Tuesday, September 29, 2015

My Other Car is a Spaceship is only $0.99/£0.99 until Friday!

COUNTDOWN SPECIAL 

This former Amazon #1 bestselling military sci-fi thriller is only $0.99/£0.99 through 3 am (EDT)
October 2
.

It was supposed to be a quiet retirement. One minute Hal Nellis, former air force fighter pilot, is mowing his lawn; the next, he finds himself drafted to fight interstellar pirates set on sacking Earth and other backwater worlds. With no governments rich enough to patrol all of space, it's up to the commercial shippers to protect themselves via the civilian Merchants' Unity fleet.

When the pirate ships acted independently, the Unity had no trouble keeping them under control. But when the pirates organized to better coordinate their activities, they became an unstoppable force, pushing the underfunded Unity to the brink of collapse and leaving backwater worlds like Earth defenseless.

As one of the rare humans with the hypertasking gene, Hal is able to pilot the best the Unity has to offer. With his help, and that of Captain Kalen Jeffries—the son of human slaves—the remaining ships of the Unity plan a last-ditch effort to break the pirate hegemony. Succeed, and the pirate organization is crushed forever; fail, and the people of Earth and other backwater worlds are doomed to slavery and death.
MY OTHER CAR IS A SPACESHIP is available on Amazon (in 13 countries): http://smarturl.it/MyOtherCarSpaceship.

Here’s a 40-minute free sample of the audiobook on YouTube: http://youtu.be/llStTSZWvbc. (eBook links below.)

To find out more about my books, go to my webpage at http://MarkTerenceChapman-Author.com or my Amazon profile at http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Terence-Chapman/e/B001KD533U. Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chapman208; https://www.twitter.com/MarkTerenceChap 

#SciFi #ScienceFiction #Aliens #SpaceExploration #Pirates #FirstContact #MyOtherCarIsaSpaceship #Kindle #kindleunlimited #amazon #MarkTerenceChapman

Monday, September 28, 2015

Excerpt #1 for Aliens Versus Zombies

Excerpt #1 for the 4.6-STAR-RATED Aliens Versus Zombies:


Chapter Zero 

May 2034.

He had no name. He simply was.

Once a mechanic, he was now but a part of The Pack. His filthy, bloody, torn coveralls had a patch on the chest that read Jay. A tattoo of an anchor peeked out of a rip in the right sleeve.

Movement across the street caught his eye. Jay shrieked and grunted, then pointed. The others in The Pack understood the meaning.

Food!

Another pack had entered their territory. He knew they were not of The Pack. Their cries and hoots were different.

Once, food had been plentiful, but as the easier food was caught and eaten—the two- and four-legged ones, the flying ones—food got scarcer, until the packs began to starve. They soon eyed one another. The hunger gnawing at them was incessant. It had to be quenched.

Now The Pack, twenty-three strong, gave chase. Some raced left, some right, and some straight ahead. They would leave few openings through which the prey could escape. Ahead, three more members of The Pack waited for the prey to be driven toward them.

They closed the trap. The Pack pounced on the seven interlopers. Bloodstained teeth ripped into flesh, tore open arteries, cracked bones.

Eat!

This food fought back with ferocity. Two of The Pack died along with the interlopers.

That made nine foods to eat.

The Pack slept with full bellies that night.

Happy.

* * * * 

March 2033 (fourteen months earlier).

The end of the world had begun with a neither a bang nor a whimper, but with pain.

March 23 began like so many other days, with Lao Tse reaching for a sack of rice to throw onto the back of his cart.

“Ow!”

He yanked his hand back and sucked the drop of blood from the back of his finger.

“Damn it!” Must have been a thorn, or a sharp twig.

The wild gerbil that nipped him darted unseen into the nearby reeds. The wound didn’t hurt much after a few minutes, so Lao Tse thought no more of it.

Two days later, while selling his produce in the town marketplace, he developed a headache during lunch, followed by a sore throat, and then a cough. By 4 pm, he coughed almost nonstop and his head throbbed to the rhythm of his pulse. Lao decided to call it a day, but by then he had transmitted this new mutation of the Tibetan Hemorrhagic Fever virus to several other merchants.

The next day, his symptoms progressed to vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

“Papa,” his daughter, Mei, insisted, “you have to go to the hospital!”

“No, no, I’ll be fine. I just need to rest a little more.”

“You’re not fine! Look at you. You’re feverish, sweating, your eyes are bloodshot, and your hands are clammy. No more arguments—we’re going. Get your clothes on.”

“No, really, I’m fi—” A prolonged coughing fit cut off the rest of the sentence. When he finished, it took him several minutes to catch his breath. “Maybe you’re right,” he finally conceded. He wheezed as he spoke.

Mei rushed him to the nearest emergency room in Lhasa. Upon arrival at the Lhasa People’s Hospital, the admitting nurse directed them to “Have a seat over there and fill out this form.”

In the twenty-two minutes before he was examined—coughing and sneezing the entire time—Lao infected eleven people in the waiting room. All received treatment for the injuries or illnesses that had brought them there and then left the hospital before they became symptomatic. Four traveled to other towns and spread the contagion further.

Lao’s condition worsened and he passed out during the examination.

“Nurse!” the doctor called out. “Admit this man for observation.”

Overnight Lao Tse began bleeding from his eyes, nose, ears, and rectum. Patient Zero died two days later.

By the time doctors had diagnosed hemorrhagic fever, quarantined the hospital, and notified the Tibetan government and the World Health Organization (WHO) it was already too late.

* * * * 

CNN Headline News, April 4, 2033: 
“Tibetan virus escapes China; thousands infected throughout East Asia. WHO warns neighboring countries to take precautions.” 

Der Spiegel International (English), April 10, 2033: 
“Germany closes borders to travelers from East Asia.” 

USA Today, April 14, 2033: 
“Virus immune to vaccines” 

Paris Match headline (translated), April 25, 2033: 
“112 MILLION BELIEVED INFECTED” 

Chicago Tribune, April 26, 2033: 
“President McKinnon dead! Marshal Law declared!” 

Daily Record and Sunday Mail (Scotland), May 2, 2033: 
“Parliament Abandoned; UK in Crisis” 

Pravda headline (English), June 29, 2033: 
“2.5 billion believed dead” 

The Rio Times (English), July 17, 2033: 
“Brazil Government Collapses” 

Sydney Morning Herald, August 23, 2033: 
“6 billion dead. Will anyone survive?” 

miamiherald.com feature article, September 19, 2033: 
“Humanity’s end?” 

By Roger Cseh
Staff Reporter

This pandemic is like nothing mankind has ever experienced. Approximately eighty-two percent of the human race—more than eight billion people—died within the first six months.

