Shalini Boland

Thursday, 11 April 2013

Free Sci Fi Thriller

is free on Kindle until Sunday 14th April

Grab a copy while you can.

What would it take for the United States to fall from within? In a not too distant future, America is put to the test. With the American people deep in The Second Great Depression and two of the most powerful hurricanes on record to contend with, the United States is in no condition to deal with hidden terrorists on its soil, maniacal politicians, and the most formidable military threat the world has seen since the Third Reich.

This is the story of three men from three very different walks of life: Howard Beck, the world's richest man, also diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome; Richard Dupree, ex-Navy SEAL turned escaped convict; and Maxwell Harris, a crippled, burned-out chief of police of a small Texas town. At first, they must overcome their own struggles and fight for their survival against impossible odds. In the end, the unlikely trio must band together to save their beloved country from COLLAPSE.

Empires topple. Nations crumble. Civilization is fragile. In 2027, America will fall.

Collapse on Kindle UK

Collapse on Kindle US

Monday, 18 February 2013

Blog Tour for THE CLEARING with Fiction Addiction

My blog tour starts today!!

I've hosted other books on their blog tours, but I've never had one of my own,

so I'm very excited to announce that my blog tour for THE CLEARING starts today.

I'd love it if you could join me over the next couple of weeks at the following virtual venues where there'll be interviews, blog posts, giveaways and reviews.

18th February 2013	A Daydreamer’s Thoughts - Review
19th February 2013	Victoria’s Pages of Romance - Interview & Excerpt
20th February 2013	Reading a Little Bit of Everything - Excerpt & Giveaway
21st February 2013	A Novel Review - Review
22nd February 2013	Story Addict Guest Post
25th February 2013	Snuggling on the Sofa - Review
26th February 2013	Rhoda Baxter - Guest post
27th February 2013	Miss Bookworm Reviews Review & Giveaway
28th February 2013	Book-Marks the Spot - Review & Giveaway
1st March 3013	Cosmochicklitan

Thanks so much to Shaz Goodwin at Fiction Addiction Books on Tour

for her super-special ninja powers of organisation and co-ordination!

Monday, 28 January 2013

Book Trailer for my New Dystopian Novel . . .

New Trailer for Book 2 in the Outside Series

Created by the very talented and lovely B. Lloyd

Thursday, 17 January 2013

Writing Post-Apocalyptic Fiction - My Top 10 Tips

THE CLEARING, Book 2 in my post-apocalyptic series came out this week and I'm already scribbling away on Book 3. Hoping to release it this summer if I can.

I'm really enjoying writing it. there's something about this genre which I find compelling. It sends shivers down my spine but despite this, I love to immerse myself in those terrifying end-of-the-world situations.

A few weeks ago I blogged about writing dystopian and post-apoc fiction over on Author's Anon. I've reposted it below for those of you who missed it:

My personal top ten elements for writing a great post-apocalyptic novel:

1. Make your setting original.

There have been oodles of futuristic New Yorks and Londons and a plethora of abandoned dystopian ‘facilities’. We’ve had kids battling to the death in arenas and gory zombie apocalypses. Worlds have been divided into ‘Factions’ and ‘Areas’, ‘Districts’ and ‘Zones’.

Put your own personal twist on the fall of society.

2. Sanctuaries

Locating them, getting into them and saving them from destruction. That’s all part of great post-apocalyptic fiction. Along with finding food, medical supplies, clothing and other survival gear.

3. Struggle

Decide whether your story is about struggling to save and change the world or whether it’s about a character’s struggle to adapt and survive within that world. It can be both, but have a clear idea about it before you go in. Do they succeed in their struggle? Or does everything unravel?

4. Why is your character special?

Did they get lucky? Are they equipped with specialist survival skills? Are they a victim? Why did they make it when everyone else died?

5. The Threat

Who or what is it? A person? A creature? A hostile environment? Are there multiple threats?

6. Authenticity and continuity

There are two main types of post-apocalyptic fiction. There’s gritty reality - the ‘what if’ scenario where life-as-we-know-it ends. And then there’s pure fantasy – zombies and dystopian societies etc. But whatever you choose to write about, make it as authentic as you can. If you’re writing about zombies, set parameters for them. What can they do? How can they harm you? And remember to never ever call them ‘zombies’ – there are ‘walkers’, ‘deadheads’, ‘the unconsecrated’ and a gazillion other names for the undead. Make up your own. Be consistent and make your world totally believable.

