JeanzBookReadNReview: PROMOTION & REVIEWS - THE ENDING BY LINDSEY FAIRLEIGH & LINDSEY POGUE

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT

REVIEW

AFTER THE ENDING BY LINDSEY FAIRLEIGH & LINDSEY POGUE

ISBN: 978-0988715400/978-0988715417
ASIN: B00BJDUBLU
Series: The Ending Series
Publisher: Self/Indie
Pages/File Size: 478pages/2674KB
Formats Available: Hardback, Paperback, E-Book
Release Date: 21st February 2013

BLURB from Goodreads

The Virus spread. Billions died. The Ending began. We may have survived the apocalypse, but the Virus changed us.

When people started getting sick, “they” thought it was just the flu. My roommate, my boyfriend, my family…they’re all gone now. I got sick too. I should have died with them—with the rest of the world—but I didn’t. I thought witnessing the human population almost disappear off the face of the earth was the craziest thing I’d ever experience. I was so wrong. My name is Dani O’Connor, I’m twenty-six-years-old, and I survived The Ending.

The Virus changed everything. The world I knew is gone, and life is backwards. We’ve all had to start over. I’ve been stripped of my home, my dreams…all that is me. I’m someone else now—broken and changed. Other survivors’ memories and emotions haunt me. They invade my mind until I can no longer separate them from my own. I won’t let them consume me. I can’t. My name is Zoe Cartwright, I’m twenty-six-years-old, and I survived The Ending.

We’ve been inseparable for most of our lives, and now our friendship is all we have left. The aftermath of the Virus has stranded us on opposite sides of the United States. Trusting strangers, making sacrifices, killing—we’ll do anything to reach one another. Fear and pain may be unavoidable, but we’re strong…we’re survivors. But to continue surviving in this unfamiliar world plagued by Crazies and strange new abilities, we have to adapt. We have to evolve.

And more than anything, we have to find each other.

INITIAL THOUGHTS
My favourite genres are dystopian and post apocalyptic so this should be a great read for me. So I guess you could say I approached the book with high expectations.

MY REVIEW
Upon finding Bk#2 in this series on Netgalley I noticed the offer of Bk#1 in the series for anyone that hadn't read it. So I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The cover is fairly simplistic but I think it works really well in portraying a wintery type of barren landscape. I like the Title, Series Title and Author names font and their placement too.
So based on the cover alone would I pick this one up in a book store? Yes though I admit it would be the title and the cover that would draw me to want to know more about the book.
So everyone seems to be contracting a really awful new strain of flu and people are dying. the health advice given on TV and radio are to stay away from the already over crowded hospitals and clinics.
The two main characters in the book are Dani and Zoe and the story is told by them, from their points of view and initially via text messages and emails. Dani is in Seattle and Zoe is in Salem a long way from the supposedly safety of the new colony based in Colorado. Zoe's brother Jason is in the military and he is the one that advises her to make her way to Colorado. Then Zoe in turn asks Jason to pick Dani up on his way to safety too.
Dani has just about given up, her boyfriend Cam has succumbed to the virus and she is not far from death herself when Jason finds her with his band of military friends. Jason's friends have banded together and left their base to find their own loved ones to get them to the "safe colony in Colorado"
The world has totally changed, the electricity has stopped, there's no water in the taps and the stores are being looted and there's no telephones or internet access. Obviously there is a food shortage and medical items shortage as people are just taking what they want for themselves. Also it is still dangerous going into stores and hospitals and private homes in case there are any crazies lurking. After a very close thing one of the group learns this in a harsh way and begin to go everywhere in groups and armed.
So soon Dani and Zoe can't even contact one another. They have to trust in each others ability to survive. Dani and Zoe have been best friends since their young school days. We learn exactly how they met and became best friends in the book. You learn whilst reading the book that the girls characters fit so well. In that whilst one would look on the negative side the other would be positive. Put together the pair of girls make a whole rounded person.
The story flips from Dani and Jason and their problems etc to Zoe and her military friends she has managed to meet up with. Everything seems lost but then one of the survivors finds out she is pregnant which makes it all the more important to get to a larger safer community. The virus does one of three things, 1,Kills you 2,Turns you into a crazy or 3, Gives you some sort of special power. So both groups do come across a lot of dead bodies, though that is gruesome enough even worse is the fights they have with the crazies.
I really grew to love the characters and really wanted things to work out for them. there are some real nail biting situations for both groups.
The ending is such a cliff hanger, it's brilliant as you want to get your hands on the book straightaway! It was so late when I finished reading this book that I didn't start book two but I am going to be beginning to read Into The Fire tonight. So I suppose I should add something about the actual writing of the book. There's always something happening, with suspense and drama aplenty. The books pace is just right. I love how the two authors have co-written the book and would find it interesting how the dynamics worked. Did one author write Dani's part and the other write Zoe's part. the co-writing certainly works well and I'm seriously looking forward to reading more of the book and learning more about the special abilities and the "safe colony" as well as the dangers they will no doubt meet.
So did I enjoy the book? I really loved it. Would I recommend the book? Yes to all post apocalyptic fans young or old. Would I read a Bk#2? I think from my review you will already know the answer to the question a large loud resounding YES! Would I read other books by these Authors? I intend to do that. I'm going to checkout if/what titles are on Goodreads by them and add some to my ever growing longer wish list.

REVIEW

INTO THE FIRE BY LINDSEY FAIRLEIGH & LINDSEY POGUE

ISBN: 9780988715431
ASIN:
Series: The Ending
Publisher: Self/Indie
Pages/File Size:
Formats Available:
Release Date: 22nd November 2013

BLURB from Goodreads
The Virus changed them, but that was only the beginning…
…death…mutation…insanity…corruption…terror…
…all that remains is hope.

In the wake of destruction left behind by the Virus, it took Dani and Zoe months to find each other. But their reunion was short-lived. Dani has been taken, and though little distance separates them, they might as well be worlds apart.

From the moment she hears Dani’s scream, Zoe’s only goal is to save her best friend. She and her companions scramble to come up with a rescue plan, but when a ghost from Jake’s past reappears, lines are blurred, decisions become harder, and secrets are revealed…and some secrets are best left buried. To keep heartache and fear from consuming her, Zoe must cling to her determination. She WILL see Dani again.

Dani awakens inside the final hold-out of civilization: the Colony. Remnants of the former world surround her—electricity, safety, social order—but all is not what it seems. As she faces her most manipulative adversary yet, she loses sight of who she is and who she can trust. Friends become enemies, enemies become allies, and allies will betray her. Dani will have to decide what she’s willing to do and whose lives she’s willing to risk if she is to have any chance of breaking free.

INITIAL THOUGHTS
Approaching this book I am desperate to know who/what has Dani, what they want from her as well as what the others' reactions to Dani being kidnapped will be.
At 16% we are also introduced to a new character called Mase who lives in the colony, though how long he is going to last alive is debatable as he seems somewhat a rebel.
Throughout this book I was really kept guessing what was going to happen. This book has some "on the edge of your seat" scenes within it.

MY REVIEW
I received this e-arc from Netgalley. I like the cover of this book too as it matches the cover of book one with the addition of the fiery orange on this cover. And there is certainly plenty of "fire" in this book. So would the cover of this book make me pick it up in a bookstore? Yes, I'd be attracted to its sparse simplicity which fits the theme of the book of everything being gone.
So from the last book we know Dani has been kidnapped and my suspicions were right, it is people from the colony that have her. The man in charge of the colony General Herodson is a mind bender, so naturally he forces Dani to think she wants to stay at the colony. Dani is given a house, clothes food everything that she needs. In fact it's kind of like being in the "before" the virus as the colony has electricity and hot water. However Dani has this little voice/feeling that things are not quite right. The Gabe injects her with something called "neutraliser" that he has obtained from Dr Wesley and all her memories come back. . . .
(I'll leave that there as you really need to read the book for yourselves.)
So there is a kind of rebellion going on, those who seem to be in this rebellion and who want to help Dani escape are Dr Wesley-Dani feels there is something really familiar about her but she can't quite put her mind to what it is. There's Gabe, the one who lured her to the colony who now seems to be on her side and wanting to help her escape. Then there are Mase and Camille, two Re-Gens . . . what are Re-Gens? Well you need to read the book I can't/won't reveal everything! The very real problem Dani has she doesn't really know who she can trust.
So amid all this action and trying to rescue Dani from the colony there is still time for some relationship angst between Zoe and Jake. Especially when there is a choice Jake has to make between Zoe and his sister Becca . . . . Who does Jake end up choosing. Becca is not the girl Jake knew as his sister, but he cannot prevent the feelings of protectiveness he still has for his sister that he thought had died.
This book has lots of mysteries, some are answered some are not. I do have lots of things going around in my head after finishing this book as I did with Book One. I truly love this series. I'm even more attached to all of the characters. I love the friendship between Dani and Zoe, the fact they would both be willing to risk their own life for the other.
We also see a little bonding between siblings Zoe and Jason. Jason admits the reason he seems to scowl at Zoe all the time is that she looks a lot like their mother, who died in a car crash, or did she? They bond over opening the secret box their dad used to keep from them and hide in the "before". They finally open it together and discover a letter from their mother to their father . . .which is really poignant and then they realise the date on the letter is two days after she died! How can that be? Why did their father keep this secret from them?
The book ends on a mixture of emotions happiness yet sadness, and hope against the odds. I love the pace of the book, always something going on. This book has the extra point of view of Mase for a couple of chapters as well as the much appreciated chapters from Dani and Zoe's point of views as in Book One.

So did I enjoy the book? Put simply I loved it! Would I recommend the book? Oh, Yes! Would I want to read another book in this series? Definitely as soon as its available please! Would I read other titles by these co-authors? Yes both books they have written together or written individually too.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

LF: No. When I was younger, and during some of college, I wanted to be an Egyptologist. I’m still not quite sure why, but I decided to apply to teaching Masters programs rather than archaeology or Egyptology PhD programs and ended up teaching middle school for a few years. I don’t regret any of the career choices I’ve made because they’ve led me to discover that writing is exactly what I should be doing. Sometime down the road I may fit in that Egyptology PhD as well…

LP: I always loved writing and dreamed of the day I could live the life of an author. However, I’ve always been a realistic person, perhaps to a fault. I went to school for degrees that were practical and had jobs that were functional, but I never really found my niche; radio, journalism, event management, fund raising, personal assistant…all jobs left me wanting. After the death of someone close to me, I started to ask myself what my regrets would be if I died tomorrow. Knowing I would regret compromising my dream to be a writer, I decided to do something about it.

Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others?

LF: For me, writing the second books in both our Ending Series and in my solo Echo Trilogy has been a lot easier than writing the first books because I already knew the characters so well. That being said, I made the silly decision to work on two completely different series at the same time, which sometimes leads to some character and setting confusion in the ol’ noggin.

LP: Although we’ve researched viruses and some of our settings in order to make The Ending series more “realistic” and somewhat plausible, we’ve been able to take a lot of liberties in our storytelling. While I can definitely use creative license in my new project, Wrecked, it’s proving to be much more of a process since I’m researching regency lifestyle, how to survive on a deserted island, the clothes aristocrats wear and how they talk, healing properties in plants…the list goes on. It’s definitely a challenge, but I’m loving the journey!

What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?

LF: I can’t imagine ever writing anything that doesn’t include an element of the fantastical. I find that I quite enjoy exploring the boundaries of real and unreal. I also can’t imagine ever writing anything completely devoid of a romance storyline, though I would bet that it will usually take a backseat to whatever the main storyline is (as in After The Ending, Into the Fire, and Echo Prophecy).

LP: Oh boy. I have so many notebooks filled with story ideas that I’d love to pursue, I hope that one day I can actually get them all down on paper from start to finish. Like LF, all of them will have a romantic element to them, but I see myself exploring a variety of genres like contemporary romance, maybe more science fiction, new adult, and historical fiction.

What genre would you place your books into?

LF: Science Fiction Romance. Specifically, Post-apocalyptic Romance for The Ending Series and Time Travel Romance for the Echo Trilogy. Though the latter also fits quite well in Paranormal Romance despite its lack of vampires, witches, fae, angels, or shapeshifters.

LP: I think The Ending series could also be considered New Adult, which is a genre I plan on writing more books in.

Where do you get your book plot ideas from? What/Who is your inspiration?

LF: My crazy brain and the characters who live inside my head. I honestly don’t know where they come from—possibly from my crazy vivid dreams, I suppose. Team plotting is one of the best parts of co-writing. LP and I usually spend several evenings brainstorming (with wine, of course!) before we start writing the next book in The Ending Series.

LP: I actually get my ideas from observing the world around me or “staring” as my fiancé calls it. Whether it’s television, books, the news, the couple sitting beside me in a restaurant having dinner, I’m always noting interesting story ideas and plot twists to use in the projects I’m working on.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?

LF: It depends. I read all of the reviews on a new release to gauge reader reaction. When I’m writing the next book in a series, I don’t read any negative reviews of the earlier books because I don’t want any knee-jerk reaction I might have to influence the direction of the book I’m working on. After all, authors write for the readers who love their books, not for those who don’t. Haha…I think the funniest (to us) negative review After The Ending received went something along the lines of: this book would be good if it didn’t have the emotional drama, superhuman abilities, or romance. Which pretty much is everything that makes The Ending Series unique. It’s definitely not a tough-guy hardcore guns-a-blazin’ post-apocalyptic tale, and I think that catches some people off-guard because there aren’t many books in the Post-apocalyptic genre that aren’t like that.