Of the remaining eighteen percent of humanity nearly all suffered through lesser symptoms, including intense fever that resulted in significant brain trauma. Scientists say the damage occurs primarily to the frontal lobe—the part of the brain that controls the higher brain functions—and especially the cerebral cortex.

These victims don’t die, yet they also are no longer quite human. Instead, they become ravening feral hordes, hunting for living things to eat: snakes raccoons, people—each other. It doesn’t matter. As long as it has a heartbeat, these “zombies”—for want of a better term—pursue and eat it. However they are not the shuffling, undead automatons of horror fiction. They are something else entirely. They are living, breathing creatures, cunning and fast—too fast.

The estimated remaining eight-tenths of one percent of humanity—fewer than eight million individuals worldwide—seem to be immune to the virus. However, with the collapse of all governments and military we stand little chance of surviving long-term against nearly a billion zombies.

God help us all.

* * * *

On May 19, 2034, fourteen months after the plague struck, a Drahtch invasion fleet entered Earth orbit.


Aliens Versus Zombies is available on Amazon in 13 countries: http://smarturl.it/AliensVersusZombies.

To find out more about this and my other novels, go to my website at http://markterencechapman-author.com or my Amazon profile at http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Terence-Chapman/e/B001KD533U. Twitter: @MarkTerenceChap 

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

The Mars Imperative is only $0.99 USD for the next few days

*** COUNTDOWN SPECIAL ***

Here’s your chance get this 4.3-star rated hard-sci-fi thriller for a mere $0.99 USD.

Mars is like a frontier town, filled with prospectors and mining camps. It’s a place of deadly dust storms, rockslides, and near-vacuum atmosphere. And then there’s the terrorist. The story is chock full of technology, from hyperplanes to space elevators. There are geological surveys and a literal leap of faith (in space).

When young James McKie leaves for his first job in space, he has no idea what he’s getting himself into. Traveling to Mars is harrowing enough. Surviving once he gets there is another matter entirely. Yet there is a discovery waiting to be made, one that could open Mars to human colonization—if it doesn’t kill everyone first.

Despite being part of a series, THE MARS IMPERATIVE (Book One of The Imperative Chronicles), is a complete, stand-alone story. (You don't necessarily have to read Book Two (The Tesserene Imperative)—but, of course, you’ll want to!) It is available on Amazon in 13 countries: http://smarturl.it/TheMarsImperative.

To find out more about my books, go to my new website: http://markterencechapman-author.com. @MarkTerenceChap

#scifi #ScienceFiction #SpaceExploration #SpaceColonization #TheMarsImperative #Kindle #kindleunlimited #amazon #MarkTerenceChapman #ebook

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies debuts! New Website!

July 10 was Release Day for Aliens Versus Zombies. It also was the day my new website officially opened.


Although the preorder special price of $0.99/£0.99 expired at midnight, a one-week promotional price of $1.99/£1.99 is now in effect, expiring on July 23.

As for my new website, it's beautiful. Check it out! Let me know if you'd like to see any new features. I'll see what I can do.

Here are the links to the book and my website.

The website has a blog feature, so I'll likely sunset this blog, once I get the hang of that new blog. :)

I'm already in the process of sunsetting my old website.


Thursday, July 9, 2015

Friday, July 10 is release day for Aliens Versus Zombies! Also, new website!

Only 1 day until release!

Special preorder price: $0.99/£0.99 now through Release Day, Friday, July 10. On July 11, the price goes up.

Check out my new website, too: http://MarkTerenceChapman-Author.com.

Aliens Versus Zombies is a most unconventional sci-fi/zombie hybrid (not really horror, but still a zombie story, closer to Warm Bodies in spirit than The Walking Dead).

The end of the world began with a neither a bang nor a whimper, but with pain. March 23, 2033 was the day the Tibetan hemorrhagic fever virus jumped species.

Eighty-two percent of the human race—more than eight billion people—died within six months, screaming as necrotic tissue rotted on the bone. Of the eighteen percent of humanity that survived the pandemic, nearly all suffered through intense fever that resulted in damage to the higher brain functions. They didn’t die, but they also were no longer quite human. Instead, they became ravening feral hordes, forever hunting for living things to eat: snakes, raccoons, people—it didn’t matter. As long as it had a heartbeat, the zombies—for want of a better term—pursued and ate it. Yet, these zombies were not the mindless, shuffling, automatons of horror fiction. They were something else entirely. They were fast, cunning, hunted in packs, and could use simple tools.

The remaining eight-tenths of one percent of humanity—fewer than eight million individuals worldwide—were immune to the virus. However, with the collapse of all governments and military they stood little chance of surviving long-term against almost two billion zombies.

Fourteen months after the plague struck, a Drahtch invasion fleet arrived with more than twenty thousand armed ships, two million ground troops, and a half-million colonists.

Mankind doesn’t stand a chance.

Or does it?

For TWO FREE CHAPTERS, go to my website, below.

Aliens Versus Zombies is available on Amazon in 13 countries: http://smarturl.it/AliensVersusZombies.

To find out more about this and my other novels, go to my old website at http://MarkTerenceChapman.com or my new site (see link above). @MarkTerenceChap

Saturday, June 27, 2015

SUNRISE DESTINY, is receiving rave reviews!

Only $2.99/£1.99. My paranormal/detective/alien-abduction sci-fi thriller, SUNRISE DESTINY, is receiving rave reviews:

Fast, Funny and Furious. One of the most enjoyable books I have ever read!”—D Sable

“This has to be the most entertaining book I’ve read this month; I absolutely loved it! [T]his book could fit into a number of different genres very well, and I think the cross genre elements are what really make the story work. … The world building is extraordinary and really pulls the story together. I know this is one book I’ll be reading over and over. I cannot say enough good things about this book, and I encourage everyone to go out and get a copy today; it is well worth the money spent!”—Regina for Coffee Time Romance & More; Rating: 5 Cups (their highest rating)

I added Mark Terence Chapman to my auto-buy list; and that was just 80-some pages into the book. … Mark Chapman's narrative was strong and wonderfully detailed, without overdoing it…. Sunrise Destiny was a wonderful surprise and a story that will definitely be a re-read.”— Kathy for Dark Divas Reviews; Rating: 5 Delightful Divas (their highest rating)

“Oh no- it`s over! A story that never lets up and keeps you up past bedtime. Great story line and writing style. Sure hope Chapman has more where this came from!---Amazon Customer

“A fun refreshing twist on a standard science fiction theme-- A fun read, I highly recommend it.”—Kindle Customer

“A very enjoyable and imaginative read - combines gritty private eye and mob characters with unusual aliens and crime. Hope to see a sequel.”—Mike Nichols

Five Stars. Great read I liked it a lot.”—Louis T. Fischer

“Interesting integration of SciFi with some detective story thrown in. Good book.”—Dropzone

Thoroughly enjoyed this. A different slant to a Space Opera fantasy/sci-fi.”—WL Hatfield

“[W]hat an unusually different story […]enjoyed it very much.”—Amazon Customerhardcore sick

“This book was fun! … Perhaps the best part of this story is that characters are not spared the tragedy of the path they walk. Hard choices are made on all sides and many commit acts that they morally object to in order to survive. … I highly recommend this book. It’s fun and exciting, without losing [sight] of the characters’ mortality.”—Janelle for You Gotta Read Reviews; Rating: You Gotta Read ("Our highest rating - very few books will earn this award")

Ever have one of those weeks? While working a case, private detective Donatello Sunrise is abducted by aliens. And that’s the highlight of his week. Soon, the cops are after him for serial kidnappings, a Mob boss wants him dead, and he's fleeing aliens halfway across the galaxy. Somehow, Sunrise and his hooker girlfriend, Lola, must find a way to save two worlds from disaster by helping the good guys defeat the bad guys.

