by Kraus, Mike
I'm writing Surviving the Fall with the idea of making a fast-paced, gripping and somewhat realistic take on the post-apocalyptic genre. I'm tired of the EMP stories that seem to be all the rage these days so I came up with a different take that has some—but not all—of the same effects.
I also wanted to show the end of the world from the perspective of both a typical "lone man struggling to get home" as well as the perspective of someone who's already home and has to fight to protect herself and her family. I really enjoy writing from dual points of view and this lets me do that while also exploring two totally different but complementary perspectives.
When I killed off Jack and Samantha so soon after introducing them, I was torn. They were characters I came up with on a whim and I didn't think much about them at first, but as I wrote their scenes I started to realize that I enjoyed them. They were a fun complement to each other and I sort of wanted them to travel with Jack as he goes on his journey home.
Sadly, though, that wasn't to be. Jack and Samantha's death is as brutal and sudden and meaningless as it is for a reason -- I wanted to show that in the world of Surviving the Fall things are harsh, unforgiving and brutal. I hope I hammered that point home when Rick was backed into a corner and killed the leader of the gang that was chasing him down. There will be more lows coming later in the series, but also a lot of highs, too. After all, what's a story about the end of the world without some hope and good shining through the thick tar coating of the bad?
I came up with the idea for Surviving the Fall at the same time as I came up with the idea for No Sanctuary, another series that's launching in May 2017. Because of my success with publishing Final Dawn a few years back as an episodic series, I wanted to make one of my new series episodic and one of them novel-length. Surviving the Fall is planned to be around 14 books in length while No Sanctuary will be around 7 books in length, with Surviving the Fall books releasing once every 2-3 weeks while NS books release once every 4-6 weeks.
This, I hope, will satisfy post-apocalyptic fans who like episodic series as well as those who like novel-length series. Whichever one you prefer, there's a great new story waiting for you that I really hope you enjoy. When both series conclude I'll of course be releasing them in a "box set" or "omnibus" format. I'm the kind of person who typically doesn't watch a TV series until it concludes and the entire series is available to binge watch, so if you read like that, just watch out for the omnibus at a later date :)
If you enjoyed this story and/or any of my other stories, you should really sign up for my newsletter. I send out quick messages a few times a month and I take a totally different approach to my newsletters than other authors. Where other authors see a newsletter as a selling tool first and foremost I see it as a way to connect with my readers first and foremost. I've met some terrific people (like my AWESOME beta readers) and really enjoy talking to folks who email me.
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Catch you in the next book!
-Mike
Other Books from Mike Kraus
Final Dawn: The Complete Original Series Box Set
Clocking in at nearly 300,000 words with over 250,000 copies sold, this is the complete collection of the original bestselling post-apocalyptic Final Dawn series. If you enjoy gripping, thrilling post-apocalyptic action with compelling and well-written characters you’ll love Final Dawn.
Final Dawn: Arkhangelsk: The Complete Trilogy Box Set
The Arkhangelsk Trilogy is the first follow-up series set in the bestselling Final Dawn universe and delivers more thrills, fun and just a few scares. The crew of the Russian Typhoon submarine Arkhangelsk travel to a foreign shore in search of survivors, but what the find threatens their fragile rebuilding efforts in the post-apocalyptic world.
Prip’Yat: The Beast of Chernobyl
Two teens and two Spetsnaz officers travel to the town of Prip’Yat set just outside the remains of the Chernobyl power plant. The teens are there for a night of exploration. The special forces are there to pursue a creature that shouldn’t exist. This short thriller set around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster will keep your heart racing right through to the very end.
Surviving the
Fall
Surviving the Fall Series
Book 1
By
Mike Kraus
© 2017 Mike Kraus
www.MikeKrausBooks.com
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