The
Dead Days Journal by Sandra R Campbell
Publication
date: March 30th 2015
Genres:
Dystopia, New Adult
Synopsis:
The daughter
of a radical doomsday prepper, Leo Marrok spent her entire life
preparing for the end. A skilled fighter and perfect marksman, Leo is
her father’s second-in-command when Armageddon comes to pass.
Together, they lead a group of survivors to a secure bunker deep in
the Appalachian Mountains.
Vincent
Marrok is willing to take extreme measures to repopulate their broken
world. Leo’s refusal marks her as a traitor. With father and
daughter at odds for the first time, their frail community is thrust
into turmoil. Until the unthinkable happens, a blood-thirsty horde
arrives. The impending attack will destroy all that they have worked
for.
To
protect her home and everything she believes in, Leo puts her faith
in the arms of the enemy—a creature only rumored to exist—the one
she calls Halloween. An alliance born out of necessity evolves into
feelings Leo is ill-equipped to handle.
The
Dead Days Journal is
a post-apocalyptic story of love and family told through Leo Marrok’s
first-hand account and the pages of Vincent’s personal journal,
giving two very different perspectives on what it takes to survive.
Mature
themes, adult language, sexual situations, violence and gore. 18+
Purchase:
Excerpt:
“Count
like this: one Mississippi, two Mississippi, and so on until you
reach one hundred and thirty. Then light it. I’ll be counting with
you.”
If
I ran fast enough, I’d make the front entrance before our
distraction went sky high. Lincoln and I were finally using the
fireworks he’d been hording, along with my father’s highly
combustible concoction of extra fine sawdust and gunpowder. By no
means was this a celebration, but an explosion, even of the sparkly
variety, would draw everyone’s attention to the cave and away from
the courtyard—away from Halloween. I just had to reach him before
anyone noticed.
Once
he gets a taste of my blood, he’ll be fine.
I
double-checked the fuses I’d twisted together and the ignition line
we’d run along the dirt floor. I wasn’t entirely sure the cave
opening wouldn’t collapse; but if it did, well, it’d be one less
entrance we’d have to worry about protecting.
“As
soon as this sparks, head to the outlook room. You’re my eyes and
backup if anything goes wrong. Are you sure you’re up for this,
Linc?”
Lincoln
re-adjusted the shoulder strap of his rifle. The gun was almost as
tall as him. “Yeah.”
I
ruffled the white-blond hair on the top of his head with the palm of
my hand, fighting the urge to give him a bone-crushing hug. “Okay.
Be careful, baby brother.”
Lincoln
stumbled forward, reaching for my arm. “Leo, wait!”
“What
is it?” Please do this for me. It’s Halloween’s only chance.
Lincoln’s
pale green eyes pooled with tears. “I’m sorry…”
I
snatched my arm out of his tender hands. “What?” Shit, it’s
almost dark! We don’t have time for this.
Lincoln
shuffled his feet and then watched as a small dirt cloud dispersed
over his shoes. “I called you a liar. I only said it because I was
mad. That vampire wasn’t a dream. He was real. The dream didn’t
come back, he did. You never lied to me.”
I
bent over, took his round chin in my hand, and raised his head.
Looking him square in the eye, I gave a hard nod. “And I never
will.”
Lincoln
responded with a curt nod of his own and then swiped away a falling
tear. He believed me. I was his big sister. I’d always be there for
him. He’d never doubt me. We’d never have this
misunderstanding again. And now I knew I’d never be able to leave
him.
“Start
now…” I slipped through the steel door.
Behind
me, in a soft soprano voice, Lincoln began counting. “One
Mississippi, two…”
The
door clicked shut and I took off at a dead run, silently counting
along with him.
AUTHOR
BIO:
Sandra
R. Campbell lives along the tranquil waters of the Chesapeake Bay
with her husband and weight challenged cat. She can trace her passion
for the macabre back to reading Edgar Allen Poe as a child, with her
pet crow, Big Fellow, by her side. She has since submerged herself in
a wide range of dark literature. An avid thrill seeker, Sandra is
always looking for her next big adrenaline rush, and when spelunking,
diving and monster hunting fails to deliver, she turns to the
creation of through-the-rabbit-hole worlds and sends her characters
on their own adventures. Sandra also writes children's stories, is a
member of the Maryland Writers' Association, the head of a M.W.A.
critique group, and the founder and co-author of Waterfrontwriters.com.
Author
links:
