Monday, March 16, 2015

Book Review- Aftermath:A Story Of Survival

I was recently sent an early copy of Leann Edmondson's book "Aftermath: A Story Of Survival" to review and I was able to get it finished a few weeks ago. Now that the book is available for sale on Amazon to the masses I thought I would provide my review of the book, a little look inside the book, and interview with the author and of course A GIVEAWAY OF A SIGNED COPY OF THE BOOK (See Entry Form Below!).

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Book Excerpt:
When the picture of a dog taking a dump shows up on every computer and cell phone screen with the words, “IT Happens,” Jimmy Walker knew things would never be the same again. What he didn’t know was just how bad it would be. Bugging out to his cabin in the Manistee National Forest, Jimmy figured he would ride out the storm there. He knew there would be trouble from the criminal element and those who had not prepared but hadn’t counted on the United Nations moving in and gathering people up to be ‘relocated,’ too. Banding together with others in the valley, Jimmy works to meet the threats that seem to come from all directions at once.

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My Thoughts On The Book:
The book had the feel of a James Wesley Rawles style book as it was very attentive to detail, described preparations and the survivalist mentality. Overall I would say the characters in this book came to the fight a little less armed and prepared than the stocked to the gills characters familiar in a Rawles book. I believe this fact makes the characters a little more relatiable, while the main characters do have have a military background they don't seem to be high-speed operators or aggressive militia members like that of a Rawles book. I believe this book does a decent job of demonstrating the realities of a potential bugout from a preppers mindset but not as much from a self-reliant woodsman. So if you are are more of the latter and want to continue to learn those style skills this book may not be inline with your interests; however if you are more into general preparedness then book is a great fictional representation of what you more than likely would encounter as a prepper.

  Interview With the Author:
LeAnn Edmondson lives in Southeast Alaska and is the owner of www.homesteaddreamer.com where she writes about working tword a more self-sufficient lifestyle while trying to be prepared for the unknown. She also writes for PREPARE magizine and is a member of the Homestead Bloggers Network, the Prepared Bloggers Network and has contributed to several sites related to homestead, preparedness and survival communities. 

  1) What was your motivation for writing.this book?
    • My motivation for writing the book came from the fans. When Mike Kosinski was unable to keep the weekly story going on his site, TinHatRanch.com I was already hooked and asked if I could pick it up. As things kept going, the fans encouraged me to put it into a book and I listened! 
2) What was your favorite plot within.the book or favorite character?
    • My favorite character is actually toward the end of the book. His name is Swabbie and is based on an old salty fisherman I grew up with here in Southeast Alaska. Swore like a sailor, drank like a fish, but gentle and incredibly kind to ladies and children. A real softy once you got through the encrusted salt. 
3) Can you talk a little about the future of this series?
    • This series will be a trilogy! We are already half way through the sequel in our weekly story on the site HomesteadDreamer.com and I am not even close to being finished with Jimmy, Amie, and Captain's stories. I expect the sequel to be published around August or September 2015 and the last book out around the same time next year, maybe sooner. For those who don't know, the original book and now the sequel are written as a weekly story where the readers vote on what happens next. Then, their vote is woven into the story and another episode is written, and so on. People are getting very involved and I LOVE that interactive aspect of the project.
4) How does your current lifestyle in alaska help you relate to the characters in the book? How did you come up with the location in the book? Have you visited the area?
    • Mike Kosinski started the weekly story and so it was his choice for location and the disaster events (computer virus, nuclear weapons, EMP bursts). I have never been to Indiana or Michigan, I just picked up the thread and ran with it. I admit that I know considerably more about Michigan now than I ever have before! I would say that living in Alaska does give me an advantage in writing this story, even though it is not based in Alaska. We live more rurally here and tend to do things using less modern conveniences (mostly because they are just too expensive) so when the population finds itself thrust back into the 'dark ages,' a lot of those skills will be needed. Most city people don't know the difference between a heat fire meant to last all night long and a cooking fire. That kind of knowledge comes in handy!
More Survival Fiction Books Like This Book:

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Conclusions:  
I highly recommend you pick up this book by a fellow member of the prepared bloggers network  as it is a great work of preparedness fiction written in the style of Rawles (i.e. It is essentially a preparedness manual). The book was a very easy read and I was able to fly through the book over the course of a week reading it off and on as I had time between jobs. The book is definitely a page turner and well worth you time if you enjoy reading survival fiction.

Have something outdoor/bushcraft/trapping/preparedness/hiking/camping/fishing/hunting related you want me to make a post about? Leave me a comment and I will see what I can do! As always feel free to leave your questions and comment below! Also if you enjoy the blog please vote for us on the following websites to help us reach a wider audience:


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