LAW D #27 - Book 5 Sneak Peek!

 

Regret

1

Adrian woke all at once, not sure what had disturbed him. Eyes still closed, he listened, and heard nothing.

His head ached with a fierce throbbing and though he knew he was in his on cot, he didn’t know how he’d gotten there. He opened his eyes to look at the alarm clock and frowned, listening harder. 9 a.m. He had slept till nine and yet, there was no noise from his camp.

He buttoned jeans he didn’t remember putting on and sat up, aware of the very bright light seeping through the shades. He pulled on his boots, stuffing the laces inside and still, silence. Alarm bells were going off in his head and he quickly strapped on his gun.

“Angela.” He called for her silently, pulling on his jacket and stepping to the door. The air was chilly as the camper door swung open…

Adrian sucked in a painful breath. He grabbed the door frame for support, horrified to feel sharp pains radiate from his chest. It was gone. All of it.

Abandoned, torn up, rusted campers sat on flat tires without windows or doors, and the sickly weeds were growing up over the wheels. The air smelled sour, though the sky was finally clear of the sky grit, but there were no people here.

From the doorway he could see the Mess and the parking area, and although everything was there, it was like the campers; broken, rusty, and charred, with weeds starting to take over the tires.

He stepped slowly down into ankle high greenish plants that seemed to gravitate towards him, brushing, caressing. He turned, and was stunned to see that his camper now looked like the rest of the camp - old, over. There was even a huge hole in the rusted-out bottom stair that should have tripped him and broken his ankle.

His 9mm was in his hand now, the survivor inside coming forward, moving his feet. It was all gone here, all wrong. Charred personal items and bloodstains were on steps, walls, vehicles, and the ground, but they looked faded, frozen in time.

His heart pounded irregularly and he winced this time at the terrifying feeling. Panicking blue eyes found his shiny semi nearby, but he ignored the instinct screaming at him to get in it and run, sensing the trap that might lie hidden there.

He called for Angela again and his heart grew cold when she still didn’t answer. He turned to find her camper, but was drawn to the sight of the crosses on an edge of the cracked pavement.

They were made of wood and scraps, a graveyard of roughly fifty, over-grown and neglected. He knew who they were before he started reading the names... his army.

 

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Release Date: Feb, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

Law D #25 - An Interview with Neil -Third in Command, between Killing and Chasing Skirts

 

 

Cynthia Quest Reporting

Because of our lack of common ground, this will be a fast interview, I’m sure. I don’t expect to get real answers from Adrian’s pet, but I’m determined to try.

 

“Why didn’t you or Kyle drive Kenn out of camp and put a bullet in his head like the rest?”

Neil’s tone was hard. His ass wasn’t even in the chair yet. “Because Adrian didn’t want us to. Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to?”

Cynthia frowned, wishing she could ask the real questions, the ones that might get Adrian removed from power. “Do you feel guilty for all the murders you’ve committed since becoming an Eagle?”

“I haven’t committed any murders.”

“But you’ve killed…”

“There’s a big difference between the two.”

Cynthia still didn’t understand it, and the trooper made no attempts to enlighten her. Unless hell froze over, Cynthia would always be a sheep. There was no reason to waste time on her.

“Is there anything you wouldn’t do for our fearless leader?”

“No. Again, you’re clear on that. What are you digging for?”

“Don’t you think the hits you’ve delivered to our female Eagles were the same as what Kenn did?”

Flashing to the Boss man’s words, Neil let out a grunt. “Sometimes, I worry, the same as every other Eagle. It won’t stop us, but it will make us more careful with our teammates, something we can’t have too much of.”

Hoping for more of that honesty, Cynthia pushed forward. “Why did you really support Angela becoming an Eagle? Was it to spite Kenn?”

Neil grinned. “As much as I’d like to say yes, it wasn’t. It was for Adrian, and then for her, because she’s earning it.”

The reporter shoved now, eager to get what she could while his good mood lasted. “Are you still interested in Little Becky?”

