APOCALYPSE
 An Anthology By Authors And Readers
Edited by Cynthia Shepp
 
~Synopsis~

What began as an idea soon set into motion a chain of events which would lead to the next

APOCALYPSE...

I want you to imagine that the world as we know it has ended.  Total Apocalypse. You only have yourself and one other person you can rely on.  There is no power, no water, and you are armed with only a backpack of supplies.  In your backpack there are matches, four bottles of water, enough food to make it three days, and one weapon.  Spin a web of survival, danger, and conflict.  Tell us why the world as you knew it ended, tell us your fears, make up a world in which nothing is the same and survival is hard, and the world is against you.  Tell us what you would do, where you would go, how you would get food and water, how you would protect yourself, and how you would make your life over again.  You could even throw in some romance and meet some new people to help you on your journey.

11 authors,

11 different stories, 

one main idea...

Welcome to the APOCALYPSE...

~MY REVIEW~

First of all this anthology was put together by a smart, savvy, reviewer/editor friend of mine. I already know what she has in her is absolutely brilliant. This started out as a contest on her book page that brought writers of all kinds together with one idea.....an apocalypse. Cynthia never ceases to amaze me with her editing skills and wonderful ideas. I am excited to see what journey she embarks upon next. She is a rock star through and through.
Now on with my individual takes on each story~

Story 1~Fade to Black by Jase Brantson
Jase wrote this story through dialogue, which to me was genius. Not only was that clever, but he threw me for a brilliant loop at the end of this story. No more details book lovers. Read it!!

Story 2~Artificial Life: The End Of Humanity by Kate Charles
Kat was the reason for the apocalypse. The father of her child, Christian dies and she is left alone. What Kat does to recreate a new human race will blow your mind!

Story 3~Shelf Life by S.L. Dearing
Shannon has been in her shelter for three weeks before she decides to wander out and see what has become of the world she once knew. Shannon and her dog Max find another survivor named Josh. Josh and Shannon encounter many obstacles. Good and bad, but they have one another. Will the survive the Apocalypse? S.L. Dearing brought a unique aspect to this story. In a bleak situation, there seems to be the hope of love.
This was one of my favorite reads.

Story 4~Welcome To The End Of The World (Population: Unknown) by R.M. Gilmore
The world has comet to an end. The main character of this story is forced to seek refuge in her basement. A man with a scythe enters her home and terrorizes her from above. He just doesn't want to rummage through her house for food and supplies. He is vile and wants much more. This psychological thrill ride will leave you dumbfounded.

Story 5~Lotion by Grayce Jantson (Jason Brant)
First of all this was another one of my faves.
A deadly virus has claimed the lives of millions of people. The main character is smart and on his own until after he runs into his neighbor Greg. This creates havoc and humor all at the same time. Greg is annoying to say the least. Jason Brant's imagination had me laughing from time to time. Even more than that, this story scared the s*** out of me.

Story 6~Until The End by Brittany Hiester
Brittany added humor to this story immediately. Brittany and her friend Christian worked together before the apocalypse. There was a tsunami that ends the world. They run into a fellow co-worker that has become a zombie....or has she?

Story 7~I Know My First Name Is Clossiana by K.T. Hennessy
Hmmm.....this one definitely threw me of course. It is short and very different from the rest of the stories. It is entertaining to say the least. It is one you have to read yourself and be the judge. I say this with the utmost respect. I liked it.

Story 8~Save Me by Heather Kirchoff
This story was gut wrenching to me. This story was written by a high school student. She takes us on a ride of pure, raw emotion in her efforts to survive. I wanted to reach in and strangle her brother. Raven is only fourteen and pushed away from her brother. According to him, Raven is holding him up. She ventures out on her own to survive. Feeling utterly betrayed, she meets Nathaniel. Together they have each other and a new found love. Will all be lost?

Story 9~Canyon Bound by Jon Messenger
Tommy and James are bound and determined to reach the Grand Canyon, where there are possible other survivors. This was riveting and will knock your socks off.

Story 10~What If by Jocelyn Sanchez
Very short story. I would of liked it to be a bit longer, but I applaud what detail was brought to the story.

Story 11~Cheyenne Mountain by Nicki Scalise
A woman and her dog are traveling to Cheyenne Mountain hoping to find a safe place to hide from the Anathema. Some say these could be demons, vampires or evil spirits that have taken over. She comes across a young man to whom of which she thinks is one of her. Oh boy is she sadly mistaken. One should never be so trusting!