read classic literature. I really was completely unaware until the age of sixteen that there was such a thing as “easy-to-read stories,” like Twilight or Harry Potter. I remember being so impressed with how fun it was to read a book that wasn’t written in old English (Ivanhoe, anyone?).

My favorite classic books (yes, plural!) are Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Great Expectations and Dracula. In case you hadn’t noticed, I have a thing for stories with dark undertones.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I really like to read. I find it nearly impossible to read while I’m writing a manuscript. I just have to focus all of my attention on the story creation. So I only read when I’m not writing a book – which is usually on the weekends. I love to crochet – I adore it. It’s very soothing.

I think the best thing to do during the summer is to go swimming, watch a movie, and then sit on the tailgate of a pickup truck, smell the fruit in the orchards, and watch the stars. I could do that forever. I guess I’m just a little country girl at heart! I also enjoy cooking. Pioneer Woman is my favorite thing ever. I’m totally serious. Ree Drummond is my hero. She needs to adopt me and teach me her ways.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Here’s where I fess up and admit that I’m a hybrid. I plot out my stories, I know who the characters are, and I know exactly what’s going to happen before I actually sit down and write the book. However, I do not plot out the specific scenes. I have general ideas, but I allow the personalities of the characters and the environments to shape and mold the scene, therefore making it – in my opinion, at least – more organic.

At this point in the Collapse Series, the characters shape their own destinies. In many ways I am just following where they lead – I simply nudge them in the right direction.

Favorite writing snack?

Tea and chocolate. It’s my favorite combination. During the hot months, it’s iced tea, and during the cold months, it’s hot tea. I literally had a stack of eighteen snickers bars behind my desk. You know. Just in case I got a craving or something.

Upcoming projects?

Collapse: The Illustrated Guide comes out this summer. The paperback will release first, and then the eBook will be available around August 2015. The conclusion to the Zero Trilogy, End of Day, will release October 9^th, 2015. Then I’ve got the next Collapse book coming out in January 2016, Bravo: Apocalypse Mission in March 2016, and another Collapse book in June 2016.

So yeah. When I have downtime, I seize it and don’t let go!

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AUTHOR BIO:

 

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. She lives in the Central Valley of California where she creates her stories and shares them with the world.

Author links:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

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Giveaway:

• $10 Amazon gift card and an autographed copy of a special edition piece of concept work from the Collapse world

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{Release Blitz + Giveaway} Day One - By Summer Lane

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Author: Summer Lane

Release Date: 3/20/2015

Genre: Dystopia, YA

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.

Goodreads

Purchase Info:

Amazon

Book Depository

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About the Author:

Summer Lane is the author of the international bestselling Collapse Series, which currently includes State of Emergency, State of Chaos, State of Rebellion, State of Pursuit, State of Alliance and the upcoming State of Vengeance in June 2015. Day Zero, the first installment in the brand new Zero Trilogy, released October 10th, 2014. The sequel, Day One, is coming out March 20th, 2015.

She owns WB Publishing, a digital publishing house devoted to releasing exciting adventure and survival stories.

Summer is also the founder of Writing Belle, an online magazine dedicated to the art of storytelling. She is a consultant, creative writing teacher and journalist. Check out Writing Belle for interviews with upcoming authors and insights into the world of publishing! http://writingbelle.com/ 

Find Summer

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

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GIVEAWAY

1 - $10 B&N Gift Card

1-Exclusive Autographed post of Day One

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{Book Blitz + Giveaway} Day Zero - By Summer Lane

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Day Zero - By Summer Lane
(The Zero Trilogy #1)
Publication date: October 10th 2014
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

Synopsis:

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.

Day Zero is a novella, the first installment in The Zero Trilogy, a novella series complementing the international bestselling Collapse Series.

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Author Insight:

The Names

Names are fun. One of the perks of writing fiction as a primary job is that you get to play around with lots of names. Names should represent the personality of a character, in my opinion, so I try to match my characters with appropriate monikers. In Day Zero, my protagonist’s name is Elle. It’s a somber, pretty name for a somber, pretty girl. (A girl with attitude, mind you, but still!)

My favorite names in Day Zero are Pix and Flash – twins, a brother and a sister. I don’t want to give away anything, but I played around with a lot of names before settling on those two. Thanks to the Internet, you can find names and their meanings far quicker than in the past. It’s better to use Google than to slog through those dusty piles of baby-name books in your mother’s attic.

Not that I’ve done that, but you get my point! Names should be memorable, and I also think that there should be a fair variety of different names in a book. For example, naming your characters James, John, Janice, Jenny and Jared is what I’d call “alliterative overkill.” Mix up the names! Make them fun, and most of all, make a character and their name instantly identifiable to the reader.

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AUTHOR BIO

Summer Lane is the author of the international bestselling Collapse Series, which includes State of Emergency, State of Chaos, State of Rebellion and State of Pursuit. The fifth installment, State of Alliance, is releasing January 2015. Summer is also the author of The Zero Trilogy and an upcoming survivalist/science fantasy series coming in 2015. She owns WB Publishing, Writing Belle Magazine, and is an accomplished creative writing teacher and journalist.

Summer lives in the Central Valley of California, where she spends her time writing, teaching, and writing some more. When she is not writing, she enjoys leisurely visits with friends at coffee shops, dates to the movies, hiking in the mountains and strolling on the beach. 

Author Links:

http://www.summerlaneauthor.com/

https://twitter.com/SummerEllenLane

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5823376.Summer_Lane

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Giveaway

A pack of eBooks including:

• Dead Girl Walking, by Ruth Silver 
• Fractured Dream, by K.M. Randall 
• Spirit Warriors: The Scarring by DEL Connor 
• Eyes of the Enemy by Kelly Hess 
• Jacob, King of Portalia by Casey Club 
• Destiny Gift by Juliana Haygert 
• Aftershock by Roberta Trahan 

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