Review: As The World Dies Untold Tales 3 by Rhiannon Frater

As The World Dies Untold Tales Volume 3
Rhianon frater

Genre: Adult Horror
Publication date: June 2013

In the third volume of the AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES experience three terrifying tales of those who are forced to face the unrelenting and hungry walking dead.

Returning to Texas after celebrating his divorce in Vegas, Rune, a biker cursed with the ability to see ghosts, discovers that the world is being taken over by the hungry undead. Soon he realizes he will have to depend on all his abilities to survive not only the ravenous zombies, but the dangerous men lurking on the back roads of Texas.

Senator Paige Brightman abandoned the Madison Mall and its inhabitants to the hungry hordes, but her journey did not end there. Her attempt to reach the president’s safe haven called Central has far reaching ramifications for her and the people she abandoned.

The final in the three stories reveals the aftermath of the great battle in SIEGE as one woman faces the ultimate decision whether to live or die in a world of the undead.

-A copy was provided by Rhiannon Frater for review-

 
I'm fairly certain I'm repeating myself when I say I'm in love with this series, but really I don't care! This series rocked my world thoroughly and completely, quickly becoming one of my favorites of all time, if not the favorite. So it's no surprise that these untold tales garner just as much love from me. I rarely read novellas even when they're part of a series, but I'm telling you, these ones are absolutely worth it. They put the cherry on top of an already fantastic series. And for the love of god if this is really your first time hearing me rave about these books, see what you're missing here!

It may not have mattered for the other Untold Tales, but it's pretty important to have read the complete As the World Dies series before you jump into this one as it does have major spoilers of the finale. We begin with Rune's story, a peculiar character at that. Rune is a medium, and you can only imagine what he's had to deal with when most of the world has just been eaten by zombies. Being able to see ghosts gives us an exceptionally interesting POV, especially knowing how this ability helped not only him, but the whole fort as well. And being a character that only appears late in the series, it was great to see what he went through from the beginning of this zombocalypse. Mostly, I love how he has all the looks of a dangerous badass, but he has one of the biggest hearts you will meet in this story. Plus he is extremely intelligent (nothing is more annoying than stupidity in an end of the world scenario).

Following Rune is Senator Paige Brightman's story. GAH! That woman frustrates me to no end. It was all kinds of awesome to see how much of a self-centered bitch she really is, though, but only because you know what becomes of her. This story fills in the gap of what happened to her up until her demise. Her death was exactly what she deserved, and this short story makes it even more satisfying.

The most effective story of this collection for me was, by far, Emma's. Starting right before the zombies come, we see her living the simple life with her 3 year old son and we feel the love she has for him instantly. It's then that I knew my heart was in trouble. I could put myself exactly in her shoes having a carbon copy of her nudist little rascal of my own, which made this story intensely heartbreaking. Heartbreaking to the point where I was forced to hold on to this naive sense of hope that I knew was fruitless, only because it was easier than feeling the pain I knew was inescapable. This is yet another example of just how powerful this series truly is. I have rarely cared about fictional characters this much in my life, let alone in a zombie story. In such a short time, Emma was able to grab just a little corner of my heart. Her strength and fierce determination is simply unreal, plus knowing how important she will become to the characters I have loved throughout makes her an instant favorite. Her story also allows a glimpse into the fort after the ending of Siege which is honestly a real treat.

Every time I read these Untold Tales, all the feelings and raw emotions I had while reading the series get brought back to the surface, making them extremely nostalgic reads. Reading the final volume overwhelmed me with emotion; this time it's truly and irrevocably the end. It's crazy how much I continue to love these characters months later.

5 Hot Espressos

Find my previous reviews of the series, here!

In Darkess We Must Abide: Guest Post + Giveaway

Definitely not a new face on this blog of mine; Rhiannon Frater is here today to talk to us about her new serial--In Darkness We Must Abide. This is a new adult modern Gothic horror serial divided in 3 seasons. The first season includes 5 episodes which you can all enter to win today! :) The 5th episode comes out on May 17th, and the paperback of the full first season comes out on May 24th. (Sorry if this is confusing, she likes to make our lives miserable.)

In Darkness We Must Abide
Rhiannon Frater

Series: In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete First Season
Genre: NA Modern Gothic Horror
Publication date:  May 24th 2013

In Darkness We Must Abide is the epic saga of one young woman caught in the dangerous world of the creatures of the night.

Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, Vanora is just a little girl when her older brother inadvertently unleashes a terrible evil from the family crypt that changes their lives forever.

As she grows up in a world where beautiful deadly beings hunt by night, one captures her eye and her heart. Yet, can she trust the mysterious Armando? For there is a powerful entity plotting to claim her when she reaches adulthood in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy, and her enemy has enveloped her in a web of deceit, casting doubt on all she believes to be true. Soon, she will have to fight not only to save those she loves, but also for her very soul.