The trick is figuring out which is which.

Sunrise Destiny is available on Amazon in 13 countries: http://smarturl.it/SunriseDestiny.

To find out more about my books, go to my blog at http://tesserene.blogspot.com or my website: http://MarkTerenceChapman.com. @MarkTerenceChap

We Did it! The Thunderclap promo campaign for AVZ is a go!

Wednesday night, we reached our goal of 100 supporters for the Aliens Versus Zombies promo campaign. In fact, we exceeded it! The final tally is 103 supporters with a global social media reach of 96,703 people.

Once again, I would like to humbly thank all the supporters of this book. I have acknowledged the previous supporters in earlier missives. These are the latest:

Sean Leas
Gemma Carter
David M Crossett
Pamela Sims
Imani Jones
Julian W Thompson
Beau O'Dell
Kevin Davis
Rose Marie
Delores Walker
Wholohan Gffb James
Shelley M Hall
Angela Fristoe (USA Today bestselling author)
Michael Levy
CM Kaser
Alejandro Campos
Marie Kathryn Casalaspro
Michael Nelson

I hope I spelled everyone's screen names correctly. If not, I apologize.

For those of you who have preordered a copy of the book, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. If you haven't, that's okay, too. :) Your support in this campaign certainly will contribute to the success of the book.

If you would like a copy, or know anyone who might, here is the Amazon link (good for Amazon sites in 13 countries): http://smarturl.it/AliensVersusZombies. The preorder price is only $0.99/£0.99 through Release Day, July 10. On July 11, the price goes up. If you're interested, now's the time to buy.

To read a two-chapter sample before the book ships, go to my website at http://MarkTerenceChapman.com.

Again, thank you so much for everything!

Countdown Special for The Imperative Chronicles

Until Sunday 28 June 4 pm EDT, get THE IMPERATIVE CHRONICLES for only $1.99 (61% off the regular price) in the U.S.

Two great novels, one great price! ($0.995 apiece.)


This set contains the complete, unabridged, highly rated novels (4.3 and 4.6 stars), THE MARS IMPERATIVE and THE TESSERENE IMPERATIVE. If you like hard sci-fi and lots of action, this is the book for you.

Get ready for a near-future universe where the science and technology is as real as anything you might encounter today. It's a universe of space elevators, terraforming, mining camps on Mars, and prospecting in distant asteroid belts; a universe where the Earth is dangerously overpopulated. We must expand outward to survive.

Dangers abound in space, but so do opportunities. Succeed and the galaxy is opened for human exploration; fail and humanity is doomed to extinction.

Which will it be? Come along for the ride of your life. It's a bumpy one, but well worth the trip.

THE MARS IMPERATIVE:

Mars is a frontier town, filled with prospectors and mining camps. It’s a place of deadly dust storms, rockslides, and near-vacuum atmosphere. And then there’s the terrorist. There’s also technology galore, from hyperplanes to space elevators. There are geological surveys and a literal leap of faith (in space).

When James McKie leaves for his first job in space, he has no idea what he’s getting himself into. Traveling to Mars is harrowing enough. Surviving once he gets there is another matter entirely. Yet there is a discovery waiting to be made, one that could open Mars to human colonization—if it doesn’t kill everyone first.

THE TESSERENE IMPERATIVE:
It was supposed to be a routine mission, but in an asteroid belt nothing is routine.

When prospecting ship Shamu is almost destroyed, the crew of five is left with three days of air, little water, a smashed starflight drive, and no hope of rescue. It will take every ounce of ingenuity and stubborn pigheadedness they possess to find a way to survive.

In the shadows of a small moon, there's a discovery waiting to be made—the secret to first contact. Will it open the stars to widespread exploration, or doom mankind to extinction?

THE IMPERATIVE CHRONICLES is available on Amazon in 13 countries: http://hyperurl.co/ImperativeChronicles.

To find out more about my books, go to my blog at http://tesserene.blogspot.com or my website: http://MarkTerenceChapman.com. @MarkTerenceChap 

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

The Aliens Versus Zombies promo campaign is almost ready to launch. With a week left before the campaign kicks off, we have 96 supporters with a global social media reach of 84,000 people! That means only 4 more supporters are needed. (We can fly right past 100 if we want to. It means a broader social reach.)

As always, thanks so much to everyone who supports this book!

If you know of anyone you think might be interested in joining the campaign, feel free to forward this to them.

Thank you for participating in this social experiment.

Here again are the links to the campaign (https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/27110-aliens-versus-zombies#) and to the book age on Amazon (http://smarturl.it/AliensVersusZombies). If anyone wants to know more about me or my books, here are my website (http://MarkTerenceChapman.com) and my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MTChapman.Author).

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Amazon is running a $1.99 Countdown Special on "My Other Car is a Spaceship"

COUNTDOWN SPECIAL
This former Amazon #1 bestselling military sci-fi thriller is only $1.99 through 3 am (EDT) June 26.
 
When space pirates threaten to take over the shipping lanes, retired air force fighter pilot Hal Nellis is recruited to fight them. It all comes down to a final battle for the spaceways. Win, and the pirate threat is crushed forever. Lose, and the people of Earth and countless other backwater worlds are doomed to enslavement and death.

MY OTHER CAR IS A SPACESHIP (ebook) on Amazon (in 13 countries).

Here’s a 40-minute free sample of the audiobook on YouTube: 

MY OTHER CAR IS A SPACESHIP (audiobook):
·     Amazon
·     Apple iTunes/iBooks (in 51 countries). After signing in with the iBooks app, select your country or region.
·     Audible

To find out more about my books, go to my blog or my website. @MarkTerenceChap

Preorder "Aliens Versus Zombies for only $0.99/£0.99 through Release Day, July 10

Special preorder price: $0.99/£0.99 now through Release Day, July 10. On July 11, the price goes up.