“We’re friends.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Are you and Samantha an official couple? Are you dating?”

“No, to both.”

“What would she say to those questions?”

“The same, only with cursing.”

“How does it feel to know you sacrificed Jeremy’s friendship for a woman?”

Neil stood up, not answering.

Cynthia hid a smirk. Obviously, it didn’t feel good.

 

 

 

 

LAW D #24 - Profile - Jeremy

Not very much is known about Jeremy. By readers, camp members, or the Eagles. Even I only have a vague, shadowy picture. He worked in an office, he had extra money lying around, and he knows how to manipulate things, like Adrian. I suspect there’s a lot more to him.

I honestly thought Billy, the pony-tailed blond Eagle on Kyle’s team-would play this role. I also assumed it was all a setup to get Neil and Sam together. As soon as I started writing it, I found out how quickly he fell for her.

Jeremy lost the love of his life during a skiing accident in the mountains. He has never forgiven himself. The lift malfunctioned, dumping them all out half way up the trail. Twelve people died that day. His outspoken, tough, blonde fiancé had been one of them.

After the accident, Jeremy lost most of his compassion, burying it to avoid the pain. It is unlikely he’s faced it yet, though some people never do come to term with the things that haunt them. We can only wait and watch, and hope for the best. It really wasn’t his fault, even though he’d been rocking the seat and causing a disturbance. The inspectors afterward stated the equipment was rusted-through in places, and that his goofing around hadn’t caused the loss of life.

Did Jeremy believe the report? That’s hard to say.

 

 

 

 

LAW Day #22 - Candid Q&A with Author Angela White

Welcome to the hot seat. Lol. Ready?

You know it.

Good. Here we go. First, why do you have a pen name? Do you have more than one?

Funny you should ask. I have 2 that I write under. One, very new,  is not so well known. I prefer it to stay that way for now. I’ll tell you why some other time.

Why do I use pen names? Because it’s fun, of course. And because my real name is boring. That’s my other life. This one is so surreal some days that it deserves its own name.

 

Are you a racist? Many reviewers have called you that.

Lol. That’s not all I’ve been called. I assume because two of my bad guys in the series are black/Mexican, that’s where it comes from. However, I have more than 5 white bad guys in this series as well, so I’m not sure. It’s never been about race for me, only survival. My true fans understand that, and its good enough.

 

What about the gay population? You hate them, right?

Again, not sure how they pull that in. I think maybe they expected my hero to solve all the world’s problems with a few hundred pages, but I don’t write shallow shit like that. I’ll get to it in my own good time, and if I lose readers who don’t understand what Adrian’s building, well, frankly, those are sheep and I don’t care quite as deeply as that infamous leader would.

 

How much of this story comes from personal experience instead of fiction?

Probably about 1/3 of every book is influenced/flavored by the author’s life experiences. Mine are no different in that regard. Some people, for instance, just scream to be immortalized in one way or another.

 

Can you tell us about one of them? Your choice.

I have a relative, a non-blood cousin, who is evil. I doubt he means to be, but the fact is, he lusts after everything he can’t have and takes them without thought of right or wrong. It’s landed him in jail, and made no difference. He refuses to change, to even entertain the thought of not being so wild and rebellious to even normal rules. You could beat him over the head with bricks and he’d tell you it feels good, while holding handfuls of blood. The background there has never been clear, but I have little doubt it was ugly.

That’s where Rick came from.

 

Real people like that for all the characters?

Most of them, yes. Shhhh…

Are you really planning for the LAW series and the Alexa’s Travels series, to cross at some point? How, without ruining either of them?

Very carefully.

You laugh, but I know.

I have every intention of bringing these two stories together for one hell of a climax. The kind that leaves you shuddering and not sure you should try standing up.

Your Bachelor Battles are pretty graphic. Shouldn’t it be labeled as erotica?