Rhiannon Frater delivers a chilling adventure once again with this multi-part epic serial with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, bloody action, a smoldering forbidden love, and a terrifying villain set against the backdrop of a modern day vampire war.

This paperback includes all five episodes of the first season of the serial.

The first episode if currently FREE on Amazon (US), Kobo, and iTunes!

Guest Post, by Rhiannon Frater

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What Is a Serial and Why Am I Writing It?
(the answer is not ‘to make Giselle crazy’)

I've been toying with the idea of doing a serial for some time now. Serials actually used to be a quite popular form of reading entertainment in days past. It was rather like watching episodic television. The story was ongoing and the author would release new installments on a regular schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly). Each new part of the story continued the main storyline, while providing plenty of thrills and chills within the installment. I really love the richness of a continuing storyline on shows like Breaking Bad, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dexter, and Spartacus, and always wanted the challenge of writing something on par with my favorite series.

After reading an article posted by author Susan Kaye Quinn about converting a full length manuscript into a serial, I realized I had the perfect opportunity to serialize something I've already written.

A very long time ago I wrote a modern gothic vampire epic entitled In Darkness We Must Abide.  I loved the story (and still do), but it was very lengthy, well over acceptable word count limits. At that time publishing houses weren’t inclined to buy trilogies or series, and I had no idea how to trim the epic down to an acceptable length. Plus, I lived in the middle of nowhere Texas and had no clue how to actually submit my work properly to the publishing houses (this is back in the late 80’s). I ended up tossing the whole thing in the trunk.

Inspired by the article, I went back to the story (which I had converted to a Word doc about a decade ago), looked it over, and realized that with some revision, the story would make a great serial. I was even surprised out how episodic it already was when I read through it. I immediately knew which sections would be sliced up into episodes and what I needed to do to make them richer and fuller for the enjoyment of my readers.

In Darkness We Must Abide is a massive epic with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, blood, gore, unrequited love, a charismatic lead, a smoldering love interest, and a terrifying bad guy.

Since I dove back into the dark world of In Darkness We Must Abide, I have fallen in love once more with my human heroine, Vanora, and the complex world she inhabits. Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, when she’s just a little girl her much older brother and guardian accidently unleashes an evil that changes her world forever. Growing up human with vampire siblings watching over her, Vanora lives in a twilight world and is continuously torn between the world of the vampires and the mortal world. It’s not until she’s a young woman in her late teens that the complexity of her situation comes crashing down when she falls in love with the mysterious vampire, Armando DeLeon. Soon the true evil that inhabits the darkness begins to erode her faith in what she believes to be true about herself, her siblings, the vampires, and Armando.

The first episode, Death Comes Home, has had over 2,500 downloads since its release in March. It’s free on Kindle, Kobo, and itunes. All the following episodes are .99.  The installments are between 10,000 to 30,000 words each.

On May 17th, the episode five, the season finale, will be released in all ebook formats. On May 24th, the entire first season will be released as a paperback. Season 2 begins in June 2013.

About the Author

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Rhiannon's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to rhiannonfrater@gmail.com.

Did you want to take part in the blook blitz and/or review In Darkness We Must Abide?

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Cover Reveal: The Midnight Spell

The Midnight Spell
Rhiannon Frater & Kody Boye
Publication date: February, 2013

 

Best friends since kindergarten, Adam and Christy have always been the perpetual outsiders in their small town in Texas.  The other kids call Adam gay and Christy a witch.

On both counts the bullies are right.

Their junior year in high school seems destined to be the same old same old until Christy decides to cast a love spell for Adam at the midnight hour. The next day an alluring and mysterious boy enrolls at school and sets hearts a flutter, including Adam’s. Meanwhile, Christy’s mad crush on the handsome football player Ian seems to be going nowhere fast and her witch puberty is making her life miserable.

When a great evil arrives in town that threatens everything they hold dear, the best friends realize that finding a boyfriend is the least of their worries. Soon Adam and Christy will have to battle a force of darkness that has killed in their town before, and will again.

Cover designed by Phatpuppy Art (photograph by www.gingerleeoriginals.com).

So what do you all think? You all know how fond I am of Rhiannon already and this will be her first YA so there's obviously something awesome brewing in here! As for the cover, I'm a big fan of Phatpuppy Art covers and this one is fabulous as always!

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Sign up for future cover reveals with Xpresso Book Tours!

- Deeper We Fall by Chelsea M. Cameron
- Sworn to Raise by Terah Edun
- Desolate City by Racquel Jones
-Timespell by Diana Paz   

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Pretty When She Kills Tour Stop

Hiya lovelies! I have one of my favorite ladies on the blog today! You all know by now how much she rocks, and that if you haven't read any of her books you are part of my hit list * to talk about reviews! We all write reviews, we all see the drama behind dealing with authors who can't deal with reviews, so here's a look at the other side. But first, zee book:

Pretty When She Kills
Rhiannon Frater
Series: Pretty When She Dies, #2
Publication date: September 7th 2012

 

Amaliya Vezorak never believed in happy endings…

When Amaliya harnessed her necromancer powers to defeat her greatest enemy, she believed she had finally found a happy ending with Cian, her lover and the master of Austin. That happiness is short-lived when the vampire ruling over San Antonio attempts a takeover of Austin in order to capture Amaliya and use her power for his own devices.

To make matters worse, Samantha, Cian’s ex-fiancée, is seeing ghosts, the untested vampire hunters of Austin are running scared as a supernatural war looms, a mysterious man is hunting Amaliya with the help of her one time lover, Pete, and Rachoń, the Summoner’s favorite progeny, appears to be out for revenge.

When Amaliya’s grandmother, a powerful medium, experiences terrible visions that reveal there is another necromancer vampire and she is crying out for help, Amaliya realizes happy endings do not come easily…

Read my review on Pretty When She Dies here!

Guest Post by Rhiannon Frater

What’s Up With Reviews

By

Rhiannon Frater

Ah, book reviews. The single most controversial subject of the last few months in the blogsphere without a doubt is book reviews. There has been scandal after scandal when it comes to one of the single most important aspects of the publishing process. Just when one kerfuffle dies down, another pops up.

Because of all the insanity that has been surrounding reviews I get a lot of questions about reviews.
So to answer those questions…

• Do you ever pay for book reviews?
This has been the latest blow up over reviews. Some authors, some of them quite famous, have been paying for positive reviews. It’s abhorrent as far as I’m concerned and I will never pay for a review. Even though Kirkus Reviews charges Indie Authors for the chance at a FAIR review, I think even that practice is questionable. Once you admit to paying for a review (even if it’s a fair one), you’re sliding down a slippery slope fast. Why would anyone trust any of your positive reviews again? I do not pay for book reviews and I never will. I do provide eBooks for review to bloggers, but I’m well aware of the fact that they may not like my work.

As for authors creating fake names to praise their own work and drag down other writers with negative reviews, I find this to be utterly deplorable. I have not and will never participate in something so loathsome.

• I noticed you have a lot of five star and four stare reviews. If you’re not paying for reviews, then all of those are your friends and family, right?
Actually, no. When I first self-published the AS THE WORLD DIES trilogy in 2008, I asked some friends to write honest reviews. Only four ended up doing so. I have yet to have a family member write a review for my novels. My mom, my most ardent supporter, has never written an online review for any of my books, though she will talk your ear off about how great they are in the grocery store line. My husband has never written a review for one of my books because he doesn’t think it’s ethical. My three brothers aren’t big readers. One of them has read a few of my books, the other two are still working on THE FIRST DAYS. I recognize that some people do push their friends and family to write reviews. I’m not one of them. In fact, I have realized that most of my co-workers, friends, and extended family members were afraid to read my books just in case they were terrible.

One friend came up to me one day and said, “Oh, my God! I’m so relieved. I read one of your books and it was really quite good! I was so afraid it was going to be horrible and I would never be able to look you in the face again!”

She didn’t write an online review, by the way.

• But how are you getting all those four and five star reviews?
I wrote a book people like. With the AS THE WORLD DIES books I have a whole slew of negative reviews, but the positive ones far outweigh them. With my vampire books, the reviews are consistently a lot higher. THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING has the most positive reviews across the board. A few people have told me that fresh perspective is what they enjoyed, so maybe that’s what earns me an extra star or two.

• You must hate negative reviews. They must ruin your sales.
Actually, one of my all-time favorite reviews is a one star review for PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES. I’m convinced it has sold more books than the more positive ones. I have even had fans tell me they picked up the book because of that review. All the things the reviewer hated is what made other readers want to read it.

The reality is that reviews are subjective and people are smart enough to realize that. If a reviewer hates the “blood and gore” in one of my vampire books, that may be the reason someone else will decide to read it.

What adversely affects my sales is no one reviewing my books or knowing they exist. If people are reviewing my novels, that means they’re being read and the word of mouth is getting around.

• So what kind of reviews don’t you like?
If a review is a personal attack against an author, I will stop reading it immediately. Also, if the reviewer skims the book, gets the facts wrong because they skimmed it, and writes a scathing review, those don’t sit well with me either. I’m not too keen on long reviews where the reviewer goes on and on about how they would have written the book, changed the characters, plot line, etc, because at that point the reviewer should just write their own book.

• So how does an author get good reviews?
Write a good book and hope your audience embraces it. There is no secret formula or magical way to get good reviews. It’s almost blind luck that an author writes a novel that a large group of people adores. And even if it’s had a slew of great reviews, a fervent following, and tons of great press, there will still be a segment of the population that will loathe it.

