Friday 6 September 2013

Hart Johnson's THE WORLD ENDS HOW? Blogfest. Release of A Flock of Ill Omens: Part 1.


It's D-Day for the release of Hart  (Confessions of a Watery Tart) Johnson's serialised A Flock of Ill Omens, the first in her A Shot in the Light serial..The book is now UP FOR SALE!

Deadliest virus in a century, or a social experiment gone awry?
HERE IS A LITTLE TASTE OF WHAT LIES INSIDE THIS GORGEOUS COVER...

Every year they warned about the flu and more often than not, it amounted to nothing. Sidney Knight, a young freelance reporter had certainly never written on it. But a trip to Lincoln City, Oregon cut short by a beach full of dead seagulls and a panicked warning from her brother, the scientist, catch her attention. This batch is different. Deadlier. And the vaccine doesn't seem to be helping. It almost looks like it's making it worse...


A Flock of Ill Omens: Part I is the first episode of A Shot in the Light, an Apocalypse Conspiracy Tale about what happens when people play God for fun and profit. There will be approximately ten episodes, each the equivalent of about 100 pages.

Good Reads has a sneak peek posted. You can find the purchase link and more information about the book here. And if you want it FOR FREE, I will be offering it free on the release dates of at least the next two in the serial: September 19 and October 10.

And if you want to BUY it, it is HERE. (actually has the whole first chapter, too)

Hart Johnson writes books from here bathtub and can be found at Confessions of a Watery Tart, though be warned. She is likely to lead you into shenanigans.

To celebrate with a bit of hoopla!, Hart is hosting a blogfest which began on September 5. For once, the timezones worked in my favour -- it's already midday September 6 in Australia, but I know Hart won't mind if I'm late to the party.

Hart has asked people to:

Write 50-250 words about how YOU think the world will end (all in fun): is it nuclear war? Aliens? Zombies? Asteroid? [Is it clear yet I think way too much about this?] Giant Spaghetti Monster? Attack of the Interrobang!? Or are you on board with my flu scenario?

To sweeten the deal, Hart is offering a Prize!!
She will randomly choose one entry for:

A SUBSCRIPTION (the full serial, as it comes out) and a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate
How sweet is that.

NOW FOR MY ENTRY--GEEK, I USUALLY LIKE A MONTH TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS BUT I HAVE TO DO IT STRAIGHT AWAY. I know Hart said it was all in fun, but heck, this is what came out of my typing fingers. If it upsets you, shut your eyes! It ended up being 500 words, but I chopped it down to 308. Still over the limit, but you can stop reading any time. If I keep chopping it won't make a lot of sense.


THE END OF DAYS


Matilde entered the facility unnoticed, undetected and unwisely. What passed for her heart thumped--I'm in!

The first foot-thick impregnated steel door, no problem--nor the second, the third. She stood in the central hub. How cold and sterile the space appeared--monocrome colours, except for the bright shirts of the staff hunched over their stations. She could reach out and touch the electrical pulse of their tension.

Her plan?  She'd stormed the facility thinking she could save the world. Could she?

Matilde stared at the gigantic flickering screen that wrapped around the upper room. The solemn eyes of her beloved President pierced hers. Edward stood staunchly behind his boss, eyes cold, empty. He’d taken her death hard. He would be beating himself up for not saving her from that Middle Eastern bomb blast. It wasn't your fault! she screamed, but her world remained silent.

Getting war stories was her job. She lived for the danger, the excitement...and she'd died for it. The intelligence she’d gathered was now being unleashed to disastrous effect. Ohhh nooooo!

Don't! she silently begged, as the determination on the men’s faces grew. The military commanders moved closer to the President and Edward, solidarity at this dreadful, final hour. She read Edward's lips: “This is for you, Matilde!”  Was the End of Days here? Was it all her fault?

She moved to the centre of the room where the codes were being entered. She tugged at fingers busy at the task. The man shivered and shook his head. Matilde felt a frisson of hope! He’d felt her. Get it wrong! She smacked his face, his hands; she poked her fingers into the machine...but nothing, nothing…

She was helpless.

She jittered with horror. The gigantic screen exploded with dreadful images—thick, choking dust, steely clouds and whooshing cities flashed before her, a macabre dance.

THE END


19 comments:

N. R. Williams said...

Hi Denise
Love the protagonist as a ghost. Who knew they'd have such a purpose. You're idea certainly seems plausible. A little confused about Hart's story. Is her story 100 pages or was the post supposed to be 100 pages? Either way, bravo for Hart.
Nancy

Yolanda Renée said...

Does make one wonder what the ignition for such an act would be. I liked this from her point of view. And what a horrid way for it to end.

I can read about ghosts, but I avoid watching movies and don't seek them. No ghost hunter here! :)

Hart Johnson said...

Oh, fantastic! I'm thrilled you joined! Love the take on it! And thank you so much for helping spread the word about A Flock of Ill Omens!

Luanne G. Smith said...

Oh, that was cool. I like the flash fiction so many of you came up with for this. I think I misunderstood the assignment. LOL. I just decided to scare the crap out of everyone with reality. :P

And congrats to Hart! I think these serialized novels are growing quite popular in the age of e-books. :)

Cherie Reich said...

Congrats to Hart!

And I loved this piece, Denise!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Wow! That was a unique twist, coming from the viewpoint of basically a ghost. Well done, Denise.
And big congratulations to Hart!

Rachna Chhabria said...

Wow, I like this piece Denise. Matilde, the ghost makes for a unique character.

Bevimus said...

I have to admit I found this rather confusing. It took me a long time to figure out that she was a ghost because how can a ghost have anything like a heartbeat? How can someone else's peirce hers?

That being said, I also really liked the idea of the twist and the feeling of helplessness was palpable.

I read the first fe hundred words of ill omens and loved it- I'll have to check out the serial in full.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Denise your entry was fantastic! I want to read it again during Halloween :)

Pat Hatt said...

Nice entry indeed, as it really takes halloween to seed, seen the book around a lot, sounds like quite the plot

Grace said...

Thanks for the info and your entry was interesting ~ What an ending ~

Nick Wilford said...

I loved the story - very intense. Congrats to Hart. Sounds like an intriguing series.

Bonnee Crawford said...

Hey, cool entry for the blog-hop :) There are so many ways the world could end. Best of luck to Hart :)

Tony Benson said...

Denise, you have a wonderful imagination, and you write beautifully. Great story :-)

DMS said...

The books certainly sound interesting! Thanks for putting them on my radar.

I loved your entry. It was full of suspense and well-written. It was great to see where your imagination took you! Awesome!
~Jess

Anonymous said...

Big fan of serials and apocalyptic fiction -- as well as your entry!

Nas said...

Great entry. Thrilled to read this post!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

That one really stabs the heart!

Michael Di Gesu said...

Very suspenseful and graphic! Nicely done! Good luck in the contest!