7. Technology

Does your world have any? Or did it all die with the end of civilisation? Or is there now even more advanced technology? Either way, talk about it and show it or the lack of it. What are the implications?

8. Atmosphere

Create a distinctive atmosphere for your novel. Whether it’s dark and claustrophobic or menacing and suspenseful, try and keep that feeling running through the story so your reader gets a real sense of being in another time and place. Perhaps it’s a world of extremes where you have luxury and decadence in the face of poverty and oppression. Either way, make the scenes ooze with atmosphere.

9. Before and After

What was the world like before the fall? What is it like now? Was it the same as the real world or was it something else? I want to know details. I want to see landscapes or cityscapes. I want to picture the before and after.

10. Hope

Even if everything is bleak and horrendous and it all seems futile, you have to plant a tiny nugget of hope somewhere in the story or we might as well all lie down and die.

Feel free to let me know if you think I’ve left anything out . . .

More online resources:
Writing Apocalyptic Stories
Apocalyptic Fiction Authors Beware
How to Write a Post-Apocalyptic Story
Best Post-Apocalyptic Novels

Wednesday, 12 December 2012

FREE for one day only: OUTSIDE - a post-apocalyptic novel

OUTSIDE
A post-apocalyptic romance thriller

The world of the future is divided by Perimeters: high-security gated communities where life goes on as normal. If you’re inside you’re lucky, if you’re outside life expectancy takes a nose dive.

Riley is fortunate to have been born on the right side of the fence. But her life of privilege comes crashing down when someone breaks through the Perimeter and murders her sister. She forsakes her own safety to go in search of the killer. Luc decides to go with her otherwise she’ll be dead before she’s past the security gate. But what awaits her outside is more unbelievable than she ever expected.

Cut to the present day where Eleanor's world is falling apart. This time next year, civilisation won't be quite so civilised . . .

Praise For OUTSIDE:

I was completely shocked at how all the events unfolded at the end. I really did not see it coming ... If you like post-apocalyptic books, this story is for you. Cynthia Shepp Book Reviews.

Outside is written in a way that kept me flipping through the pages, biting my fingernails and that good old 'one more chapter' feeling was ever-present.

The Aussie Zombie.

UK Kindle - Download OUTSIDE for free today only 12/12/12

US Kindle - Download OUTSIDE for free today only 12/12/12

Friday, 30 November 2012

The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw - Guest Post & Giveaway!

Welcome to stop number 18 on The Morgan Sisters Virtual Tour!

Today, one of my favourite Young Adult authors, Suzy Turner, has stopped by to tell us a little about the first book in her new series, The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw.

She is also generously donating a fantastic array of goodies in the giveaway
at the bottom of the page, including: a paperback of the novel, ebooks,
an Amazon gift certificate and some gorgeous jewellery!

'I love ghosts. I mean I love reading about them almost as much as I love writing about them. One of my favourite characters in my other series, The Raven Saga, is a ghost called Ruby Madison and she is such fun. So it was only natural that my newest book should contain at least one.

Josiah Grimshaw starts off as quite an elusive character, an old man with few friends and no family but when something remarkably sad happens, Josiah is thrust into a whole new 'life', making some unusual friends along the way. Although my latest book, The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw isn't entirely about this character alone, he is clearly a crucial aspect of the story (hence the title, of course!).

There are other ghosts in the story, although ghosts of lesser importance, they were enormous fun to create and I love the way they would just appear to me while I was writing, particularly during the scenes at Abney Park, a huge old derelict cemetery in London. Granville Houston was one such character. A man who died 200 years ago, stuck in the cemetery with a group of other ghosts just left to exist in a ghostly manner with no way of passing over (but that's a story for another time).

Ghosts have always intrigued me, probably because of my own experiences as a child... yes, I do believe I was visited on several occasions by my late mother who died when I was young. Although terrified to begin with, when I realised who it was, I began to relax whenever it occurred again. It hasn't though for quite some time so I am content to believe she has crossed over and is finally at peace, something that Josiah Grimshaw would so like to happen to him...'

Adopted sisters Lana Beth and Emma Jane are polar opposites, but when the same strange 'tattoo' suddenly appears and winds its way up their bodies within days of each other, they soon realize there's more to their relationship than they could ever have imagined.

Sent off to London for two weeks of 'work experience', the Morgan Sisters soon find themselves being initiated into the ancient Praxos Foundation, one that protects the innocent while fighting evil, both human and supernatural.

At the same time, Lana Beth and Emma Jane must also investigate why the sweet but sometimes pesky ghost of Josiah Grimshaw just won't leave them alone.