My latest novel, Aliens Versus Zombies is a most unconventional sci-fi/zombie hybrid (not really horror).

The end of the world began with a neither a bang nor a whimper, but with pain. March 23, 2033 was the day the Tibetan hemorrhagic fever virus jumped species.

Eighty-two percent of the human race—more than eight billion people—died within six months, screaming as necrotic tissue rotted on the bone. Of the eighteen percent of humanity that survived the pandemic, nearly all suffered through intense fever that resulted in damage to the higher brain functions. They didn’t die, but they also were no longer quite human. Instead, they became ravening feral hordes, forever hunting for living things to eat: snakes, raccoons, people—it didn’t matter. As long as it had a heartbeat, the zombies—for want of a better term—pursued and ate it. However these zombies were not the mindless, shuffling, automatons of horror fiction. They were something else entirely. They were fast, cunning, hunted in packs, and could use simple tools.

The remaining eight-tenths of one percent of humanity—fewer than eight million individuals worldwide—were immune to the virus. However, with the collapse of all governments and military they stood little chance of surviving long-term against almost two billion zombies.

And then, fourteen months after the plague struck, the Drahtch invasion fleet arrived with more than twenty thousand armed ships, two million ground troops, and a half-million colonists.

Mankind doesn’t stand a chance.

Or does it?


Aliens Versus Zombies is available on Amazon in 13 countries.

If you'd like to help me promote AVZ, just click on the Thunderclap promotional campaign link below. It shouldn't take more than a few seconds of your time; just a few clicks. All that's required is granting permission for Thunderclap to post one time to your FB and Tumblr accounts, and/or Twitter. (It's just a 140-character ad for my book. You can see the ad at the link below.) Thunderclap will do the rest automatically, on July 1. It's a one-time deal; your walls won't get spammed. The book ships on July 10.

I need only 100 people by June 30 for the campaign to go live (40 so far in less than 7 days. The social media “reach” is already up over 40,000 people.) The more people who click, the wider the message gets spread. Let's get viral!

Thanks!

To find out more about this and my other novels, go to my blog or my website, where there’s a free sample chapter. @MarkTerenceChap

Aliens Versus Zombies promo campaign reaches the final phase

With 11 days to go, the Aliens Versus Zombies promo campaign has reached the 85% mark, with a social media reach of more than 80,500 people. Only 15 more supporters are required.

As I've done several times before, I'd like to thank all the recently joined supporters by name. In order, they are:

Glenn Lockley
Brett Uren
Lisa Medley
Toneye Blakk
Biswadeep Pattnayak
Tom Kane
Shane Rees
Larry Diane Nebelung
Susie Hawes
Carolyn Hamilton
Marcha Fox
Carl Plumer
Andrea Gibson Mann
Heather Kirchhoff
P. Katherine Barkley
Scott Salow

(If I misspelled anyone's name I humbly apologize.)

Thank you all for helping. This Thunderclap campaign is something I'm trying for the first time. If it succeeds, it will be mainly due to you.

Here, again, are the links to the campaign and to the book page on Amazon (in 13 countries.

If you know of anyone you think might be interested in supporting this campaign, please tell them about it. :)

Thanks again.

To find out more about this and my other novels, go to my website, where there’s a free sample chapter. @MarkTerenceChap

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Newest Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) member!

As of yesterday, I'm now a card-carrying member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). :) Until March of this year, they didn't accept e-book authors into the organization. Membership requires a provable income of at least $3,000 in royalties or advance money for one book (or three short stories published by one or more of the approved publications).

Here's a link to my author profile on Amazon if anyone wants to check out my books: http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Terence-Chapman/e/B001KD533U

And here's a link to the SFWA site: http://sfwa.org.


Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies promo campaign blows past the 75% mark

With 15 days left in the Thunderclap promo campaign for my latest sci-fi novel, Aliens Versus
Zombies, it has reached 78% of its target of 100 supporters. And it it has exceeded 70,000 people in global social media reach.

To be a supporter requires nothing more than a few clicks, to allow Thunderclap to post one time to your Facebook, Tumblr, and/or Twitter accounts on July 1. That's it. It'll take you only a few seconds to complete and will help this sci-fi novel get off to a great start.

Once again, here are the links to the campaign (https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/27110-aliens-versus-zombies#) and to the book on Amazon (http://smarturl.it/AliensVersusZombies). The link is good for 13 Amazon country sites. From now through release day (July 10), the promotional price is only $0.99/£0.99. After that, the price goes up. If the story interests you, now is the time to buy it. (Go to the Amazon page for details.)

Thanks so much for all the new and previous supporters. You're all helping to make this happen! I've never tried anything like this before, so it's really cool to see it all come together.

July 1, at 5:00 pm is when the campaign will take effect after we reach 100 supporters.

See you then!

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies promo campaign surpasses the 70% mark

The promo campaign for Aliens Versus Zombies has reached 71% of the supporters necessary for the campaign to launch, with a social media reach of more than 64,000 people. That means only 29 more supporters are required.

As I've done twice before, I'd like to gratefully acknowledge another batch of supporters added since the last time. In order,they are:

Kate Watson
Princess Sin
Mikki Hoffman
Kenneth Coe
Calvin Dodge
Danielle Pasca
Dominick Dobson
MT Bostick
David A. Rupprecht
Sam Gregory
Acevongo
William Reece
Valli Pherson
Scott Michael Decker
D. Neil D'Silva
Brian McLaughlin
Norma Seitz
Blaine Coleman
Bex @ Aurelia {Lit}

I hope I spelled everyone's name correctly. If not, I apologize.

Once again, thank you all (and the earlier supporters) for your support!

Here are the links to the campaign (https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/27110-aliens-versus-zombies#) and to the book itself (http://smarturl.it/AliensVersusZombies).

More later.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Another milestone reached in the Aliens Versus Zombies Thunderclap campaign!

I'm pleased to announce that as of three hours ago we have reached 50% of our goal! We still need another 50 supporters, but there are 24 full days left in which to do it.

As always, thanks so much for helping Aliens Versus Zombies get off to a rousing start. The first 50
supporters have a combined social media reach of more than 45,000 people. That's getting the word out. :)

In an earlier update, I listed the first 34 supporters. Here are the next 16:

Casey Harvell
Anthony D. Lombardi
Tony
Seth Newman
K.s. Crooks
Dale Stiffler
Janet Smith Brown
Brenda Lacy
Venus Morales Author
Kristin Lundgren
Linda Bouyea
Michael Peirce
Matthew Pittaway
Jay Brown
P.D.Roberts
Roy Goodwin

My heartfelt thanks to each of you for helping me with this campaign. :)

Now, let's go get another 50! Here's the link to the campaign: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/27110-aliens-versus-zombies#

And here's the link to preorder AVZ, if you're so inclined: http://smarturl.it/AliensVersusZombies

Mark.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies has reached another milestone!

