After the Virus — Kicks Serious Ass — Review!

After the Virus received a new review on Amazon.com yesterday. I’ve copied & pasted from the Amazon.com page for After the Virus to share here:

4 out of 5 stars

Kicks serious ass, June 28, 2011

By Scott F Gray

This review is from: After the Virus (Kindle Edition)

Deftly mixing post-apocalyptic survivor thriller tropes with a wickedly morbid sense of humor, Meghan Ciana Doidge’s “After the Virus” manages to be both the funniest and most kick-ass action/adventure narrative I’ve read in ages. (Not exactly a spoiler, but skip this but if you like to be completely surprised when you read: “The Boss, completely focused on Snickers, turned to violently vault the girl across the room. Instead, he discovered the three-inch-heel of her previously so impractical shoe buried his throat, which was a bitch, as she’d aimed for his eye.”)

The novel tells the story of two survivors of a world-destroying biological plague — A-list actress Rhiannon, who finds herself the unwitting central figure in the plots of a maniacal fascist boss; and ex-pro quarterback Will, intent on living his life alone but looked to by a population of scattered survivors desperate for someone to lead them. The darkness of the story speaks to the trials of its characters and the strength of its setting (which will particularly resonate with any resident of Vancouver who’s ever asked “Could this city possibly be more unlivable?”) But at the same time, Doidge builds her narrative on a firm foundation of hope for the future, manifested in an 8-year-old girl known only as Snickers, who becomes the point of emotional entanglement connecting Will and Rhiannon as they’re dragged through the darkness and back out again.

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READ SAMPLE CHAPTERS

2nd blog tour post for AFTER THE VIRUS

A. S. Anand has posted an interview we did for my book AFTER THE VIRUS on his blogspot blog. Do take a moment to check out Aman’s book, 2032, if you head over there!

This interview is apart of a blog tour that a few indie authors have organized via the Kindle Publishing Forums. I am looking forward to hosting a few of these posts myself over the next few weeks.

As always, if you are so inclined, you can buy AFTER THE VIRUS and/or read/download some FREE sample chapters.

After the Virus — 2nd Amazon Review!

After the Virus received a second review on Amazon.com yesterday. I’ve copied & pasted from the Amazon.com page for After the Virus to share here:

5.0 out of 5 stars
June 22, 2011
By Mark McLeod

This review is from: After the Virus (Kindle Edition)

Great book!

The main character is an actress trying to survive the dead new world, which is a new approach to the Zombie genera [sic]. The book tells the story of her travails and the people she meets along the way.

There are worse things than Zombies and they walk by us everyday.

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READ SAMPLE CHAPTERS

1st blog tour post for AFTER THE VIRUS…

Ken Badertscher has posted an interview we did for my book AFTER THE VIRUS on his website, ebookfab.

This interview is apart of a blog tour that a few indie authors have organized via the Kindle Publishing Forums. I am looking forward to hosting a few of these posts myself over the next few weeks.

As always, if you are so inclined, you can buy AFTER THE VIRUS and/or read/download some FREE sample chapters.

After the Virus — First Amazon Review!

After the Virus received it’s first review on Amazon.com yesterday. I’ve copied & pasted from the Amazon.com page for After the Virus to share here:

4.0 out of 5 stars
Survival Of The Fittest, June 15, 2011
By R. Jones “music man” (Las Vegas)
This review is from: After the Virus (Kindle Edition)

Plunge headlong into a decaying world of ruined cities, ruined lives, and ruined aspirations. In “After The Virus” you have a detailed look at a world completely off the rails with warring factions determined to re-create that world in degrees of pain and suffering worse that the decimation of the disease that killed 99% of the population. Enter Rhiannon, beautiful, feisty, and determined that she will escape the perils that reach out for her everywhere she turns. Meet Will, strong-willed and silent, bent on restoring his part of that world in a peaceful fashion. Their efforts collide around a mute girl and an injured dog and propel them to the final show-down with an evil expertly crafted to make you wince and shudder. Good solid writing and an action-packed read!

BUY THE BOOK
READ SAMPLE CHAPTERS

An interview for AFTER THE VIRUS…

David Wisehart just posted an interview we did for my book AFTER THE VIRUS on his website, Kindle Author.

It is always fun to chat about the writing process and the inspiration for your stories, so check it out if you want a little insider information about AFTER THE VIRUS.

And/or read/download some FREE sample chapters.

AFTER THE VIRUS – 2nd draft book cover

Thank you for all your feedback (most of it via Facebook). Based on your concerns and, of course, also your “likes” here is a 2nd draft of the book cover for the AFTER THE VIRUS ebook.

I also worked up a version with a biohazard sign and then a version combining the biohazard sign and a smaller bloody handprint, but I like the simplicity of this version and the visual impact (especially in thumbnail size).

Again feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

Writer thwarted, once again, by feline

As I am puttering around this morning–feeding animals, emptying the dishwasher, turning the tomato seedlings–I find I have the opening scene to my story, THE NINTH DRAGON, running around in my head… images, full sentences and all. So I hustle into the office to jot down these thoughts only to discover that I am out of scrap paper. Serendipitously (hopefully!) I have used an entire draft print of my novel, AFTER THE VIRUS, to brainstorm a series of short stories set in that universe.

Anyway, I remember I have some coloured paper upstairs that is who knows how old (5 years maybe) so I grab a 1 inch stack, title and date the top page and settle in to write out the first scene (or at least the parts I have running in my head).

I swear I only turned away for a second, but that is all it took to lose the paper to Leo, pen and all.

I seriously hope this isn’t a commentary on the quality of the writing–the paper makes a better bed than book? Or perhaps I really should just stop reading into every little thing the cats do. They like to sleep on things–end of (potentially dull) story.

Insert even cuter picture here:

Now get back to work! Me, not you. You feel free to do what pleases you.

AFTER THE VIRUS — 1st Draft Book Cover

After spending hours taking photos, photoshopping photos and fiddling with combining photos into a book cover, I decided to scrap everything and try out a text-based-only book cover.

And you know what? I like it. Very much.

What do you think?

Feedback welcomed and always appreciated.