Showing posts with label apocalypse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apocalypse. Show all posts

Thursday, August 19, 2010

The Autumn Series, by David Moody Review

The Autumn Series by David Moody
Reviewed by JJ Ritonya

The first zombie novel I ever read was Autumn, by David Moody. He'd put a free PDF out somewhere on the Internet and I somehow stumbled upon it. When I was done with the Autumn, I was so enamored with it that I immediately began looking for more of his work and was thrilled when I found out he had three other novels which served as sequels to the original Autumn. Two were out already which I purchased and tore through then chomped at the bit until the final novel was released.
After reading the four novel series, I found myself longing to write again. I hadn't done it seriously in years and decided why not now? I even corresponded briefly with Moody, telling him of how he inspired me to write my first novel and asked for any advice he'd offer. He graciously replied with some tips and offered other advice which I found very valuable. To date I've read everything Moody has published and will probably review another of his novels or series at some point.
A quick summary: After a cataclysmic event, most of the population of the world dies. Was it a disease or some other-worldy event? No one knows. The people die in seconds and act as if they can't breathe. Their throats expand and burst inside their necks, churning up blood from their eyes, noses and mouths. After a few days, the dead rise again, hungry for human flesh. The survivors must deal with not only the dead, but the living as well.
Other than inspiring my writing career, I found the Autumn series to be one of the best zombie series I've ever read. Other reviews I found weren't so kind but I found it compelling, believable and had a hard time putting it down. The main character was likeable and I wanted him to pull through the ordeal. But the one thing I take from the books was the feeling of hopelessness Moody conveyed through the images and emotions of the characters. I felt as if I could taste the bitterness they felt in a world they no longer recognized or probably even wanted to live in. They had no choice but to keep on living, so they did.
I'd recommend these books to just about anyone who loves horror, zombies or the apocalypse. They drew me in and kept me there night after night.
The free PDF of Moody's original Autumn is no longer available but I've read it was downloaded by more than half a million people.
David Moody's website is here. You can learn more about him, purchase books and contact him like I did if you wish. Currently he is working on the Hater trilogy, which I've read the first of. But that review is for another time.
-JJ
http://www.djmoody.co.uk/
http://www.jjritonya.com/

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Hubbert's Peak Trailer

New Hubbert's Peak trailer released. Check it out here.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Almost Christmas!

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Christmas. Stay warm and be good to each other.
This month's drawing will be coming up soon so if haven't already, sign up to become a site member at http://www.jjritonya.com/.
Thanks again for your support...and for those of you who are waiting for Sunset 2, here's a small teaser.