The Thunderclap promo campaign for my upcoming sci-fi/zombie hybrid, Aliens Versus Zombies, has reached another milestone, achieving 40 supporters, as of noon today. The means only another 60 supporters are needed (with 28 days to go) before the campaign goes live.

The campaign now has a social media "reach" of more than 40,500 people!

Anything you can do to spread the word would help tremendously. Perhaps post a link to the campaign (https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/27110) on your FB page, or in a tweet.

Thanks so much for your help and support! There's gonna be a hell of a bang on Release Day, July 10! To preorder (for only $0.99/£0.99, until release day), go to http://smarturl.it/AliensVersusZombies.

Mark.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Major milestone reached in Aliens Versus Zombies Thunderclap promo campaign


As of a few minutes ago, the Thunderclap campaign for Aliens Versus Zombies has surpassed the 1/3 mark, with 35 supporters. Only 65 left to go, with 28 days left. Thanks so much to all of the supporters. The total social "reach" of the campaign stands currently at 38,734. We have a shot at reaching 100,000 people by the time the campaign is over!

In approximate order of sign-up, the list of supporters includes:

Charles Avant
Vegard Matias Lund
Chad Franklin
Glenice Taylor Minardi
Betty McIntyre
Stanislava Dobnakova Kohut
Tom Chlebus
Barry Flux
Chris Hawkins
Barbara Merritt Chapman
Claire Bear
Jonathan Meyer
Dionne Washington
Meghan Hamilton
Author Hugh B. Long
Dawn Napier
James Farley
Jamie Dietz
John Dowlen
Bruce Slaven
Krowdster
Bob Morrow
Denise Ellyson
Patty Haupt
Julian Barker
Linda Mefford
Clarissa Silva
Darryl Pierce
Gowtham Dravidian
Shaun Donovan
Susan Foster Hagy
Casey Harvell

I hope I spelled everyone's name correctly. I seem to be missing a few names. If I omitted yours, please forgive me. Let me know and I'll acknowledge you in my next status update. (Sorry!) Most of these people are on Facebook. A few are only on Twitter or Tumblr.

To join the campaign (which is free and takes only a few clicks) go to: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/27110-aliens-versus-zombies# .

For more information, or to preorder AVZ (for only $0.99/£0.99 on Amazon) go to: http://smarturl.it/AliensVersusZombies.

Once again, thanks to you all! We're going to make this happen!

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Thunderclap promotional campaign

I just started a Thunderclap promotional campaign for Aliens Versus Zombies. If you're
willing to help me promote AVZ, just click on the link below. All that's required is a willingness to Share one time on FB and Tumblr, and/or retweet a message. Thunderclap will do the rest automatically on July 1. You just have to give it permission for a one-time posting to your accounts. The book ships on July 10.

I need only 100 people by June 30 for the campaign to go live. Piece of cake! The more people who click, the wider the message gets spread. Let's get viral!

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/27110-aliens-versus-zombies# 

Thanks!

Aliens Versus Zombies Ordering Info & Preorder Price of $0.99/£0.99

I finally have an ordering link for Aliens Versus Zombies. It's available now for preordering, with delivery on July 10. As an incentive to buy early, the price is only $0.99 (US) or £0.99 (UK), with equivalent pricing in other countries, through release day. On July 11, the price goes up.

Aliens Versus Zombies is available on Amazon in 13 countries: http://smarturl.it/AliensVersusZombies.
To find out more about this and my other novels, go to my website: http://MarkTerenceChapman.com, where there’s a free sample chapter.

Monday, May 25, 2015

World cover reveal for Aliens Versus Zombies

My latest novel, Aliens Versus Zombies should hit Amazon in July. It's a most unconventional sci-fi/zombie hybrid.

The end of the world began with a neither a bang nor a whimper, but with pain. March 23, 2033 was the day the Tibetan hemorrhagic fever virus jumped species.

Eighty-two percent of the human race—more than eight billion people—died within six months, screaming as necrotic tissues rotted on the bone. Of the eighteen percent of humanity that survived the pandemic, nearly all suffered through intense fever that resulted in damage to the higher brain functions. They didn’t die, but they also were no longer quite human. Instead, they became ravening feral hordes, forever hunting for living things to eat: people, dogs, snakes—it didn’t matter. As long as it had a heartbeat, the zombies—for want of a better term—pursued and ate it. However these zombies were not the mindless, shuffling, automatons of horror fiction. They were something else entirely. They were fast, cunning, hunted in packs, and could use simple tools.

The remaining eight-tenths of one percent of humanity—fewer than eight million individuals worldwide—were immune to the virus. However, with the collapse of all governments and military they stood little chance of surviving long-term against almost two billion zombies.

And then, fourteen months after the plague struck, the Drahtch invasion fleet arrived with more than twenty thousand armed ships, two million ground troops, and a half-million colonists.

Mankind doesn’t stand a chance.

Or does it?

To find out more about this and my other novels, go to my blog at http://tesserene.blogspot.com or my website: http://MarkTerenceChapman.com, where there’s a free sample chapter.


Friday, May 22, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies, Update 10

Draft 2 of Aliens Versus Zombies is complete. I'm now looking for 10-12 beta readers for it. If interested, let me know. (https://www.facebook.com/MarkTerenceChapman). Be the first of your friends to read this new novel.

Here's what I'm looking for in a beta reader: constructive criticism. By that, I mean tell me anything that you like or dislike about the book (perhaps with a suggestion for how to fix problems). Comments like "I liked it" or "It sucks" aren't really all that helpful. Comments like, "In Ch. 3 where you said Daniels did [fill in the blank], I found the description confusing." or "I thought the scene in Ch.9 where the aliens did [fill in] didn't have as much tension as it should have" are much more helpful.

Feel free to comment on anything you want: pace, dialog, action sequences, the flow of the story, etc. I'm not expecting pointers to typos, punctuation, grammar, etc., (although you're welcome to point those out, too, if you feel like it). I'm mainly concerned about the big stuff. Is it interesting? Did you like the characters? Do I need more backstory for some of them? Should I include more information about the alien homeworld, or other details about them? Is the technology and military stuff convincing and interesting, and so on.

I don't want to make the process onerous for anyone. But the more info you give me, the better the book will turn out. Hey, If you're really helpful I'll even acknowledge you in the "front matter" of the book. How 'bout that?

To all beta readers, I hope you enjoy the story!

Monday, May 18, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies, Update 9

I didn't have as much time for editing Draft 2 of Aliens Versus Zombies as I did on Saturday, but between Sunday and Monday, I managed to edit another 13 chapters. That leaves 11 chapters and the short epilogue to go.