As long as my Beta Readers don’t think so, no. I have a wonderful group of 25 men and women who won’t hesitate to tell me when I’ve gone too far.

You have 2 ongoing series now, and a trilogy that’s almost complete. Don’t you ever write stand-alone books? Does everything have to be dragged out so long?

Pft. Long was waiting fifteen years for S. King’s Dark Tower series. I turn out an average of 4 books a year. That’s pretty good considering they’re all over 500 pages!

Honestly, they write themselves when it’s flowing. I don’t sit down and go – “Okay, let’s write that book today! I go – “Um, what the hell’s in there today that wants to come to life?” Whatever answers, is what goes on paper. I can’t force it. If I did, it would suck and you’d all be reading someone else’s interview.

 

There are a lot of teenage girls in your stories, and most of them seem to be pregnant by or lusted after by old men. Why is that?

Because it’s true of life. Don’t think so? Look on ANY city street. You’ll see babies pushing babies, and older men watching them in longing.

That’s a part of my books that draws the critics. They hate the truth, and that’s what I deliver. Like it or not, ugliness exists in this world.

 

Well, I think we’ve covered everything, but let me check my notes. I gathered most of them from reviews, but honestly, I loved both series. PA fiction has always been one of my favorites. I’m looking forward to the Bachelor Battles ending. When can we expect that or book five, from the Ashes?

February for from the Ashes. Maybe as soon as December for The Network.

 

Wait, I did miss something - … is Adrian trying to steal Angela from Brady? Will he succeed? Come on, you can tell us!

Steal? No. Adrian doesn’t do that. Does he yearn for her, ache to kiss her, hold her? Of course. Perhaps his infatuation will fade as more of the stronger women in Safe Haven start stepping forward.

 

Thank you for sharing with us. Is there anything you’d like to say before we go?

Yes. It’s been a pleasure. Thank you for hosting me.

 

You’re very welcome. I’m sure we’ll invite you back. Maybe you can stop by here on your release tour for book five.

That sounds good. I’ll add it to the stops. Bye now!

"This is Safe Haven Refugee Camp. Can anyone hear me?

Hello? Is anyone out there?"

The Survivors

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LAW Day #21 - An Interview with Kyle - Former Mobster and Highest Eagle in Safe Haven

I hadn’t expected to see Kyle coming in, so this interview is being done without the benefit of preparations. It may slow me down a bit, like it was meant, I suspect, but maybe we can get some answers anyway. Let’s talk with the mobster.

 

Kyle held up his arm as he entered the tent, and set his watch.

“Five?”

Kyle nodded, settling back into the interview chair. “And it just started with that first question.”

Frowning, Cynthia thought for a few seconds, and then dug in.

“You are the highest Eagle in Adrian’s Army, his go-to guy. It seems like there isn’t anything he could ask you to do, that you wouldn’t be able to accomplish. Do you think that’s partly because of your previous profession?”

Hating it, the mobster did as he’d been instructed. He told the truth. “Yes. The life I led wasn’t good, but it toughened me up, gave me this second chance.”

Cynthia’s tone was thoughtful. “You haven’t wasted it so far.”

“No, and I won’t.”

“What was your job in the Genovesi Mob Family?”

“I did a lot of things.”

“Was killing for hire one of hem?”

“No.”

“You’ve never killed for your family?”

“I’ve never been hired to kill.”

Not understanding the difference, Cynthia pushed harder

“Were you a convicted Felon before the War?”

“Yes. I was arrested for tax evasion, and resisting arrest.”

Frustrated at the lack of something she could use, the reporter lashed out. “Do you think you’ll burn in hell for all the killing you’ve done, or do you sleep well at night?”

Kyle didn’t flinch, despite that being a topic he’d been giving a lot of mental time to lately. “I hit the rack and drop right off, knowing I’m doing everything I can to help Adrian.”

Cynthia latched on to that. “How many people has he ordered you to kill?”

“Does a number really matter? Isn’t it enough to know those people are not here, harming others?”

“Frankly, no. It’s murder.”

“Its self defense, in a war that we haven’t won yet.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“Yes, and I don’t understand why you don’t.”

“I know that killing is wrong.”

Kyle saw the eye movement and wondered what the reporter had just lied about. That left look was a give-away, and it made the mobster give her a small glimpse of why his men followed him so willingly.

“Tell me there’s no one, before or now, that you wouldn’t cheer to see hanging from a rope.”

Cynthia wanted to keep going, but knew she couldn’t win that way. She hadn’t known this interview was coming, hadn’t expected it, and the ambush wasn’t solid. “Wanting it is one thing, Mr. Genovesi. Actually doing it, is another.”

“But why does that make you better than me? Because I have the courage to do what you dream of? How odd.”

Understanding he was well protected from that angle, the reporter switched topics, a bit off of her groove now. She hadn’t expected Kyle to be so… smart.

“If Jeremy requests a team transfer, will you sign off on it?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think about the mess Neil is making of things with Jeremy and his team?”

“That’s not in my job description.”

“What isn’t?”

“Worrying over Neil’s love life.”

It was sent with sarcasm, but Cynthia picked up that tiny undercurrent of annoyance. She hadn’t planned on getting into Kyle’s personal life at all. There was too much career ammunition to work with, but if it bothered him to talk about it...

 “Do you have a woman in camp, a pair of quiet arms that you seek comfort in?”

“No.”

Again, the bitterness, and she couldn’t resist needling him. “What are you looking for in a mate? Inquiring camp members want to know.”

“I’m not.”

“But if you were?”

Kyle grunted, understanding he needed to give some sort of an answer.

“Someone like the other Eagles, I guess. Strong, brave.”

“Good looking?” Cynthia pushed.

Kyle snorted. “Covered in mud or blood, that doesn’t matter much.”

“So like…Angie?

She was watching for his flinch, any sign of feeling, but she saw only awe.

“…probably not. If she were an Eagle, too, we’d never get to see each other.”

And I like them a little less set in their ways, he thought. Understanding the meaning behind that thought, Kyle grimaced.

Cynthia picked up on it. Assuming it was related to the female member of his team, Cynthia tried again.

“Why didn’t you kill Kenn when the truth came out about his abusive nature toward Angie?”

Kyle’s watch beeped, their five minutes up.

He stood, looking down at her with hard eyes. “For the same reason you’re still here. I don’t do anything without his say so.”

Cynthia watched him head out, heart thumping painfully. His parting words sent the panic up another notch.

“But when he tells me, I don’t hesitate.”

Meaning that when Adrian gave the order to get rid of her, the mobster would do it.

Cynthia closed her notebook, file-like mind sorting through drawers and folders. She was faced with a sudden flash of guilt at Kyle’s loyalty. If more people had been so determined to be helpful before the war, things could have been so different.

"This is Safe Haven Refugee Camp. Can anyone hear me?

Hello? Is anyone out there?"

The Survivors

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Author’s Website    Diesel   iTunes   Kindle   Kobo   Nook   Smashwords   Sony

LAW Day #20 - Profile - Zack



35

6’

195 lbs

Green eyes

Trucker driver

Black and gray headed

Prematurely graying

Woman hater, beater

Father of Eric, Timmy, and mike.

 

Zack had a bad childhood.

Not nearly as rough as some people, but Zack has let the abuse eat him up inside, until he’s a bitter widower with nothing kind to say to a woman. The only light shining from Zack’s dark soul is that he served, and learned without duty and loyalty, you have nothing. The codes of the military are deep in the trucker’s mind, and as he spends more time with Adrian and the Eagles, he begins to realize he hasn’t been honoring them.

As Kenn’s right hand man, Zack has done many things that could get him banished, and toss him and his 3 teenage boys back out into the apocalyptic wastelands. It was a risk he was willing to take. Until Dean snuck into Safe Haven and almost killed Angie, Zack was content with his idol and the orders Kenn has given, because he feels he is being loyal.

Always abusive, Zack’s sense of right and wrong are scrambled. He thinks it was okay for him to treat his first wife (who died during the war) as badly as he wanted because he was suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. He also thinks its okay for Kenn to hit Angela, because they were together for so long. However, in camp, he might openly shoot a man for hurting a female. Clearly, he has a lot mental work to do, before he becomes a ‘real’ person. There is hope, though. After being in Safe Haven and watching how the Eagles don’t hurt the innocent, Zack has started to realize that he’s been wrong about it… his whole life. Will he try to make amends? It’s hard to tell.

"This is Safe Haven Refugee Camp. Can anyone hear me?

Hello? Is anyone out there?"

The Survivors

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Book Five - From The Ashes

It’s been 6 months since the end of the world, and Adrian must now discover if the choices he’s made have cost him a son. Even Angie can’t be sure. On the way to Arkansas, the battered refugees face a danger that threatens to destroy all they’ve built.

Furious at the latest bloodshed, Nature has declared her own War on the survivors, and she repeatedly unleashes her fury against Safe Haven and its army of violent defenders. The apocalypse has never been more deadly, as the aftermath takes its toll on what remains of the great American herd…. And even Pitcairn Island isn’t safe from her wrath.

 

Release Date: 2/1/2013

Length (estimate) – 800 pages

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LAW Day #19 - An Interview with Dog, a wild animal with special abilities

Cynthia Quest Reporting

April 20^th, 2013

 

This was an interview I didn’t expect, folks, so please hang with me. My schedule said interview at noon, but no name and now I understand why. Cynthia looked at the chair she had directed them into with shock.

Will he really let me print this?

Only one way to find out. Let’s get comfortable and have us a little chat with Dog, shall we?

Angela waited restlessly by the door, not sure if Adrian was making a good choice here. The camp already knew Dog was different, but to expose the wolf this way was...

“Let’s see… How do you like being a part of Safe Haven’s animal population?”

Cynthia waited eagerly for an answer, expecting paw stamping, but the wolf only looked back with a bored expression.

Cynthia turned to Angela. “How’s this supposed to work?”

Choosing to trust their leader. Angela waved toward the floor. “Get him out of that chair and he’ll show you.”

Cynthia motioned and the wolf immediately came to her side.

Staring into those golden eyes, the reporter was almost able to hear his answer.

“I have work to do. Ask something that matters.”

Cynthia blinked. “What.. um, what work do you do for us?”

Dog yawned tiredly. “I keep the ants away and make sure the others watch their posts.”

“The other Eagles?”

Dog snorted, slinging saliva onto her shoes. “The other workers.”

Realizing he meant the other dogs, Cynthia gaped at him.

Dog turned to Angela, who shrugged.

“I’m not sure either, but I trust him. Do you?”

Dog blinked once. “Yes.”

“Then we’d best get it over with.”

Instructed, Dog turned back to the reporter in resignation. “Next?”

Cynthia struggled to accept it, to speak. This had to be a cruel joke, right? Her mind flashed seeing Dog herding the ants and rats in the evening, without a trainer.

“Cynthia…”

The reporter’s head snapped up.

“Do your job, or someone else will.”

Cynthia nodded, swallowing. “It’s… it’s just a lot to accept.”

Angela nodded. “Yes, but he wouldn’t have let you know, if you couldn’t be trusted.”

That woke the woman a bit, and she peered up at Angela with a frown of confusion. “Will he let the camp see this?”

“I have no idea.”

Sensing Angela was telling the truth, Cynthia blew out a snort. “Who am I kidding? Of course he won’t. This is just another test to screw with me.”

Dog yawned again, sitting down. “Will this take long?”

Amazed to feel insulted, Cynthia shook her head. “Five minutes.”

The wolf wined. “That long in here, with your smell?”

Cynthia flushed in real offense. “My smell? You’re the animal!”