It’s truly sad that the scandals surrounding reviews have now made them all suspect. I look at my books with mostly five and four star reviews and inwardly flinch. Whereas those reviews used to be small trophies of success, I now fear they will be regarded with suspicion and downright hostility.
I’m hoping that soon all this insanity will blow over and people can return to regarding reviews as the honest opinion of readers just like you and me.

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Thanks, Rhiannon! I wish a lot more authors would act the same towards reviews. Some can be very... well... *moves away from keyboard*

Rhiannon's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency.

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Xpresso Reads' Blogoversary Kick Off

Welcome to my 1 year blogoversary celebration week kick-off! 

Get ready for a week of awesome posts and epic giveaways!

Xpresso Reads turns 1!

Xpresso Reads turns one TODAY (September 9th) and I have a great week planned for my fabulous followers, readers, and friends who made it all happen! Without all of my supporters, I wouldn't be where I am today after only one year. I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I started my blog and I am overwhelmed with how much it all means to me now. The blogging, of course, but I have made friends for life as well. I have completely changed the way I see authors and publishers who intimidated me so much just a year ago. I have posts planned that will go into more details on these subjects so Today is just a kick-off THANK YOU and welcome to my blogoversary celebration week! I hope you love what I have planned for you!

What do I have planned? 

Every day I will be posting about different subjects on what an exciting year I had. I will be thanking so many people, talking about my experiences as part of the blogging community, and also answer the questions that I get on a regular basis about my blog. So, this week is all about me? Well yes, yes it is. >.< I will be posting my scheduled reviews as well so you won't miss any epic (or failed) reads!

Did you say giveaways?

What's a party without some prizes? Every day this week I will be including giveaways where you can win some fabulous books, swag, and book related surprises. I have SO many incredible authors and publishers who were very generous to help me make this celebration the best it can be! So don't forget to thank them along the way. They helped make this week fantastic! Plus, where would we be without these fabulous people? *gasp* So THANK YOU to the fabulous authors and publishers who offered goodies for this event. It means the world!

What better way to launch this blogoversary bash than with a chance to win a few of my very favorite books!

Review: The Tale of the Vampire Bride

The Tale of the Vampire Bride
Rhiannon Frater
Series: Vampire Bride, #1
Release date: December 7th 2009
by Library of Horror Press


 

All Lady Glynis Wright ever wanted was the freedom to live her life as she pleased. When her family becomes guests to one of the most fearsome and powerful vampires of all time, Glynis finds her fate is far more terrible than an arranged marriage. The Tale of the Vampire Bride is sure to thrill fans of the terrible, yet romantic vampires of literary past.

I don't give 5-stars often, in fact, half of the ones I gave this year are all for Rhiannon's As the World Dies series, so I was a bit afraid to give this a 5 and have you think it's only because I heart Rhiannon, thus I'm biased, but no, she deserves every single one of these stars. I guess in a way I am biased, she's just one of those authors who could make restaurant menus the best thing you've read all year. She takes a story and gives it heart, filling it with characters who bring it to life; The Tale of the Vampire Bride is no exception.

Set in the 1800s, we go back to the traditional vampire folklore in this old school Dracula tale, which takes us into the life of Lady Glynis Wright and her dark, violent fate as a vampire bride. I was a bit wary at first because I'm not often a fan of stories set in past eras, but once I started reading I could not put it down. The prose is wonderful, I never felt overwhelmed by the old-fashioned ambiance. In fact, I was so entranced by it that the other book I was reading felt too modern. As I keep saying, Rhiannon has a way of addicting you to her words. There is constantly something happening that has you especially intrigued, therefore, you can't ever bare to quit. From beginning to end, the suspense will keep you on your toes, the horror will leave your eyes wide, but don't worry, Glynis stumbles into the arms of a sexy, mysterious lover, giving us a romance that will make your heart aflutter.

Lady Glynis Wright, what can I say? I'm absolutely thrilled by her character. She's stubborn, incredibly determined, and grows immensely throughout the novel. This is another thing I love about Rhiannon's books, her characters are ALIVE. They have depth, personality; they are imperfect and get right inside your heart. Evil and merciless, Vlad is a despicable villain. However, at the same time, he's terribly fascinating. I wanted to know everything about him: his intentions, his past, his customs. Sorry to break it to you, though: this one, he doesn't sparkle.

The setting: I absolutely loved it! The castle, the towns, the carriages - it's all hauntingly beautiful. We're taken back into an era where there are no cars, no electricity, small town living; same as her characters, this is all brought to life. I could see myself walking the streets of Buda, and the Castle halls. It really has incredible charm that's constantly peeking through all the animosity.

Even if you're not familiar with the classic Dracula tale, vampire fans who are craving for an honest to goodness old school vampire story can truly find it all in The Tale of the Vampire Bride. We've got horror, romance, plenty of twists, non stop action, all narrated by a strong, defiant heroine that you will simply adore. 

