As an aspiring author writing the first book in my post-apocalyptic science fiction series, I'm always conducting research to ensure that my work is both thrilling and captivating. Although, I've written military and civilian documents for over 31 years and seemingly endless history research papers while completing a history degree, I can say with confidence that writing fiction is a culture of its own. Sure, I've invested in several "How To" books written by well known and amazing authors, like Sometimes the Magic Works by Terry Brooks, Every Writers Dream by Marc Alan Edelheit, and Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer, but none of these provide the fire necessary to craft an apocalyptic story no reader can put down. In order to see what right looked like, I started reading apocalyptic stories from well-known and widely published authors of apocalyptic fiction, like Neal Stephenson, Kyle Pratt, Jerry D. Young, and William Forstchen. I wanted to see how these writers set up and facilitated their apocalyptic event while maintaining the right point of view and pace. I have learned quite a bit from their work, especially from Kyle Pratt in his "Solar Storm" series. Then I discovered Nicholas Sansbury Smith and his phenomenal work, including his "Hell Divers" series that Netflix recently picked up for development and his "Extinction Cycle" series, which I am currently reading. I'm only 76 pages into the first book, Extinction Horizon, and found myself saying "Holy shit" out loud, at 1:45 AM! Luckily, I didn't wake my lovely wife, Tiffany. I had to stop and message Nicholas one single sentence, "Building 8 is intense!" Nicholas's writing style is exactly what I have searched for and aspire to achieve. "Extinction Cycle" is fast paced and is a definite page turner! He took elements of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), a monster virus, an element from the US Army's Delta Force, and shook up them up to create one hell of a nightmare! If you are looking for a great series to read, "Extinction Cycle" is IT! For me to recommend a book and author, they have to meet my expectations, and Nicholas far exceeded my criteria! I'll provide more information about this series below.
I'm glad that Nicholas has an element from the US Army's Delta Force in this series as this helps me see "What right looks like." In my series, I employ a reconnaissance element from the Delta Force with embedded scientist and pull from my 31 years of military and government service to ensure there are no gaps in my story line. The title of the first book in my series is, Phazed World: A New Beginning and occurs in the year 2025. Here's a link to my first attempt at a book trailer, which conveys my story concept with visuals (https://trailershelf.com/phazed-world-new-beginning/ ). The expected release of the first book is before Christmas 2019. I'm interested in feedback from the trailer and would love to hear from interested readers. My e-mail address is allenvcheesman@gvec.net .
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Read more about Nicholas Sansbury Smith's "Extinction Cycle" series at: https://nicholassansburysmith.com/…/extinction-cycle-serie…/
Description (From Smith's Amazon page):
USA Today bestseller Nicholas Sansbury Smith's first book in his thrilling post-apocalyptic series about one man's mission to save the world.
Master Sergeant Reed Beckham has led his Delta Force Team, codenamed Ghost, through every kind of hell imaginable and never lost a man. When a top secret Medical Corps research facility goes dark, Team Ghost is called in to face their deadliest enemy yet--a variant strain of Ebola that turns men into monsters.
After barely escaping with his life, Beckham returns to Fort Bragg in the midst of a new type of war. As cities fall, Team Ghost is ordered to keep CDC virologist Dr. Kate Lovato alive long enough to find a cure. What she uncovers will change everything.
Total extinction is just on the horizon, but will the cure be worse than the virus?
Extinction is just on the horizon... Start reading the book that D. J. Molles said "delivers unrelenting unmerciful action" before it's too late!
The Extinction Cycle:
Book 1: Extinction Horizon
Book 2: Extinction Edge
Book 3: Extinction Age
Book 4: Extinction Evolution
Book 5: Extinction End
Book 6: Extinction Aftermath
Book 7: Extinction War
Reviews:
"With Extinction Horizon, Nicholas Sansbury Smith delivers unrelenting, unmerciful action to his readers, and he weaves it seamlessly with just enough scientific know-how that after each chapter you're left looking around and wondering not IF this is going to happen, but WHEN."― D. J. Molles, author of The Remaining
"Nicholas Sansbury Smith combines plausible science with fast-paced military action in an epic juggernaut that races along at supersonic speed. Fans of the genre are sure to love it!"― Russell Blake, bestselling author of The Day After Never
"Smith has realized that the way to rekindle interest in zombie apocalypse fiction is to make it louder, longer, and bloodier. ... Smith intensifies the disaster efficiently as the pages flip by, and readers who enjoy juicy blood-and-guts action will find a lot of it here."― Publishers Weekly
"A blistering, high octane thrill ride to the brink of humanity's extinction. Nicholas Sansbury Smith plunges the reader right into the middle of the action, alongside a cast of unforgettable characters, as they fight tooth and nail to survive one impossible mission after another-to stop an extinction-level virus. The "Extinction Cycle" series is post-apocalyptic, military science fiction at its best. Highly addictive!"― Steven Konkoly, USA Today bestselling author of The Jakarta Pandemic
"Fast-paced military action meets cool, cutting-edge science. Extinction is no longer a Darwinian battle of the fittest. It's a race for survival."― E. E. Giorgi, author of Chimeras on The Extinction Cycle
"Extinction Horizon is a roller coaster ride of fear and adrenaline that you will not want to put down. Nicholas Sansbury Smith once again separates himself from the masses with a brilliantly entertaining post-apocalyptic thriller."― W. J. Lundy, author of Only the Dead Live Forever on The Extinction Cycle
About the Author:
Nicholas Sansbury Smith is the USA Today bestselling author of Hell Divers, the Orbs trilogy, and the Extinction Cycle series. He worked for Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management in disaster mitigation before switching careers to focus on his one true passion-writing. When he isn't writing or daydreaming about the apocalypse, he enjoys running, biking, spending time with his family, and traveling the world. He is an Ironman triathlete and lives in Iowa with his fiancée, their dogs, and a house full of books.
Image Credit: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
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