Bye Bye World – You
Can Keep Your Brains and Crossbow
I love a good end of the world yarn. Always have. As a kid,
Dawn of the Dead was life changing for me. The world as we know it goes kaput, and 4 survivors get to live in a
mall! Better still, they get to kill zombies! I thought, Armageddon can be so
cool – as long as I’m one of the survivors and get to pick where I spend my
days.
Growing up at the tail end of the Cold War era, the threat of
nuclear annihilation was always top of mind. It was reflected in movies like Testament (a real tear jerker) and The Day After, a TV miniseries that had
a nation glued to the boob tube. Russia went through perestroika and we were
more concerned with getting laid, high and having nothing but a good time
(thank you, Poison).
Since 2001, the world has changed, and with it, our story
preferences. It’s strange but true, the darker we see our future, the darker
the things we watch and read. Take The
Walking Dead, the most popular show on TV. I mean, even the normies are
digging it, which is starting to wear on the true horror hounds out there. That
show is nothing but a hot, sweaty, hopeless, drawn out apocalypse. Time will
tell what our fascination is with the zombie aspect. I think we’re too close to
the source material now to see the forest for the trees. But the core of the
narrative on the show is this – the shit
has hit the fan, maybe the dead are the lucky ones.
Living as close to a terrorist target as I do, I’m very
cognizant of how my day can go from ordinary to hell in a moment’s notice. It’s
this creeping dread that got me to write Tortures
of the Damned. A lot of us spend our lives asking what if. Tortures of the Damned explores the worst answers to what
if, just like The Walking Dead and so
many other shows and books, with one exception – when you die, you die. Zombies
aren’t real and will never be a concern should things go to hell. If I was
going to write an end of the world thriller, I had to make it seem as real as
possible, while still throwing in a bit of the fantastic but possibly plausible
to make it something you’ve never seen before.
Little kids now have zombie backpacks and soccer moms put
little family zombie stickers on the back window of their SUVs. How is that
possibly scary anymore?
Electromagnetic-pulse bombs (bombs that wipe out all
electronics and power) and chemical weapons.
Those are truly terrifying and all
too real. Very bad people have possession of these weapons. It’s only a matter
of when they will decide to use them and where.
Tortures of the Damned
explores a very real potential future, one without the undead but oh so much
worse. No shopping malls to whoop it up this time. But there is always the
strength of the human spirit, and the will to survive. It’s the paths one has
to take in order to live another day that are truly engrossing.
Hunter Shea
is back again with a Pinnacle/Kensington paperback following his smash hit of The Montauk Monster last summer. This
time the world could be ending!
Follow
along using the hashtags: #TorturesoftheDamned #Apocalypse #RunforYourLife
Tortures of the Damned, Info and Synopsis-
·
Mass Market
Paperback: 352 pages
·
Publisher: Pinnacle (July 28, 2015)
·
Language: English
·
ISBN-10: 0786034777
·
ISBN-13: 978-0786034772
SHOCK…
First, the electricity goes—plunging the east coast in darkness after a devastating nuclear attack. Millions panic. Millions die. They are the lucky ones.
AFTER SHOCK…
Next, the chemical weapons take effect—killing or contaminating everything alive. Except a handful of survivors in a bomb shelter. They are the damned.
HELL IS FOR HUMANS
Then, the real nightmare begins. Hordes of rats force two terrified families out of their shelter—and into the savage streets of an apocalytic wasteland. They are not alone. Vicious, chemical-crazed animals hunt in packs. Dogs tear flesh, cats draw blood, horses crush bone. Roaming gangs of the sick and dying are barely recognizable as human. These are the times that try men’s souls. These are the tortures that tear families apart. This is hell on earth. The rules are simple: Kill or die.
First, the electricity goes—plunging the east coast in darkness after a devastating nuclear attack. Millions panic. Millions die. They are the lucky ones.
AFTER SHOCK…
Next, the chemical weapons take effect—killing or contaminating everything alive. Except a handful of survivors in a bomb shelter. They are the damned.
HELL IS FOR HUMANS
Then, the real nightmare begins. Hordes of rats force two terrified families out of their shelter—and into the savage streets of an apocalytic wasteland. They are not alone. Vicious, chemical-crazed animals hunt in packs. Dogs tear flesh, cats draw blood, horses crush bone. Roaming gangs of the sick and dying are barely recognizable as human. These are the times that try men’s souls. These are the tortures that tear families apart. This is hell on earth. The rules are simple: Kill or die.
Praise-
“A lot of
splattery fun.”—Publishers Weekly
“Harrowing, bloodsoaked.” —Jonathan Janz, Author of The Nightmare Girl
“Frightening, gripping.”—Night Owl Reviews
“Old school horror.” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author
“Harrowing, bloodsoaked.” —Jonathan Janz, Author of The Nightmare Girl
“Frightening, gripping.”—Night Owl Reviews
“Old school horror.” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author
Hunter Shea,
Biography-
Hunter Shea is the author of the novels The
Montauk Monster, Sinister Entity, Forest of Shadows, Swamp Monster Massacre, and Evil
Eternal. His stories have appeared in numerous magazines, including Dark
Moon Digest, Morpheus Tales and the Cemetery Dance
anthology,
Shocklines : Fresh Voices in Terror.
Shocklines : Fresh Voices in Terror.
His obsession with all things horrific has led
him to real life exploration of the paranormal, interviews with exorcists and
other things that would keep most people awake with the lights on. He lives in New York with his family and vindictive cat. He
waits with Biblical patience for the Mets to win a World Series. You can read
about his latest travails and communicate with him at www.huntershea.com.
PURCHASE!
You can
purchase Tortures of the Damned in mass market paperback at more retail stores
nationwide, as well as bookstores, both independent and chain.
You can also
buy online at:
Amazon-
Barnes and
Noble-
Giveaway!
One signed book from Hunter Shea of
winner’s choice (or e-book) and a bookmark.
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