The editing has been pretty light so far. Mostly typos and changing a few details to match the direction I ended up going in the later chapters. I added a few sentences here and there, and deleted a few others. The net difference in word count so far is only about +100. So far, I haven't come across anything I feel is missing. At this rate, I may be done with Draft 2 before the weekend. And then I'll be ready for beta readers. So, if you're interested in being the first on your block to read it, Let me know. :) All I ask for is honest feedback about what you think works and what needs work.

I'm really pleased with the 26 chapters I've edited so far. In my earlier novels, the first few chapters never felt quite right until after several drafts. But this time everything worked out just right from the beginning.


Sunday, May 17, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies, Update 8

Draft 2 of Aliens Versus Zombies is well under way. I edited the first 13 chapters today. They required very little editing, IMO. Of course, I had already edited them once earlier, when I took a two-week hiatus from writing. Unless I find problems later on, this draft won't take as long as I expected. :)

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies, Update 7

Well, I finished Aliens Versus Zombies with a bang, writing almost 5,000 words last night to "The End" of Draft 1. It topped out at just under 100,000 words. That was the hard part. The easy part is the editing for draft 2. Fix typos and anything confusing, add a scene or a paragraph or a bit of dialog here and there where needed, look for continuity errors (changing hair color, etc.), and polish the prose. Then I'll offer it to some beta readers for feedback, and then address them all in Draft 3.

The book is still on schedule for a July release, maybe even late June, if the feedback is good and I don't have too many problems to address.

Also, I expect to have a finished book cover any day now. I'll be sure to post it here for everyone to see. I think you'll like it.

Stay tuned for more news, same Bat time, same Bat channel....

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies!, Update 6

I had a great night of writing yesterday, adding 5,200 words and two chapters to Aliens Versus Zombies!. That brings the total word count to over 92,000. Only a few chapters to go. :) I really like how the past few chapters have turned out. :)

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies!, Update 5

I had a good night of writing Aliens Versus Zombies!, adding 2,800 words and finishing Ch. 31 and half of Ch.32. I got right to the brink of when the final battle will start, but then had to stop. (Hey, it's past midnight.) AVZ! is up to 84,200 words now, within spitting distance of being finished. Only a few more chapters to go. :)

More good news. My cover artist (the talented Adam Pizurny) is busy working on the cover for the book. I hope to have a finished cover to unveil shortly.

#AliensVersusZombies #AVZ #MarkTerenceChapman

Monday, May 11, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies!, Update 4

Status update on Aliens Versus Zombies!. Between a family outing on Saturday and Mother's Day on Sunday, I didn't have as much time for writing as I would have liked. But I did manage to write another 4,400 words on Friday and Sunday nights, bringing the total up to 81,400. I'm working on Ch. 31 now, and it's entering the end game, the final battle for the planet. :) There's still a ways to go yet, but it's getting close. I might have it finished in another week or less. (We'll see.)

My personal record for finishing a first draft was 69 days, but that was only 77,000 words long. It didn't reach 100,000 words for over a year. That was my first novel. I'm much better with first drafts now. If I want to match that number of days, I'd have to finish in the next 6 days. Of course, this draft is a lot longer than the first one, so it's really not a fair comparison. Anyway, it's getting there. :)

I'm still looking toward a July release date.

Now I just need a cover for it.

#MarkTerenceChapman #AliensVersusZombies

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies! Update 3

Okay, I'm back on track with "Aliens Versus Zombies!". After two weeks of hardly having a minute to work on it, and then only to rewrite two chapters and actually go backwards on the word count, I was finally able to move forward today. I finished off Ch. 27 and added about 2,600 words, bringing the total up to almost 71.5K words. Only another 20-30K to go to finish the first draft.

With Ch. 28 I start building toward the (hopefully) exciting climax of the story. Stay tuned to this Bat-channel for further developments.

#AliensVersusZombies #MarkTerenceChapman

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies! Update 2

There I was, making great progress on AVZ, when life happened. I had just hit 70,000 words, then my younger daughter came home from college. That pretty much killed my writing time, what with catching up and spending time together. Then I decided that I didn't like where the story was going, so I decided to rewrite the latest two chapters. I was able to reuse much of the content, but after several days of editing I ended up with just under 69,000 words.

So, on one hand I took a step backwards on the word count. On the other, I'm much happier with the direction the story is taking. Overall, it's a win. It just greatly slowed my progress towards the end of the story. Oh well. Better to fix the problem now than to wait until I've finished the story and then have to go back and fix a lot of chapters.

#AliensVersusZombies #MarkTerenceChapman

Thursday, April 23, 2015

"Aliens Versus Zombies!" Update 1

I just realized that it's been three weeks since I posted anything here. I've been busy writing Aliens Versus Zombies!, my sci-fi/zombie thriller about what happens when aliens invade during the zombie apocalypse. Despite the cheesy title, it's serious sci-fi that just happens to have some flesh-eating zombies eating everything in sight. Apparently they have a taste for aliens, too....

Anyway, I'm now 65,000 words into the book, or roughly 2/3 done with the first draft. With any luck, it'll be completed, through editing, with a finished cover, and ready to sell by July (give or take).

I haven't decided for sure yet, but I'm considering offering it for free on release day, then for $0.99 the next day, before posting a higher price. So it would be a good idea to place a pre-order for your copy (once it's up on Amazon). (I might go for $0.99 for the first two days. We'll see. Either way it would be a steal.)

I'll post an excerpt here once I have the first draft done, and the cover, if it's done by then.

So keep your eyes open for further updates! Go zombies! No. Go aliens! No. Go humans! Who's going to win this three-way battle? Tune in to find out....

#AliensVersusZombies #MarkTerenceChapman

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Sunrise Destiny is FREE this weekend!

This weekend only (until Sunday midnight Pacific Daylight Time) Sunrise Destiny is FREE for the first time ever!