Sunset: Bloodstained by JJ Ritonya

An explosion rocked the “TAP” sending the survivors scurrying for cover. The building shook as if it were going to collapse and drop them eighteen stories to their death. Luckily, the building the group now called home stood in downtown San Francisco and had been engineered to withstand a 7 in the Richter scale. The blast that just occurred barely registered above a 1. The “TAP” was short for Trans American Pyramid, the structure resembling a towering pyramid.
Brandi, the newest member of the group peered out from under the table she had crawled under. She arrived just a few days earlier with her companion and newly found lover, Stanley, who was currently on a recon mission with another member of the group, Green.
Lipman, the mechanic of the group sat up from where he snoozed on the couch and looked around frantically for Joan.
“What the hell was that?” Joan cried as she picked herself up from the floor.
Gunney, a former tow truck driver and reservist in the United States Army stood at the western facing windows and looked down toward the street. He stood on his tip-toes in an attempt to get a better view.
“I can’t see anything from here. Just some smoke. Whatever it was…”
Another explosion rocked the building. Gunney ran toward the north side of the building, where the report from the blast seemed to originate. The rest of the group followed in his path just as McCaffery came out of the rest room.
“What the hell is goin’ on?” he cried as he finished pulling up his trousers.
“Don’t know,” Joan answered hurriedly on her way past.
The group reached the north end of the building, each pushing their noses to the glass, desperate for a glimpse of what had caused the commotion. Black smoke drifted up past the windows toward the morning sky making it difficult to see the street below.
Gunney was the first to spot them. “I see a black SUV down there. All four doors are open but I can’t see anyone.”
Brandi stood at the end of the line of survivors, furthest to the east. “I see someone,” she said. “He’s carrying a pipe or something on his shoulder.”
McCaffery had finished adjusting his fly and now joined the group. He peered over Brandi’s shoulder toward the street below.
“That’s not a pipe, it’s a rocket launcher,” he said.
Just as he finished his sentence, the man below was joined by another man. An assault rifle was slung over one shoulder and he carried a grey metal box by a handle on the top. He stopped next to the man with rocket launcher and opened the box, pulling out an object that at first no one recognized. He opened the rear port of the rocket launcher and put the object inside then closed the blast door and patted his partner on the top of the head.
Dropping to place one knee on the pavement for stability, the man aimed the rocket launcher upwards. To Brandi, it appeared he was aiming straight for her. A white flash accompanied by a trail of white smoke whisked upward toward the group at an amazing speed.
“DOWN!” McCaffery screamed as he grabbed Brandi from behind and pulled her to the floor.
A blast much louder and closer than the previous two rocked the building as the missile exploded into the windows just a few floors below them. Glass and metal shards burst from the building. Iron beams and supports groaned against the force of the blast.
“We’ve got to get out of here!” Joan screamed as she tried to quickly formulate an escape plan. The noise of the explosion had subsided but no one noticed as Joan continued to scream.
“Gunney, you and McCaffery grab your rifles and head to the lobby! No one gets in! We’ll meet in the garage in ten minutes! And while you’re down there, see if you can pick that bastard off before he brings the whole building down!”
Gunney nodded and he and McCaffery sprinted off to their rooms to retrieve their weapons and ammo.
“You two are with me,” Joan told Brandi and Lipman. “Grab as many supplies as you can. Weapons, ammo, food and water. Nothing else. We’re out of here in five. GO!”
Brandi struggled to her feet and ran off to her room. She had only shared it with Stan for a couple nights before they had been separated. She was so mad at him. He had actually volunteered for the mission in an attempt to prove his worth to the group, but goddamnit, she needed him.
They met only a few weeks earlier in Las Vegas. Stan had found her just hours after her escape from a gang of thugs in the city. She had actually mistaken him for one of their kind momentarily and scared him off when she showed her rough side. When he backed off, she realized her mistake and followed him to a strip mall on the outskirts of the city. After saving his life from a horde of the undead, the two traveled west toward San Francisco for no other reason to than to stand on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Gunney found them on the beach and invited them to join up with the group at the “TAP”.
Now she scurried around her and Stan’s apartment looking for her pistol and any other items that might prove valuable later. After a quick scan of the rooms, she decided there was nothing else she needed. She ran back to the hallway just as the elevator doors closed on Gunney and McCaffery who were just heading to the lobby. Lipman was a wiz mechanic and had the generator in the basement running like a top. Power was supplied to the first floor, the elevator and the eighteenth floor where the group kept their apartments. The rest of the power to the building had been cut off to conserve what little energy there was.
Brandi arrived at Joan’s room just as she was coming out. She held an automatic rifle in one hand and had a brown backpack slung over her shoulder. She looked down at Brandi’s mostly empty hands.
“That’s it?” she asked, nodding at the pistol.
Brandi nodded. She and Stanley had only been with the groups a few days and hadn’t had the time to accumulate any worthy possessions.
“Good,” Joan said. “Traveling light means we can most fast. Lipman!”
Lipman emerged from his room across the hall, his arms full of items. Joan walked over and began taking objects from him and throwing them to the floor.