5 Hot Espressos

Cover Redesign Photoshoot

Be on the lookout for a new cover make-over for this series. Here's some pics from the photoshoot! I love them so much I just had to share. Who else can't wait for the finished product? It's going to be gorgeous!
Photographed by Helena Cruz
 

 

 

The Last Bastion of the Living Tour Stop

Today is a super epic day at Xpresso Reads with the tour for The Last Bastion of the Living that brings you Rhiannon's newest mind blowing novel, her dream cast, my gushing review, and a giveaway! Well, what else can I say? Today, Xpresso Reads is the shizz!

The Last Bastion of the Living
Rhiannon Frater
Release date: June 12th, 2012

Goodreads / Purchase

A walled city surrounded by lush land, protected by high mountain summits, and fortified by a massive gate to secure the only pass into the valley, The Bastion remained humanity’s last hope against the fearsome undead creatures known as the Inferi Scourge. On one fateful day, the valley gate failed and the Inferi Scourge overran and destroyed the human settlements outside the walls, trapping the remaining survivors inside the city. Now, decades later, the last remaining humans are struggling to survive in a dying city of dwindling resources…and dwindling hope.

Vanguard Maria Martinez has lived her entire life within the towering walls of steel. She yearns for a life away from the overcrowded streets, rolling blackouts, and food shortages, but there is no hope for anyone as long as the Inferi Scourge howl outside the high walls. Her only refuge from the daily grind is in the arms of Dwayne Reichardt, an officer in the Bastion Constabulary. Both are highly-decorated veterans of the last disastrous push against the Inferi Scourge. Their secret affair is her only happiness.

Then one day Maria is summoned to meet with a mysterious representative from the Science Warfare Division and is offered the opportunity to finally destroy the Inferi Scourge in the valley and close the gate, reclaiming the lost lands and energizing the populace with renewed hope for the future. The rewards of success are great, but she will have to sacrifice everything, possibly even her life, to accomplish the ultimate goal of securing the future of humanity and saving it from extinction.

*A copy was provided by Rhiannon Frater for review purposes*

Rhiannon and me, it was love at first sight. Those tiny fingers. It was terrifying, it was heartbreaking, there were zombies - I was hers. I was told of an upcoming zombie novel she was writing: In my glass case of emotion, I was ecstatic, squealing with joy; my worship was born. Yes I know, the world I've come to know in As the World Dies has come to a close, but it's ok, because this completely new futuristic world, where zombies have evolved to fantastically creative proportions, is absolutely mind-blowing.

In all seriousness, I've come to not only expect, but to look forward to the exceptional characters who consistently breathe life, soul, and heart into Rhiannon's novels. The Last Bastion of the Living introduces us to Maria: a fierce, capable, transcendent protagonist who is perfectly flawed with fears and uncertainties that make her genuine. She's incredibly easy to root for and basically becomes a friend, someone you grow to care about throughout the story. Maria's not alone at the core of this book, either, we also have Dwayne; sweet, caring Dwayne is Maria's rock, as she is his. Their romance, kept secret because of their rank, is the perpetual undertone of the story. The relationship between them is established from the start and you can easily feel their connection. They complete each other.

Combining romance and terror is a great feat that is done impeccably in this novel. While Dwayne's perspective has me heartbroken and distressed, Maria's is filled with trepidation and horror. It's very interesting to get both sides of the story. Especially when we've got so much skepticism towards the whole project. It's hard to trust anybody in this game. You imagine everything to take a certain direction, when suddenly, you're staggering sideways trying to grasp what is happening. It's such a creative take on zombies that it becomes incredibly fascinating and almost impossible to predict what's in store for Maria. It boggled my mind a few times, leaving me flabbergasted. For this reason I can't say very much else about the plot. But I will mention that the ending is outstanding. It's brimming with endless possibilities that had me sitting there contemplating it for hours. Really, just perfect.

For a zombie novel, I was surprised at how much the setting blew me away. The desolate, overpopulated city; the unstoppable, innumerable zombies beyond the gate; but what really took my breath away, was the immense potential of the valley that they once had, and what has become their only hope. I literally got shivers during a certain monumental scene near the middle, where you know something life changing is happening. Honestly, this is why I've become such a big fan of Rhiannon's writing. The emotions from elation to despair are so powerful, they resonates through these pages and they reach you. And you know what? This reminds me of why I love to read. I do admit to being a picky reader; I often find myself going through what seems to be an endless supply of mediocre books, but it is completely worth it when I find a diamond in the rough like this. A book that makes me feel, that makes me think, and wonder, and ponder, and hope, and smile, and cry. Did I ever expect this from a zombie novel? No freaking way! Well… there you have it!

Unique, potent, unnerving, and full of action, The Last Bastion of the Living will leave readers in a daze. It's so hard! When you love a book this much, it's so hard to put it into words. And almost impossible to do it justice. So I will leave it at this. 

5 Hot Espressos

Guest Post with Rhiannon Frater

Dream Casting for THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING

by 

Rhiannon Frater

I think dream casting is a little easier for fans than it is for writers sometimes. The characters in my mind often look nothing like the actors or actresses gracing the silver screen. They have their own unique look, mannerisms, etc. But it is inevitable that people want to know who I would pick to play my various characters.

Almost as soon as THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING's advance review copies landed in the hands of the review bloggers, I was asked "Who would I cast as so and so in the book?"

I've given it some thought and here are my picks for the characters.

Maria Martinez

The character is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, therefore, Michelle Rodriguez immediately comes to mind.  They share an ethnic background and both are pretty bad ass. Michelle is well-known for her roles as a tough military chick.  Resident Evil and Battle Los Angeles come to mind. I would love to see her play Maria in the big action scenes then also play the love interest of the male protagonist. She's a very good actress and so pretty!

Actress Michelle Rodriguez

Dwayne Reichardt

The love of Maria's life and the man who stands by her no matter what happens is much older than she is. He has a good twenty-five years on his younger lover, but they mesh very well.  He's also a higher rank than Maria and has endured a lot of heartbreak in his life.  They are both survivors of an epic battle gone horribly wrong and they find solace in each other during their recovery.

I'm a huge Bruce Greenwood fan. He was amazing in the reboot of Star Trek as Captain Christopher Pike.  I've had a crush on him forever.  He's Dwayne's age (55), so that works out well.  He also has amazing blue eyes like Dwyane.

Bruce Greenwood

Another pick was suggested by a blogger. George Clooney is also very good at portraying strong men with flaws and a past.  Pop blue contacts in his eyes and he'd be amazing.  He's a little younger at 51, but it still works.

George Clooney

Lindsey Rooney

Lindsey is Maria's best friend, is hyper-intelligent, and is fiercely loyal. She was terribly wounded in the same battle as Maria and Dwayne and has to use a cane.  Her disability never stands in her way and Lindsey plays a very important role in the story.  Trying to select an actress to pick her was a little difficult, but I finally decided on the following choice.

Billie Piper was so good as Rose on Dr. Who that I could really see her doing a great job as Lindsey.  I think she'd put the spunk into the character that is needed.

Billie Piper

Dr. Beverly Curran

Dr. Beverly Curran is the scientist behind the top secret mission Vanguard Maria Martinez volunteers for.   At times compassionate, at other times very cold, the scientist is not always easy to read.  I think Frances McDormand would be the perfect Dr. Curran.

Frances McDormand

Mr. Petersen

Clark Gregg is very well-known for playing Agent Coulson in the Marvel movies, but I would love to see him be the mysterious Mr. Petersen.  A constant thorn in Dr. Curran's side, Mr. Petersen's appearance and mannerisms tend to be very muted and rather on the bland end of the scale. But it quickly becomes clear to Maria he is much more than he appears to be.

Clark Gregg

Chief Defender Obuya Omondi

Omondi is a dynamic man. Big, imposing, intelligent and devoted to the mission, he sometimes appears too loyal to the SWD.  The SWD and Constabulary (the military) have not always gotten along and Maria is not always comfortable with Omondi's blind allegiance.

My pick is Idris Elba. He's a fabulous actor and would be perfect in the role. Also, he's so handsome!  There has been a lot of talk about him being the first black English actor to play James Bond. That would be awesome!

Idris Elba

Medical Specialist Michael Denman

Denman becomes a very important part of Maria's world once she enters the mission. Over time they become extremely close friends and rely on each other when things begin to go horribly wrong.  Denman has more at stake than most of the soldiers on the mission and he is keenly aware that something is amiss.  

I pick Mark Ruffalo as Denman.  Mark always does a great job bringing depth and gravitas to his roles. He would definitely fit into the role and portray Denman wonderfully.

What do you think of my picks?

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Giselle's thoughts: Dude! These totally fit what I had in mind! Especially Clark Gregg he's got the perfect look for a jerkwad! As for Dwayne I'd pick George Clooney because he's just yummy! Thanks so much for dropping by, Rhiannon - again! :D

Rhiannon's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency.

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Review: Blood & Love and Other Vampire Tales

Blood & Love and Other Vampire Tales
Rhiannon Frater
Release date: March 7th, 2012


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Award-winning author Rhiannon Frater delves deep into the vampire mythos in her new short story collection featuring the beautiful, but deadly undead.

Spanning a hundred years and a diverse cast of characters, Rhiannon explores the themes of loneliness, revenge, blood and love in seven tales.

How far will the bloodthirsty vampires go to find love, revenge, and family? Discover the truth in Love & Blood and Other Vampire Tales.

*A copy was provided by Rhiannon Frater for review purposes*

Eeeeh, vampires à la Rhiannon Frater? Yes please!

This vampire anthology gives us vampiric tales from the vengeful to the romantic. Divided in 3 parts, we've got a good bunch of unique short stories that sticks with the classic vampire beliefs. The first part's stories are very short but they're fun; perfect to get you in the mood - like those little preluding mini movies in Pixar films. Although these ones aren't so cutesy. I mean - coming from Rhiannon and all.

All about strong, dependent women who don't take kindly to be treated like trash, part 2 is all about revenge on creeps who deserve it. Treating girls like a possession - manipulating and stalking them - has been ongoing in novels these days so I'm relieved when I read about empowered females who fight back. And these ones surely do. One thing I've noticed about Rhiannon's work is how she handles the fate of the hateful characters. They get everything that they deserve and my sadistic side relishes this! I could not have ended these better even if I tried.

As for part 3, we get a trilogy filled with romance, magic, and a touch of heartbreak. Each short story is a different point of view showing us unique sides of this family's tale. My personal favorite - of this part as well as the whole book - is The Memoirs of Moniki the Great. It's the POV of a little girl who's only 7 years old. Her tale is tragic and heartbreaking, but so very sweet. I loved her voice, she's so compelling she basically put me in her shoes. I felt her pain, her hope, and above all, her innocence. For a short story it was surprisingly profound. It's worth a read just for this one. It's unorthodox, though, as it includes a touch of magic, but I thought it was brilliant. Just a quick note of the final story of this trilogy. It was my first venture in a 2nd person narrative so it was very different for me. I'm not sure I would enjoy reading a full length novel with it, but it was interesting to see it applied.

True to its title, Blood & Love and Other Vampire Tales contains plenty of blood and an abundance of love inside this fantastic variety of vampire themed stories. Fans of Rhiannon Frater - this one's a given! Not a fan yet? You are missing out!

4 Hot Espressos

  Blood & Love and Other Vampire Tales is FREE today and tomorrow!

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Cover Reveal: The Last Bastion of the Living

The Last Bastion of the Living
Rhiannon Frater
Release date: June 12th, 2012

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The Bastion was humanity’s last hope against the fearsome undead creatures known as the Inferi Scourge. A fortified city with a high wall, surrounded by lush land rich with all the resources needed to survive, protected by high mountain summits, and a massive gate to secure the only pass into the valley, the Bastion became the last stronghold of the living on earth. But one fateful day, the gate failed and the Inferi Scourge destroyed the human settlements outside the walls and trapped the survivors inside the city. Now decades later, the last remaining humans are struggling to survive in a dying city as resources and hope dwindle.

Vanguard Maria Martinez has lived her whole life within the towering walls of steel. She yearns for a life away from the overcrowded streets, rolling blackouts, and food shortages, but there is no hope for anyone as long as the Inferi Scourge howl outside the high walls. Her only refuge from the daily grind is in the arms of her lover, Dwayne Reichardt, an officer in the Bastion Constabulary. Both are highly-decorated veterans of the last disastrous push against the Inferi Scourge. Their secret affair is her only happiness.

Then one day Maria is summoned to meet with a mysterious representative from the Science Warfare Division and is offered the opportunity to finally destroy the Inferi Scourge in the valley and close the gate. The rewards of success are great, but she will have to sacrifice everything, possibly even her life, to accomplish the ultimate goal of securing the future of humanity and saving it from extinction.

Drop by on June 12th for my blog tour stop!

I hope you all freaking LOVE this cover as much as I do! I think it's badass and totally perfect! I was honored to test read this for Rhiannon last month and I fell in love with it. I've been a fan of hers since I read her As the World Dies series, and you all know how much I loved that series! Well, I love Bastion just as much - easily became one of my favorite books EVER! It's absolutely original and completely blew my mind. I'm so excited to see others reading it and loving it as well! You can read my enthusiastic pre-review on Goodreads here.

This cover reveal is officially hosted by
The Bookish Brunette as part of Zombie Craze 2012!

How much do you LOVE this?

Review: Pretty When She Dies

Pretty When She Dies
Rhiannon Frater
Series: Pretty When She... Trilogy #1
Release date: November 24th 2008

Goodreads / Purchase

Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry...

... in a new, horrific, unimaginable way...

Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature.

All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind.

But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation... or her death?

What would you do if you woke up buried in the ground? Well Amaliya first took a shower (duh!), then what comes next involves blood. Lots and lots of blood.

Left on her own to find out what she is, and how to survive it, Amaliya has a pretty rough beginning into her new vampiric life. However, she soon proves to be a pretty bad-ass heroine by, well... improvising. She's a fighter through and through. Instead of whining about her horrible situation, she goes out there and figures it out. Embracing it, even. Which I found especially awesome. It's not without a kill or two… or three, but eventually, she finds another of her kind. This is where Cian comes along.