My paranormal/detective/alien-abduction sci-fi thriller is receiving rave reviews:

“A fun refreshing twist on a standard science fiction theme-- A fun read, I highly recommend it.”—Kindle Customer

Interesting integration of SciFi with some detective story thrown in. Good book.”—Dropzone

“I added Mark Terence Chapman to my auto-buy list; and that was just 80-some pages into the book. … Mark Chapman's narrative was strong and wonderfully detailed, without overdoing it…. Sunrise Destiny was a wonderful surprise and a story that will definitely be a re-read.”— Kathy for Dark Divas Reviews; Rating: 5 Delightful Divas (their highest rating)

“A very enjoyable and imaginative read - combines gritty private eye and mob characters with unusual aliens and crime. Hope to see a sequel.”—Mike Nichols

“Fast, Funny and Furious. One of the most enjoyable books I have ever read!”—D Sable

“Oh no- it`s over! A story that never lets up and keeps you up past bedtime. Great story line and writing style. Sure hope Chapman has more where this came from!---Amazon Customer

Five Stars. Great read I liked it a lot.” —Louis T. Fischer

Thoroughly enjoyed this. A different slant to a Space Opera fantasy/sci-fi.”—WL Hatfield

[W]hat an unusually different story […]enjoyed it very much.”—Amazon Customerhardcore sick

This has to be the most entertaining book I’ve read this month; I absolutely loved it! [T]his book could fit into a number of different genres very well, and I think the cross genre elements are what really make the story work. … The world building is extraordinary and really pulls the story together. I know this is one book I’ll be reading over and over. I cannot say enough good things about this book, and I encourage everyone to go out and get a copy today; it is well worth the money spent!”—Regina for Coffee Time Romance & More; Rating: 5 Cups (their highest rating)

“This book was fun! … Perhaps the best part of this story is that characters are not spared the tragedy of the path they walk. Hard choices are made on all sides and many commit acts that they morally object to in order to survive. … I highly recommend this book. It’s fun and exciting, without losing [sight] of the characters’ mortality.”—Janelle for You Gotta Read Reviews; Rating: You Gotta Read ("Our highest rating - very few books will earn this award")

Ever have one of those weeks? While working a case, private detective Donatello Sunrise is abducted by aliens. And that’s the highlight of his week. Soon, the cops are after him for serial kidnappings, a Mob boss wants him dead, and he's fleeing aliens halfway across the galaxy. Somehow, Sunrise and his hooker girlfriend, Lola, must find a way to save two worlds from disaster by helping the good guys defeat the bad guys.

The trick is figuring out which is which.

Sunrise Destiny is available on Amazon in 13 countries: http://smarturl.it/SunriseDestiny. To find out more about my books, go to my blog at http://tesserene.blogspot.com or my website: http://MarkTerenceChapman.com.
 #Kindle #kindleunlimited #amazon 

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Aliens Versus Zombies! Coming to a bookstore near you soon (I hope).

Sometimes I drive myself crazy. There I was, making slow but steady progress on Mooncrash: The Fall of Mankind. I was about two-thirds done when I suddenly got a cool idea for a another sci-fi novel. What if, during the zombie apocalypse, aliens invaded? It was just weird enough to be intriguing. So I started writing down ideas. I wanted my zombies to be different from the typical shambling brain-eating creatures you always see.

Undead zombies don't make any sense biologically. If they're dead, their hearts can't pump blood to their stomachs, which means they can't digest the food they eat, and therefore they cant provide energy for their muscles to work. So how do they keep moving around even after not eating for months? The only answer is magic, and I don't do magic in sci-fi.

So I decided to have my Zoms (because they're really only half zombie) be people who survived the plague that killed off most of humanity. But they survived with severe brain damage (from high fever) to their higher brain functions. They're alive, with a beating heart and everything else working but their brains, but they're not really human; more like feral animals, who chase and eat anything with a heartbeat, not just humans. This adds a lot to the story. They're just as apt to eat the aliens as they are humans or snakes or cows. Plus, because the Zoms suffer differing degrees of brain damage, a few have a bit of intelligence left to them; just enough to relearn how to use simple tools or weapons. This makes them even more dangerous.

Their living human physiology also offers various other possibilities that I won't go into here. (Spoilers!)

And while you might think the aliens would have an easy time of it, with no governments or military to oppose them--only mindless savages and a few immune humans---it doesn't turn out that way.

Suffice it to say that I was so excited by this project I put Mooncrash on hold while I started work on AVZ. I figured I'd get a few thousand words into it to get it out of my system, then go back to Mooncrash until it was done, and only then return to AVZ.

It hasn't turned out that way. Even with limited time for writing the past couple of weeks, I've been racing through the book. Over 20,000 words in just over 16 days, and the ideas keep bubbling to the top of my brain. (Apparently I'm not a Zom, then.) I'm having a hard time keeping up with the ideas. I love it! Usually my writing is slow and methodical. Lots of research (into space elevators, orbital mechanics, how nuclear fission works, the names of lunar craters, and so on) slow down the writing process. But this project requires very little research (so far at least). I think the only thing I've had to look up is how hemorrhagic fever works.

If I keep going at this rate, I should have a finished novel available on Amazon by late July or early August. No promises, but everything looks good so far.

Keep an eye open for further developments on Aliens Versus Zombies! and Mooncrash: The Fall of Mankind. After the huge success of My Other Car is a Spaceship, I see great things in the future for this sci-fi thriller.

If things keep going at this rate, I'll commission a cover for it in the next month or so. You'll see it first here. :)

Friday, March 13, 2015

Get The Tesserene Imperative for only £0.99 through March 19!

COUNTDOWN (U.K.) SPECIAL 

From Mar 13-19, get this 4.7-star rated sci-fi thriller for a mere £0.99 ($3.49 U.S.). Don’t have a Kindle? Download the FREE Kindle app for Android, Apple, and Windows. You can read the book on your smartphone, tablet, or PC. If you have AMAZON PRIME or KINDLE UNLIMITED, you can download the book for FREE!

It was supposed to be a routine mission, but in an asteroid belt nothing is routine.

When prospecting ship Shamu is almost destroyed, the crew of five is left with three days of air, little water, a smashed starflight drive, and no hope of rescue. It will take every ounce of ingenuity and stubborn pigheadedness they possess to find a way to survive.

In the shadows of a small moon, there's a discovery waiting to be made--the secret to first contact. Will it open the stars to widespread exploration, or doom mankind to extinction?

Despite being part of a series, my sci-fi thriller, THE TESSERENE IMPERATIVE (Book Two of The Imperative Chronicles), is a stand-alone story. (You don't necessarily have to read Book One (The Mars Imperative)—but, of course, you’ll want to!) It’s available on Amazon in 13 countries: http://smarturl.it/TessereneImperative.

To find out more about my books, go to my blog at http://tesserene.blogspot.com or my website: http://MarkTerenceChapman.com

#scifi #ScienceFiction #aliens #SpaceExploration #FirstContact #TheTessereneImperative #Kindle #kindleunlimited #amazon #MarkTerenceChapman

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Last chance to get The Mars Imperative for only $1.99!

Until 3 AM (EDT) Friday Mar 13, get this 4.3-star rated sci-fi thriller for a mere $1.99 (then it
goes to $2.99). Don’t have a Kindle? No problem. Download the FREE Kindle app for Android, Apple, and Windows. You can read the book on your smartphone, tablet, or PC. If you have AMAZON PRIME or KINDLE UNLIMITED, you can download the book for FREE!

Excerpt:

Just as Dr. Shallitt turned toward the door, Tennant heard a distant pop! A second later the building shook slightly. What the hell?

Two seconds later there was a louder bang, and then a whole series of explosions nearby. The ninth threw them both to the floor.