“Don’t need this, this or this,” she said as the removed a pillow, a book and screwdriver from his inventory. She left him with his hunting rifle and backpack.
“Let’s go she said,” and headed off toward the elevator.
After several tense minutes of waiting for the elevator to rise from the ground floor, Joan grew impatient. “Must be out of service. Looks like it’s the stairs.”
The group backtracked down the hallway, past their rooms and entered the stairwell at the far end of the building. Security lights lit their way but were slightly darkened from the smoke and soot that drifted up the stairwell The group could smell burning paper and charred metal as they quickly made their way down flight after flight. As they grew near street level, they could hear gunfire coming from below. Some shots sounded very close while other seemed to come from outside on the street.
Slapping feet on concrete risers sounded and the group halted. Joan’s eyes grew wide as she moved her rifle from her shoulder and pointed it toward the stairwell below. She put her finger to her lips to signal Brandi and Lipman to be quiet as the group waited. After a few tense moments, a figure rounded the corner. Brandi immediately recognized Gunney.
She grabbed Joan by the arm. “Don’t shoot,” she screamed.
Gunney hadn’t seen them as he looked up, startled by their appearance in the stairwell. Then he smiled. “Thank God,” he gasped, trying to suck in air. “I was hoping you were heading down. I didn’t want to have to go all the way back up.”
The group now stood on the landing in between the third and fourth floor of the skyscraper. Gunfire and small explosions continued to drift up from the ground floor.
“What’s going on down there?” Joan asked.
“I’ll tell you while we move. Right now we have to go,” Gunney wheezed.
The group continued their descent as Gunney explained their situation.
“There’s four or five of them out front of the lobby,” he began. “I think they’re out of rockets but they seem to have plenty of grenades. They keep chucking them through the front windows. It’s a good thing none of them have a good arm otherwise me and McCaffery would be goners.”
Joan’s eyes grew wide. “What do they want?” she asked.
“Fuck if I know,” Gunney said. “But if I had to guess, I’d say they want us dead.”
The group finally reached ground level and stopped at the security door which led to the rear hall and eventually the lobby. Gunney had just reached out to grasp the handle when the door burst inward. McCaffery shot into the stairwell running face first into Gunney, knocking them both to the floor. The two men picked themselves up off the floor, both glad to see the other.
“Here’s the deal,” McCaffery told the group as he tried to catch his breath. “You all head down to the garage, load up in the van and get the hell out of here. I’ll stay behind and keep them distracted. Head to Santa Cruz and hole up in the City Hall building. I’ll meet up with you in a couple days.”
“No,” Joan said. She had a stern look on her face. “We stay together.”
McCaffery was about to protest when Brandi spoke up.
“What about Stanley and Green?” she cried.
“That’s why I’m staying behind. Someone will have to let them know where we went and we sure as hell can’t stay here,” McCaffery argued.
Joan opened her mouth to reply when a blast, closer than any so far shook the walls. Their attackers were becoming more accurate with their grenade tosses.
“There’s no time!” McCaffery screamed. “GO!” He disappeared back through the security door and ran toward the lobby.
Joan sighed in resignation. “Let’s go!” she yelled.
The group descended the final flight of stairs to the parking garage. A white delivery van sat at the far end of the garage. Blue letters ran across the side which read “Ming Cleaners: We Deliver!”
The group quickly piled into the van. Gunney in the driver’s seat, Joan rode shotgun and Brandi sat on the floor in the back. Lipman ran over to the metal security gate which was lowered and locked in place. He released the lock and hit the button to raise the door to the overhead position, then sprinted back toward the van and jumped in the side door.
“Hang on!” Gunney screamed as he put the van in gear and stomped on the gas.
The van lurched forward and picked up speed as they neared the garage door. Joan rolled her window down and set the muzzle of her weapon on the window sill, ready to fire at the attackers. As the van shot out of the garage and onto the street she opened fire on the surprised group of men. Gunney saw the look of shock on their faces as he quickly pulled the wheel to the left and accelerated down the empty road away from the “TAP”. Joan screamed as she sprayed bullets at the men, surprised when she saw one go down with a hole in his chest. The men scrambled for cover then returned fire as the van sped away, the rear window of the van shattering when a bullet struck the glass.
“Get down!” Joan shouted as Brandi and Lipman flattened themselves on the floorboards. Shards of glass sprinkled down on their backs.
The attackers sprinted toward their vehicles to give chase. Two men ran toward the black SUV they spotted earlier and the other two ran toward red pickup truck leaving their fallen comrade behind.
The survivors sped east out of downtown San Francisco and across the Bay Bridge hoping to outrun or somehow lose their pursuers. Santa Cruz was their goal and destination, although no one knew if things would be any better there.
Brandi held herself and shivered with fear, hoping that her farewell just a few days earlier would not be the last time she would see her precious Stanley. She continued to tell herself that it couldn’t be the end. They had only been together a few weeks now, but she loved him more than she had loved any man. In the short time they had been together he had showed her an unconditional love and kindness that she had never known.
“It wouldn’t be the end,” she told herself as a tear ran down her cheek. Lying to yourself was easy. Believing the lie was the hard part.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Zombie Food