Cian is centuries old, and the master of Austin. He doesn't know what he's getting into when he decides to take Amaliya under his wing. Let me just tell you, it gets hot. Very hot! That is, until Samantha - Cian's human fiancé - and his servant Roberto comes along. Things get very cold, fast. Neither wants Amaliya around, so as you can guess, you can also expect plenty of back-stabbing and betrayals. As usual, good or bad, all the characters are incredibly well written and perfectly flawed. Even the side characters play a major role in the story. I can't fail to mention Sergio and Grandma which, with their humor and charm, became instant favorites.

"It's the irony of being a vampire. Being immortal and being terrified of death."

-Quote in Pretty When She Dies

Gritty and dark, the vampire lore in Pretty When She Dies sticks to the original blood drinking, day sleeping vampires; they're dangerous and violent. I loved the overall world building, in particular, the addition of necromancy (which means we also have some zombies!) that shakes it up a little giving us an extra twisted plot and epic fight scenes. This necromancer - they call him The Summoner - can not only call on, and control, an army of undead, he's also a wickedly malicious and extremely old vampire. This makes him highly powerful as a villain. Believe me, he won't fail to intimidate you. How about this: To lessen his boredom, he creates vampires to set free, stalk, then kill. That's not barbaric at all... This book is definitely not without its fair share of action.

I continue to be blown away by Rhiannon's crack-infused pages; keeping me glued to her words. Combining classic vampire lore, horror, and romance - she has given us another astonishingly compelling read.

5 Hot Espressos

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Cover Reveal - 5 New Covers

Breaking Glass
Lisa Amowitz
Release date: July 9th, 2013
by Spencer Hill Press


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On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, he's not sure whether they're real or if he's losing his grip on reality. Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.

Throne of Glass

Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass, #1

Release date: August 7th, 2012

by Bloomsbury USA Children's

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After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Closed Hearts
Susan Kaye Quinn
Series: Mindjack Trilogy, #2
Release date: May 23rd, 2012

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When you control minds, only your heart can be used against you.

Eight months ago, Kira Moore revealed to the mindreading world that mindjackers like herself were hidden in their midst. Now she wonders if telling the truth was the right choice after all. As wild rumors spread, a powerful anti-jacker politician capitalizes on mindreaders’ fears and strips jackers of their rights. While some jackers flee to Jackertown—a slum rife with jackworkers who trade mind control favors for cash—Kira and her family hide from the readers who fear her and jackers who hate her. But when a jacker Clan member makes Kira’s boyfriend Raf collapse in her arms, Kira is forced to save the people she loves by facing the thing she fears most: FBI agent Kestrel and his experimental torture chamber for jackers.

Mindjack Trilogy so far:

Then You Were Gone

Lauren Strasnick

Release date January 8th, 2013
by Simon Pulse

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Two years ago, Adrienne’s best friend, Dakota, walked out of her life. One week ago, she left Adrienne a desperate, muffled voicemail. Adrienne never called back.

Now Dakota is missing, and all that remains is a string of broken hearts, a flurry of rumors, and a suicide note.

Adrienne can’t stop obsessing over what might have happened if she’d answered Dakota’s call. And she’s growing more convinced each day that Dakota is still alive.

Maybe finding and saving Dakota is the only way Adrienne can save herself.

Or maybe it’s too late for them both.

The First Days
Rhiannon Frater
Series: As the World Dies, #1
Release date: October 30th, 2012 (Mass Market)
by Tor Books

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The morning that the world ends, Katie is getting ready for court and housewife Jenni is taking care of her family. Less than two hours later, they are fleeing for their lives from a zombie horde.

Thrown together by circumstance, Jenni and Katie become a powerful zombie-killing partnership, mowing down zombies as they rescue Jenni's stepson, Jason, from an infected campground.

They find sanctuary in a tiny, roughly fortified Texas town.  There Jenni and Katie find they are both attracted to Travis, leader of the survivors; and the refugees must slaughter people they know, who have returned in zombie form. 

Paperback vs Mass Market:

Don't forget to check out The Bookish Brunette's Zombie Craze that launched today and the official hostess of The First Days cover reveal!

This is a lot of pretty! What do you think, lovelies? Honestly I love them all. Breaking Glass and Then You Were Gone both sound like great upcoming mysteries that I'm undoubtedly exciting to read. Throne of Glass looks like a must read for all fantasy fanatics and the cover is beautiful. Open Minds is a book I've been meaning to read for a while it's been recommended to me numerous times and it sounds right up my alley. The cover for the sequel is gorgeous I freaking love it!! As for the new The First Days cover - right? Pretty awesome! (By cover artist David Franklin) Although, poor zombie has to walk the earth for the rest of his life with a mullet. Hopefully Jenni will punch him to death or something. You can find my reviews of the As The World Dies series here.

Let me know what you think!