LP: Agreed 100%. As for negative reviews, some criticisms can be helpful, others can be cruel. It’s one thing to read them initially and get a feel for the overall success of your book, but it stops there. However, the good reviews are always worth reading.

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?

LF: Absolutely not.

LP: Ditto

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")

LF: It’s not really hidden, but we started off writing After The Ending wanting to convey the idea that things like friendship, love, and hope are what make surviving in post-apocalyptia worth all of the effort.

LP: We definitely wanted to write science fiction that had emotion in it, that was more realistic to the human condition. People get scared, they fall down, they question who they are and what they can handle before they get up and deal with life. We wanted Zoe and Dani to be “real”.

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback)

LF: I’m currently reading The Rose Garden by Susana Kearsley and I love it. I’ve been switching back and forth between paperback and audio (Audible rocks!) so I can keep “reading” while I cook/walk.

LP: I just finished The Other Countess, a proper romance by Eve Edwards to keep me in the mood for writing my own historical romance Wrecked. I also just downloaded some new New Adult authors on my Kindle that I’m anxious to get started on. Can I just say that I love BookBub deals!

How does the writing process work with two authors?

LF: It’s pretty straight forward the way we do it. I write both Dani’s and Mase’s perspectives while LP write’s Zoe’s perspective. I think the biggest complication is having to mesh timelines, especially when the POV characters are in the same location.

LP: I have a feeling that Out Of The Ashes and our untitled book four will be a bit more complicated. Our characters will be really intertwined and our storylines, as usual, will have to mesh perfectly. So as we move forward we’ll need to work more closely together than we have had to in the past. But that being said, we’re a great team and like working together, so it’s fun and exciting to think about. I can’t WAIT to start on book three!

Do you ever disagree on the direction of a character or the plot?

LF: Not that I can think of. Usually if one of us has an idea that is different from what we’d been intending, we discuss it, where it could take the character/story, and how it would change events in the fictional world down the road. It usually starts with a “Wait…what if…” and then ends with the story being that much better.

LP: Plus, we’ve gotten really good at taking a step back from the story and our execution to listen to our intuition. We seem to agree on each other’s input naturally, and I think that stems from being equally invested in the world we’ve created together…and the fact that we’re such good friends and generally operating on the same wavelength.

Do you write alone as a sole author of a book too? If so which do you enjoy most?

LF: I do—I wrote Echo Prophecy, the first book in the Echo Trilogy, on my own. I don’t really think I enjoy one more than the other. They’re just different.

LP: In the near future, I’ll be finishing up my first solo novel, Wrecked, which is a scandalous Jane Austen story meets Swiss Family Robinson—historical romance with adventure and survival. It’s so much fun to write, but it’s also a lot of work getting to know new characters and creating a new, lavish, and colorful world. But at the same time, Zoe and Jake are knocking around in my brain, wanting to get down on paper, so their equally exciting for me as well.

Do you enjoy writing with another author more than writing alone?

LF: In some ways, very much so, yes. Writing with LP is sort of like having a security blanket or knowing there’s one of those giant air pillows at the bottom of a long drop (like they use for movie stunt people). Just knowing she’s by my side makes me braver and my skin thicker. It’s entirely possible that I’m slightly co-dependent.

LP: There’s definitely something to be said for having a partner in crime. It’s a really great feeling knowing that there’s someone there who is equally invested and therefore brutally honest when it comes to decision making. More importantly, there’s someone to celebrate and giggle with, which are both very important.

Where can readers follow you?

The Ending Series website: http://www.theendingseries.com/

Lindsey Fairleigh’s website: http://www.lindseyfairleigh.com/

Lindsey Pogue’s website: http://www.lindseypogue.com/

Facebook (The Ending Series): https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheEnding

Facebook (Lindsey Fairleigh): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lindsey-Fairleigh/220345161400603

Facebook (Lindsey Pogue): https://www.facebook.com/lindseypogueauthor

Twitter (@TheEndingSeries): https://twitter.com/TheEndingSeries

Twitter (@LindsFairleigh): https://twitter.com/LindsFairleigh

Twitter (@LindseyPogue): https://twitter.com/LindseyRPogue

Goodreads (The Ending Series): https://www.goodreads.com/series/99139-the-ending

Goodreads (Lindsey Fairleigh): https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6551703.Lindsey_Fairleigh