Angela didn’t smile, but there was no mistaking it in her tone. “Your perfume is a bit… heavy on the nose.”

The reporter’s chin went up. “My mother wore it.”

“Was she a writer, too?”

Dog’s question sent pride into Cynthia, and made Angela wonder if it had been intentional.

“Yes, she was a famous reporter.”

Realizing she hadn’t gotten but one answer so far, the reporter forced her daze back and got to work. “Ok, um…How many pups do you have?”

It was a question she didn’t expect him to know the answer to, but Dog’s flash of hot eyes said it mattered to him. “One. Stillborn.”

Cynthia felt his pain. How could she not with that deep voice in her head? “I’m sorry.”

Dog sneezed again, but didn’t respond.

Cynthia pushed her brain into the moment, and felt that shark inside finally start to come back out.

“Do you know that the Eagles are different from the camp members, from me?”

“Yes. They carry the guns.”

“Do you know they consider you to be a tool?”

Dog seemed to grin at her. “I didn’t see the need to tell them differently.”

The reporter looked down at her mostly empty note page and realized she couldn’t record this interview. Her hand started scribbling, and the comforting motion let her relax the rest of the way.

“Why do you stay here?”

“The Man.”

“Brady?”

“Yes. I owe him a debt.”

“And when it’s paid?”

“I may go or stay. Nothing has been decided.”

“Why do you owe him?”

“He saved me from the brown coats.”

Cynthia frowned. “The brown coats?”

“Rangers.” Angela supplied. “He was supposed to be put down.”

“Ah, he rescued you. That does make a strong bond. What about Angela and Charlie? Are you bonded to them? If so, in what way?”

They were detailed questions for a mental conversation with a wolf, but Dog had answers to give. Unlike humans, he couldn’t lie.

“The woman and his pup are my family. Where he goes, they go. The same is true of me.”

Angela glanced at her watch, giving Cynthia a hint that the interview was about over.

For an instant, Cynthia was stumped for a question, and then the War flashed.

“Do you understand what happened? Why it all collapsed?”

“As much as I can. The greed of man became too much.”

Thinking that was close enough, Cynthia began to dig into the secret world of Safe Haven’s animal population.

“Are there others like you? That can…think?”

“All of them think, but no, none here are like me.”

“Any that are close?”

“Yes. The Dogs watch me. In time, they too may learn to communicate this way.”

“Do you like talking to people?”

“No.” Adrian’s scent went through Dog’s nose. “Except for the Alpha here. His mind is like mine.”

Meaning Adrian. Cynthia frowned, hand cramping from trying to keep up. “Do you talk to him a lot?”

“No. Only when he needs something.”

“Does it bother you that he treats you like a tool?” Cynthia guessed, not sure how many human emotions would apply.

Dog looked at her with golden eyes. “When he speaks, I am honored to listen.”

“Because he’s your Alpha too?”

“Yes, but also because he is the light.”

Dog sneezed again, and hefted himself to his feet.

Cynthia hurried to get in a few of the new questions that had just occurred. “Will you take a mate soon? The camp would love puppies.”

Dog glared balefully. “Then perhaps you should have them.”

His head went into the air as he padded for the flap. “I might consider you, if your scent wasn’t so ugly.”

Cynthia stared, mouth open. “What?”

Dog stopped to look back. “You destiny is also set. When it comes, don’t fight it.”

Angela and Cynthia stared after the wolf, neither of them speaking. That vivid intelligence was another sign of the future, the world that Adrian was trying to piece together from the ashes, and they were both drawn into the images. Camp animals that could communicate by thought…and then people.

Cynthia’s eyes flew to the doorway, only to find Angela gone. Why had she come with the wolf? Did she understand?

…was she like that, too?

"This is Safe Haven Refugee Camp. Can anyone hear me?

Hello? Is anyone out there?"

The Survivors

*Free on all retailers

Author’s Website    Diesel   iTunes   Kindle   Kobo   Nook   Smashwords   Sony