Blackout Trail

 Blackout Trail

by Linda Naughton

 

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GENRE: Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Thriller

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BLURB:

 

Doctor Anna Hastings is no stranger to disasters, having spent much of her career as an aid worker in conflict zones around the world. Yet when an electrical phenomenon known as an EMP brings down the power grid, Anna faces catastrophe on a scale she never imagined. She must learn what it means to be a doctor in a world deprived of almost all technology.

 

As the blackout causes planes to fall from the sky, Anna crosses paths with devoted father Mark Ryan in the chaos at the airport. Mark convinces Anna to travel with him and his seven-year-old daughter Lily to their family’s cabin in remote Maine. There Mark hopes to reunite with his wife, and find a safe refuge from a society on the brink of collapse.

 

Journeying across a thousand miles of backcountry trails, they will face a daily struggle against nature. Their biggest peril, though, may come from their fellow survivors. As Anna grows closer to Mark and Lily, she resolves to see them safely home. But can she hold onto her humanity in a world gone mad?

 

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EXCERPT:

It wasn’t just our baggage carousel that had stopped; they all had. Both the overhead lights and the computer screens showing the baggage carousel assignments had gone dark too. The only light streamed in from the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the perimeter of the baggage claim area. Why hadn’t the emergency lights kicked on?

 

The automatic sliding doors had also stopped, confounding a gaggle of college kids trying to leave. Beyond the doors, an ominous stillness had replaced the constant bustle of parking shuttles, cars, and taxis creeping along the pickup lane. There should’ve been engine sounds. Horns. Something. Now there were just a bunch of confused and pissed-off people getting out of their vehicles.

 

Grumbling from the other passengers gave way to a stunned hush. Panic bubbled just beneath the surface. You couldn’t set foot in an American airport these days without being bombarded with reminders of terrorism. Everyone looked at each other, the same question written on our faces: Was this some kind of attack? What should we do? I expected some sort of alert or explanation over the loudspeaker, telling everyone to remain calm, but none came.

 

A thunderous crash from the opposite end of the terminal had me ducking and covering my head. Metal screeched on metal, accompanied by the tinkle of shattered glass and an ear-splitting grinding sound. A chorus of terrified cries erupted around me. I’ll admit it—I screamed too. I caught a glimpse of a plane fuselage crashing through the airport ceiling before plowing into the ground.

My Review

When I was offered a chance to review this book, I wasn't sure I wanted to. It's a long story, and if I didn't like it, it would be hard to finish the book and do the review. I looked the book up on Amazon and read the blurb. It sounded interesting. I've long been a reader of post-apocalyptic and sci/fi fiction so I read the excerpt provided by Amazon. All I can say is wow! From the opening scene, I was hooked. I enjoyed the characters and the plot, and the action seemed like something that would definitely happen in real life. The book was filled with suspense and angst as Anna, Mark, and Lily made their way across the United States. They fought the elements, the landscape, and unfortunately other desperate people. For a time I thought I had the ending nailed down, but even in the last pages of the book the author threw in some surprises. I can totally recommend the book. In fact, I may look for more books by Linda Naughton. Linda, thanks for a great read.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Linda Naughton has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. She is the author of several novels, children’s books, and the blog Self-Rescuing Princesses. A proud geek and gamer girl, she enjoys sci-fi, disaster movies, and role-playing games. She is a software engineer, paramedic, and mother of two.

 

Book Links:

 

Amazon (eBook/Paperback/KU): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BP696W3W

Paperback (wide): lindanaughton.com/blackout_trail.html

 

Links:

lindanaughton.com

twitter.com/lynnnoton

facebook.com/lynnnoton

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Linda Naughton will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway