Title Aftermath
Author: Joe Reyes
Publisher: Wasteland Press
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Release Date: 29th April 2016
BLURB supplied by Bewitching Blog Tours
Aftermath is a growing series about war, love, brutality and
most of all, survival. What was once the United States has become a savage
post-apocalyptic environment where the worst of the worst prosper and the
remaining good hide.
The series features a brutal setting, where seven characters
in different parts of the United States must adapt to this new environment. The
"fight or flight" mentality plays into the story, as the nation is
divided into factions fighting for control of the country. The government is
outnumbered, outgunned, and forced into hiding as well to recoup their forces.
The novel follows a fast paced momentum from the first page to the last word.
The plot pits these characters against the elements and each other, with
plot-lines intertwining on opposite sides of the war effort. And one
character's quest for revenge can jeopardize not only the war outcome, but the
reshaping of the entire nation.
With an ever-changing storyline and evolving characters, the
Aftermath series gets more intense with every chapter. But what these characters
don't realize, the terrifying evil is making its way across the ocean.
PURCHASE LINKS
EXCERPT
Sara
“People and beans again?” a raggedy-looking man says as Sara
passes him a plate. He glares down, disappointed, at the meal of perfectly cut
human flesh and a side dish of green beans. Sara hands out more plates to the
group of men huddled around a fire.
“When you guys kill something other than people, you’ll get
something else to eat,” she says with a sarcastic smile, walking off.
It’s near-insane to talk back to these guys. They are
psychotic killers, but she is protected. Marcus, their leader, has taken a
liking to her. So it’s a choice of be killed, be raped and then killed, or be
his willing sex slave.
Sometimes she doesn’t know if she made the right choice.
Before going back to the kitchen, she stops by every group
to see if they all have something to eat. Dozens of groups gather around,
having their breakfast. The field is littered with dirty men and women feasting
on human remains.
Probably over a hundred in total, she guesses.
The Savages is what they are called. The group started after
the bombs fell about five years ago. They were small at first, but they’ve
since grown into a much larger army. This gives them better resources and a
nice cut of whatever they take from towns.
All they do is kill and raid villages. They swoop in, kill,
take everything, and leave. They take in recruits, sometimes, if they seem to
fit the part. The survivors don’t last long. They are usually killed and
displayed as a message to discourage others.
For years they tried the whole nomad lifestyle, but when the
army got bigger, they realized they had to settle down.
It’s a lot easier than constantly uprooting the whole camp.
They have no reason to leave. There are always animals in
the forest. A river provides fresh water and fish. Armies are too afraid to
attack them. They can’t survive an all-out military assault, but the government
has much more important enemies than them to worry about.
They all wear custom-made armors consisting of materials
they find on the road. Sports gear is a big part of it: elbow pads, football
pads, helmets—anything they can find. A lot of it is hand-sewn and made from
animal skins.
The farm would also pose a problem for moving. Horses are
bred and domesticated as transportation. Without cars and without gasoline to
run them, they are a necessary component of life here.
Each Savage has the brand of an S on the back of his or her
shoulder, indicating initiation into the group. It is given after their first
kill. After a big massacre and initiation, they will celebrate with a great
feast: their victims.
Sara never likes thinking about how many people one dead
body feeds. The thought makes her sick. The taste has always bothered her. She
may force herself to eat flesh when she absolutely must, but she is and always
has been a vegetarian . Even when they spruce it up with spices and other
ingredients, it is still a person, and no amount of sauce can change that.
Sara’s stomach starts to rumble. She hasn’t eaten much in
days. Usually, she is able to sneak extra beans and vegetables because the
others love flesh, but the shortage of them is now beginning to hit her.
Hopefully, Penny can get me something, she thinks, walking
into the large kitchen tent. The sight doesn’t help her appetite. Penny is in
the middle of carving someone up.
“Three years of culinary school and I’m making foot filet
for a hundred ingrates,” Penny mocks as she hacks off a foot with a butcher’s
knife.
Sara feels sick again. She covers her mouth to hold the
vomit back. The smell of blood is too much.
“Aww, sweetie, not feeling good?” Penny says affectionately,
walking up to her. She doesn’t get it, her shirt is covered in blood and it’s
making Sara sicker, but she needs a hug.
“New necklace?” Sara asks, seeing a piece of the metal chain
falling from Penny’s shirt.
“One of Eric’s men gave it to me.” A gold snowflake hangs
from the end, surrounded by pretty little stones.
“Which guy?” Sara asks.
Penny’s face betrays her disgust. “The creepy looking one
with the cuts.”
The kitchen tent is filled with people preparing food for
the group. There’s a huge fire going, and the bodies are put on a metal gate
over the fire to barbeque. The Savages know that uncooked flesh can kill them.
They are as smart as they are ruthless. That’s why they’ve been around for all
five years.
“You hungry?” Penny
asks.
Sara shakes her head. “He’ll probably make me eat with him
later.”
Penny sighs but says nothing. They both know what Marcus is
going to do to her. Sara will have to eat flesh again, among other things.
Penny doesn’t like the idea of eating people either, but she is a chef and can
trick herself into thinking she’s eating something else. With all the spices
she’s schooled in, it’s almost easy.
Everyone who doesn’t like it has ways of coping, but most of
the Savages love the taste and the trophy. Eating the very people they killed
makes them feel tougher. Sara would be the first to admit the taste of it isn’t
bad, but that freaks her out the worst.
“You smell nice today,” she says from Penny’s arms, covered
by her blonde hair.
“I found some shampoo. I’ll give you some later tonight,”
Penny says with a smile. “Now come on, you have to bring the men food. The
meeting’s starting.” Penny releases her, only to hand Sara a tray of appetizing
human parts and vegetables. “How do I look?” Sara inquires.
Penny adjusts a few out-of-place strands of hair on her head
and smiles. “You look great.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joe Reyes has never been afraid to go for what he wants in
life. His goal is to be a full time published author and is taking all the
steps necessary to make that dream a reality. He hates when he hears about
people who give up on their dreams.
His writing style is fast paced. When he wrote his novel
Aftermath, he wanted it to feel like a television show. Joe doesn’t like boring
descriptions. He finds filler scenes to be a book killer and makes sure that
every chapter has an immediate purpose or a purpose later on.
Website: https://joereyesauthor.com/
Twitter: @JoeReyesAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joe.reyes.5203
Instagram: @JoeReyesAuthor
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