Title: Before the Dawn
Series: The Ending #4
Author: Lindsey Fairleigh & Lindsey Pogue
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
Publication date: November 20th 2015
BLURB supplied by Xpresso Book Tours
A year ago, the Virus killed off most people in the world.
A year ago, strange things started happening to those who survived. Some of them transformed into something dark and sinister, while others evolved, becoming something more, something beyond human.
A year ago, Dani and Zoe were lost. They traversed the country to find one another, losing some of the people dearest to them along the way. They fought for their right to simply live, uncovered long-buried secrets, and discovered irreversible truths. And after everything Dani and Zoe have been through—even with the battle wounds that they bear—they’re still not safe.
It’s time for the struggling to end, for survivors to take back their lives, their families, their safety. It’s time to really begin to live, and to do that, they must wait for the first rays of dawn.
A year ago, strange things started happening to those who survived. Some of them transformed into something dark and sinister, while others evolved, becoming something more, something beyond human.
A year ago, Dani and Zoe were lost. They traversed the country to find one another, losing some of the people dearest to them along the way. They fought for their right to simply live, uncovered long-buried secrets, and discovered irreversible truths. And after everything Dani and Zoe have been through—even with the battle wounds that they bear—they’re still not safe.
It’s time for the struggling to end, for survivors to take back their lives, their families, their safety. It’s time to really begin to live, and to do that, they must wait for the first rays of dawn.
PURCHASE LINKS
TEASERS/EXCERPTS
“It’s—” I choked on a sob. “It’s happening again, isn’t
it?” Seeing him so upset, so closed off from me, was more than I could bear.
“I’m going to lose you, too…” I sniffled, one hand crossed over my stomach,
gripping onto my side almost painfully as I tried to keep myself rooted—keep
myself standing—the other hand still shielding my tears. I didn’t want to upset
my dad more than he already was, but I couldn’t stop the racking sobs that
threatened to drop me to my knees.
- Zoe
I reached up and interlocked my fingers behind his
neck so I could pull his face down to my level. I pressed—no, smashed—his lips
against mine, kissing him more fiercely than I’d done in ages. “I love you,
too, you big turd,” I said against his lips. “So be careful out there and come
back to me.” I kissed him again, hard. “Or. Else.”
Jason made a noise that was part laugh, part groan,
and utterly hoarse. He pulled away, and I watched his eyes search mine, trace
over the lines of my face, memorize me. Finally, he smiled, just a little.
“Yes, ma’am.”
- Dani
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
LINDSEY FAIRLEIGH
Lindsey Fairleigh lives her life with one foot in a book—as long as that book transports her to a magical world or bends the rules of science. Her novels, from post-apocalyptic to time travel and historical fantasy, always offer up a hearty dose of unreality, along with plenty of adventure and romance. When she’s not working on her next novel, Lindsey spends her time reading and trying out new recipes in the kitchen. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her two very confused cats.
AUTHOR LINKS
LINDSEY POGUE
Lindsey Pogue has always been a little creative. As a child she established a bug hospital on her elementary school soccer field, wrote her first YA manuscript in high school, and as an adult, expresses herself through writing. Her novels are inspired by her observations of the world
around her—whether she’s traveling, people watching, or hiking. When not plotting her next storyline or dreaming up new, brooding characters, Lindsey’s wrapped in blankets watching her favorite action flicks or going on road trips with her own leading man.
around her—whether she’s traveling, people watching, or hiking. When not plotting her next storyline or dreaming up new, brooding characters, Lindsey’s wrapped in blankets watching her favorite action flicks or going on road trips with her own leading man.
AUTHOR LINKS
XPRESSO BOOK TOURS
Q&A
with
Lindsey Pogue (LP) & Lindsey Fairleigh (LF)
LP (Lindsey Pogue): We were both working at a
bookstore a few years ago, and we were on our way home from a tradeshow in
Oakland. I think we were high from the smell of new books or something because
we were giddy and started chatting about writing and stories and it bloomed
from there. We started brainstorming characters and story arcs, and before we
knew it, we had Zoe and Dani outlined and a title for our project.
LF (Lindsey Fairleigh): Yeah, we had the entire
premise set up by the time we parted ways that evening.
What motivated you to write a post-apocalyptic romance series? Have you
always been science fiction fans?
LP:
Romance fan, yes! Science fiction…not so much. My dad was a sci-fi reader when
I was growing up, so I was surrounded by books with spaceships and laser guns
on the cover. I assumed that was all the science fiction genre consisted of.
Clearly, I was wrong. When LF and I first started The Ending project, I wanted
to write and
embrace my creativity. Our collaboration was going
to be that outlet for me so I committed myself, not caring what the genre was.
Since then, I’ve started to read more dystopian novels and am fascinated with
the intricacy of some of the more epic science fiction storylines.
LF: I, on the other hand, have always been a
fantasy and science fiction fan. My love of romantic themes didn’t develop
until later, but now I find myself losing interest in a book if it doesn’t
include at least a little romance or sexual tension. As for our motivation to
write a new adult post-apocalyptic romance series—we both love YA books like
Divergent, Shatter Me, and Hunger Games, and wanted to create something
similar, just with more adult themes.