Zombie Food, an article by JJ Ritonya has been posted at The Zombies Are Coming website. Check it out here.
http://www.zombiesarecoming.com/2009/08/05/zombie-food/

Monday, July 27, 2009

Friday, July 17, 2009

Last chance to enter this month's book giveaway

The drawing for a signed copy of Sunset will take place this weekend. Sign up now or lose your chance to win!
http://www.jjritonya.com

Monday, July 13, 2009

Free Book Giveaway

This months giveaway will be held this weekend. The winner will receive a free copy of Sunset, an apocalyptic zombie tale. If you haven't done so already, sign up to become a site member at www.jjritonya.com to be automatically entered.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Las Vegas

I am taking a trip to Las Vegas later this month, which got me thinking. In my first book, Sunset, one of the characters starts his journey there after most of the population is killed. I think I chose that location because of how creepy it would be if you were the only one left. All those lights and sounds going on around you but void of human life. I would proably freak out. Vegas has to be one of the most vibrant and alive places I have ever been and to think of it as "dead" takes alot of processing.
Hope I can create the same type of imagery in the sequel.
-JJ

Monday, June 22, 2009

Father's Day Weekend

Had a great weekend. Not much writing was done but that's how it goes in the summer. Sunset: Bloodstained is still being hashed out. No release date as of yet but hopefully it will be finished sometime in early 2010. I will post a teaser chapter at some point also but no firm dates on that yet either.
Thanks again for your support.
-JJ

Saturday, June 20, 2009

June Book Giveaway Complete!

This month's winner of the free book giveaway is Puppie! Puppie has won a signed copy of Sunset. Congratulations!
July's contest winner will win a free signed copy of Hubbert's Peak. Tell your friends and family to register on www.jjritonya.com to be automatically entered for the monthly contest.
Thanks for your support!
-JJ

Friday, June 19, 2009

Last chance to register for the free novel drawing!

The drawing for a signed copy of Sunset will be held this weekend. Time is running out so register to become a site member on www.jjritonya.com and be automatically entered. Thanks for your support!
-JJ

Monday, June 15, 2009

Update: Sunset II

The sequel to Sunset is still in the works. Nothing official yet, but I think I may subtitile it. Something like, Sunset: Bloodstained. Sounds scary and cool at the same time.
Also, this months drawing for a signed copy of Sunset will be coming up in the next week or so. If you haven't already signed up to be a site member, do it today. It's the only way to have a chance to win.
Sign up here.
http://www.jjritonya.com
-JJ

Sunset now only $13.95

After uploading a reformatted interior file of Sunset, I am now able to make it available for only $13.95 on Amazon.
Get it here.
http://www.amazon.com/Sunset-J-Ritonya/dp/144043171X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245083819&sr=8-1

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Sunset once again available!

After uploading a revised version and adding some cover enhancements, Sunset is available once again. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
-JJ

Monday, June 8, 2009

Sunset Paperback Sales on Hold as of Today

Sunset paperback sales will be on hold starting today until the new version is released. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
-JJ

Friday, June 5, 2009

Sunset Papersales On Hold Later This Month

Paperback sales of Sunset will be on hold later this month as I release a better edited version of he novel. It will also be formatted slightly different which will take the page coundt down slightly. This in turn will allow me to bring the price down about a buck also. I apologize for any inconvenience this causes any potential buyer. For now it will continue to be sold as is. The on hold period will hopefully last only a week. Thanks again for your continued support.
-JJ

Monday, June 1, 2009

Win a FREE copy of Sunset!

Register to become a site member at http://www.jjritonya.com/ and be automatically entered for the chance to win a FREE, signed copy of the horror fiction novel, Sunset, by JJ Ritonya!
http://www.jjritonya.com

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Hubbert's Peak paperback edition now available!

Hubbert's Peak is now available in paperback. It can be purchased for $13.95 from Createspace immediately by going here.
It will also be available on Amazon within a day or two.
Thanks to everyone who has shown their support. It is much appreciated.
-JJ

Monday, May 18, 2009

Cover struggle continues...

I am still struggling with an issue regarding the cover of Hubbert's Peak. I believe I have the issues worked out and am waiting on a proof copy of the book to arrive. I am still planning on doing the free giveaway once it's complete and will most likely do another for the month of June. Thanks for your patience.
-JJ

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Hubbert's Peak Now Available!

Amazon Kindle version is available here!
PDF version is available at Tradebit here!
Paperback version soon to follow!