LP:
Although our book is fiction, we tried to make it as realistic as possible. We
did as much research as we could before taking our own creative licenses and
adding things into our post-apocalyptic world that might not have been there
otherwise. Overall, we try to keep the reader engaged and constantly thinking
“what if”.
LF: There were a few “real world” things that we
tweaked for the sake of the storyline, possibly the most obvious being that the
internet stays up for a few weeks after almost everyone is dead, but we stuck
with it because of the way the project originated. In the beginning, the entire
thing was epistolary--it was all written in the form of emails between Dani and
Zoe. We changed that, thankfully, but felt the need to retain the email
communications because they were the original heart of the story--everything
else formed around them.
LF:
Dani is definitely someone who proves that first impressions can be misleading.
She’s a tiny redhead with a feisty personality to match her fiery hair, and if
you don’t spend much time getting to know her, she seems silly and a little
flighty. But, as we learn throughout After The Ending and Into The Fire, this
is simply a disguise she’s been wearing since childhood. She fears that if
people get to know the real her—the intelligent, thoughtful, independent, and
deeply caring person she really is—they’ll reject her. Of course, she doesn’t
wear this
emotional mask around her best bud, Zoe…and
therefore not around Zoe’s older brother, Jason, either…making them some of the
few people who know the real Dani.
LP: Zoe is…complicated. She’s in her own head a
lot, stands in her own way, and is loyal to a fault when it comes to Dani—the
one consistent person she’s ever had in her life—so she clings to their
friendship above all else. But on the flipside, she’s also extremely passionate
and determined, which in the end, will help her rediscover herself in the new
world of The Ending. We see her growing a bit stronger in book two, Into The
Fire, but it’s book three where the readers will really get to know Zoe
Cartwright.
LP: Go with your gut and keep in mind that you will
NEVER please everyone—the latter is something I’m coming to terms with during
this process.
LF: Put your manuscript aside for a month or
two—like lock it away in a safe and don’t peek at it even once—and then when you
look at it again, you’ll have all these new ideas for improving it. I know a
ton of people have already said it, like Steven King, but there’s a
reason--they’re right!
LP: Not everyone writes the same, has the same
imagination, or shares the same work habits. Find what works for you and
embrace it. Try not to compare yourself to other authors because it's
exhausting and your quirks are what make you unique.
LF: Write for you...the only way you’ll know if
other people like (or hate) your words is if you write them down. And yes, no
matter what, some people will hate them.
LP: It has always been easier for me to write down
how I feel as opposed to communicating it to someone aloud. I started writing
in journals at a very young age and inevitably my ideas, dreams, and life
experiences starting turning into more than that. Little bits and pieces of my
observations and of my life turned into story lines, and soon fictional
characters and plots began to develop until I had so many story ideas that I
had to invest in cases of floppy disks (yes, real plastic floppy disks) to save
all my stories onto. I’ve been writing so long that as I go back now and read
through some of my stories from ten years ago, I can’t help but laugh because
they are so horrible.
LF: I think it goes back to the fact that I tend to
spend half of my life in some other, completely fictitious world. I loved the
worlds and characters that other people created so much that they almost seemed
real to me. And, without meaning to, I started to create my own imaginary
worlds and my own imaginary people...but they only lived in my mind. To make
them more “real” I needed to write their stories, to describe their worlds on
paper. Once I started, it was like everything slipped into place. Writing just
feels...right.
LP:
I’d like the readers to consider this our interpretation of the humanistic side
of things. I think we provide a pretty realistic picture of what life would be
like after The Ending (maybe minus all the hot guys running around). Yes, Zoe
and Dani are in their twenties, but that’s young and they’re alone, and the
world as they know it is ripped out from under them. There is so much for them
to process, and they are scared and grasping for any sense of normalcy they can
find. For them, sometimes that means crying too much, distracting themselves
with men, and making poor or rash decisions. Are
they acting immature? Maybe, but unrealistic would be having them pick up a
rifle and start blasting people without a second thought. Our heroines have a
lot of maturing to do throughout the series, so partially I think we wanted to
show Dani and Zoe as they were prior to The Ending, and as the series
progresses, how they grow.
LF:
Hmmm...maybe that the apocalypse doesn’t have to be entirely about death and
sadness. That’s not to say that those things aren’t present throughout the
books--I think Dani and Zoe have emotional and mental breakdowns nearly every
other chapter--but we really wanted to highlight the undeniable power of hope,
love,
LP: I think I speak on behalf
of both of us when I say that as much as we would LOVE to have The Ending
Series turned into a movie or show, it's not something that's necessarily up to
us. It's been our experience that producers approach authors, not the other way
around. And we aren't out there pitching a screenplay to anyone at this point
in time. Plus there's always the fear that once the rights to your work are
sold to someone, you have no control over what they will do with those rights.
Many books get picked up by movie studios but nothing ever comes of it, so
you've sold the rights to your book that you can't get back for years, if you
can ever get them back again. BUT, even with all of that being said, we would
love the see the world of The Ending on the screen, to see it more developed
and explored and our characters in action. The idea of having the series turned
into an AMC or HBO series would be our dream come true. We wouldn't scoff at a
movie, either, but there's just so much that can be done with the story, a TV
or mini series would be able to dive in more and would be our ideal choice. We
shall see what happens...
LF: What she said! All of it is dead on, which makes sense because this
is something we talk about with each other A LOT. I mean, how could we not?
What author wouldn't love to see their creation come to life? I'd be ecstatic
to have the chance to see how someone else interprets our world and characters,
but...I'd also be scared. Because, you know, what if it's all wrong?! That
being said, I'd be way more ecstatic and excited than I would be scared, so,
yeah. :)
What projects, if any, are you both going to work on together? Will they
be in the world of The Ending?
LF: LP and I have three Ending projects planned
down the pipeline - two that are much more immediate and one that's definitely
a several years out project, as we'd like to develop our other, separate
projects and grow individually as writers and creators. The two more immediate
projects are titled The Ending Series: World Before and The
Ending Series: World After, and both are story collections featuring our
favorite Ending Series characters, but not focused solely on Dani and Zoe.
LP: The stories in World Before will
take place prior to the Virus outbreak--five, ten, maybe even twenty years
before in some cases. The stories in World After will be
continuation stories that take place after The Ending Series book four.
Depending on the characters we choose to write about, their stories could take
place months or maybe even years after Before The Dawn. As for the
third project, that will be a ways out, as LF mentioned, but we've left the
world of The Ending open for many possibilies. :)
What
made you both choose this type of story?
LP: If my memory serves correctly, the type of story was LF’s idea.
She’d been playing around with a dystopian, post-apocalypse idea for a while.
Maybe not for an actual book, but a project around two friends and their
communication during such a cataclysmic event. Clearly, it turned into much
more, but that’s the spark that lit the fire, so to speak.
LF: Yep, that’s pretty much right. I’m not sure where I got the idea,
but it had definitely been rolling around in my head for a little while. Maybe
it was because I’d been away from my own hometown for several years at that
point, and I was feeling the distance that can develop between friends even in
our uber-connected age. What might it be like if we didn’t have cell phones,
etc? I was curious, so LP and I explored the idea together...and voila! Dani
and Zoe sprang to life. :)
Have
you both enjoyed writing them?
LP: I can easily say that without LF I probably would never have
dove head first into the writing world, or I should say publishing world.
Writing is one thing, but turning it into something that hundreds--maybe thousands--of people have the potential to see is taking a
passion for writing to a whole other level. It was amazing embarking on this
journey with someone, and I know I will never regret it, as long as I live.
LF: Yes! Word! Precisely! Writing is hard and painful at times, and
putting our story out there was terrifying...and sometimes VERY painful. But
the hard times were minimized by sharing this journey together, that’s for
sure. Aaaaand, the good times, the joys and successes and holy-sh!ts, felt so
much bigger because there was always someone else who was just as invested,
just as excited. Writing the Ending Series has been highly enjoyable...writing
it together has only made it more so.
Your
characters feel like real people to me, are any of them based on people you
know?
LP: Ha! Not really, though there are aspects of people I know that are
sprinkled throughout Zoe and “her” characters. There are some aspects of my
fiance in Jake, mostly because his characteristics felt natural to write having
known him for over 10 years, and Harper is the best guy friend I always
wanted--Morgan from Criminal Minds. I can’t think of any others....
LF: Nope! Just people I know in my head...
Did
you start writing from an early age? What are your inspirations?
LF: I didn’t, but I know LP did. I was more of a voracious bookworm.
LP: I did start writing at an early age, and I think it was a coping
mechanism for me. Life and puberty was difficult for me, especially in high
school so it helped to have an outlet, so to speak. My life is pretty much
normal now, but writing is a way I can experience living through someone else’s
eyes--in another world with people I find fascinating and going on adventures I
wouldn’t otherwise have. I can research things I would never learn about
otherwise, and just have fun. Although writers say this a lot, it’s true: being
out in the world, living everyday life in the presence of others is where I get
my inspiration. People’s losses, their conflicts, the things that make them
smile...there’s nothing like going to a funeral or witnessing a couple making
up in a public place to bring you back to humanity and the way people interact.
Where
did you come up with the idea for each "disease"?
LP: I’ll let LF take this one. She was the brains behind this. There was
a day-long note and study session at the library that helped us move things
along, but the Virus lives inside her head. I’m still fact-checking with her to
make sure certain things work and make sense.
LF: Oh my gosh, this part was hard! I guess you could say we reverse
engineered the virus. We decided on the “rules” - that some people would be
affected differently than others (Abilities vs “Crazies”). I created some
psuedo-science and mixed it together with modern genetics and came up with a
type of gene therapy delivered to the patient/victim via a flu virus. It makes
sense, you see. Because science. Sort of...
***GIVEAWAY***
eBooks of books 1-3 (INTL)
Audiobooks of books 1-3 (US/CAN)
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