Before Tennant could rise, another explosion rocked the building. The far wall disintegrated, sending shrapnel in every direction. Beakers and test tubes shattered, contributing to the flying debris. Shards of something sharp struck Tennant in the face and shoulders, causing him to duck, but he couldn’t spare the time to check the damage. Most of the blast passed over his head, shattering cabinets and toppling heavy equipment. Bottles full of noxious chemicals crashed to the floor, while various bits of debris rained down from what was left of the lab. Black smoke filled the room and mingled with chemical fumes. Flames licked at the far wall.

Jesus. If we’d still been standing when that last explosion occurred….
“We’ve got to get out of here!” Tennant yelled. At least, he thought he yelled. Deafened from the explosions, he couldn’t be sure any sounds actually issued from his mouth. He choked on the bitter, sticky smoke and his eyes burned.

Tom must be in the same condition. He grabbed his friend’s arm and half-dragged the dazed man to the still-intact door.

Thank heaven for small favors. At least we’re not trapped in here. He grabbed the doorknob and instantly yanked his hand back to suck his fingers.

Damn that’s hot! So much for not being trapped. Now what do we do?

He looked at the ruin that was once the far wall of the lab. There’s not much fire that way, as far as I can see. The explosion must have blown most of it out. But it probably consumed most of the oxygen, too. So how do we get out of here?

Something trickled into his left eye, turning his vision rosy. He used his sleeve to wipe at the wetness on his forehead and cheek. The sleeve came away smeared with crimson. I can’t worry about that now.

Tennant cast about for anything that might help. It was hard to see much through the thick curtain of smoke, but there seemed little that hadn’t been smashed by the explosion.

Wait! Over there—an O2 bottle small enough to carry. Now if I can just find…. He hurriedly rummaged through several drawers and cabinets until he found the oxygen masks he was looking for.

“C’mon doc. It’s time to go.” He put one mask over his own mouth and nose and a second over the still-stunned Dr. Shallitt’s, then pulled him toward the hole in the wall.

I’ve got no way to regulate the high pressure coming out of the tank, so we can’t breathe it directly. I’ll have to improvise.

He held the tank nozzle up under his mask, and turned the knob for a moment. A jet of pure oxygen filled the mask. That’ll only last a couple of breaths, but it’ll have to do.

He did the same for his friend. Then they headed through the hole. The room beyond was in even worse shape than the one they had just left. Hardly anything remained intact, but at least it wasn’t on fire, and it led to yet another room. We may be able to get out this way, as long as we don’t run into any more fire.

At least the explosions have stopped. What the hell happened?

No time to think about that now! There’ll be plenty of time later.

He took another O2 shot from the tank, and gave one to Dr. Shallitt. One step at a time; one room at a time.

* * * *

Jardin listened to the madness erupting over the radio. It was a symphony to his ears.

He had used this same technique to his benefit several times before. Blow something up to show the people in charge that they were vulnerable, and then follow up with a pointed reminder of the benefits of cooperation. It worked every time.

“Jason! In here. I found another survivor.”

“Coming, Felix. I—”

“Look out! The roof’s collapsing! We—”

“…fire’s not out yet in—”

“…can’t see through the smo—”

There was so much radio traffic that the voices talked over one another, making the radios nearly useless.

Jardin smiled through it all.

What do you think of that, smart guy?

His face smiled, but his dark eyes were cold, dead, unyielding; twin lumps of coal that were impervious to fire.

* * * *


* * * *

Lee Tennant and Tom Shallitt emerged from the wreckage of the lab in the hellhole that used to be Mars Mining and Refining Site 23. Every single major office building and storage facility was destroyed or severely damaged. Fires still raged in some corners. Smoke filled the air everywhere. The emergency crews were doing their best, but many of them had been killed or injured along with the rest.

It was too soon to take toll of the casualties, but Tennant knew they’d be high. Parts of the site had lost air containment and were exposed to the Martian atmosphere, which was incapable of sustaining human life.

Anyone trapped in one of those sections was surely dead, if not from explosion or fire, then from asphyxiation. Fortunately the airtight bulkhead doors had worked as designed to automatically seal off the affected areas, otherwise no one would have survived.

The one small consolation was that at least the atmosphere in those sections was incapable of sustaining fire. That meant the structures not demolished by the initial blasts wouldn’t burn to the ground. They could be repaired.

Tennant helped Dr. Shallitt to the makeshift infirmary to get their superficial wounds patched up. Medical personnel were doing their best to help the injured and dying, however some of their number were among the casualties as well. They did what they could.

Tennant shambled back to his office to try to coordinate the rescue and relief efforts and figure out what he could do to lessen the magnitude of the disaster. He needn’t have bothered returning. He arrived to find the same sort of devastation that he’d encountered all along the route back. The corridor wall of his outer office was gone, reduced to splinters. Clearly, one of the explosives had gone off just outside the office.

Shards from Bella’s desk were embedded in the wall separating the outer office from Tennant’s inner one. One of the shards pinned a few strands of bloody blonde hair to the wall. Tennant forced himself to look beyond the large bloodstain on the floor and sidle past most of Bella’s body. Tennant avoided dwelling on the other stains on the floor and walls.

He shook his head in shock, eyes glazing over—too numb from what he had already seen to react more. I’m so sorry, Bella. You were only two years older than my daughter. His eyes misted and he brusquely swiped at them with his tunic sleeve.

I don’t have time to grieve for you right now. I’m sorry, but it’ll have to wait until this is all over and I can do it right. You deserve that much.

He walked through the doorway to his office. The door had been blown off its hinges and now leaned against his desk. Wall hangings and knickknacks were smashed, with bits strewn about the room. The door of a cabinet was blown in.

He walked to the credenza next to the office sofa and pulled out a light blue blanket from within. With heavy heart, he carried it back to where Bella lay and covered her with it. Within seconds, parts of the blanket turned purplish-red.

Tennant swallowed hard and turned back to his office. A corner of his cream-colored desk was charred black.

If I had been here instead of in Tom’s lab….

It was just one more shock on top of too many others that day. The significance of that thought hadn’t really registered yet.

Oddly, his desk chair seemed to be the only thing in the room untouched by the carnage. Tennant spun it around and was about to sit when he spied something on the seat.

He picked it up; it was a small square of plastifilm. He turned it over to find two words printed on the underside in block letters: PLAY BALL! It flashed into flame and disappeared. Tennant shook his fingers in pain for the second time that day.

Jardin!

The fire that seared his soul in that moment rendered anything that had wracked Site 23 trivial by comparison.

He did all this for money? He traded the lives of so many good and innocent people for money?

Lee Tennant’s eyes blazed with the white-hot flame of vengeance. So, you want to make this personal, do you? Very well. It’s personal.

I won’t rest until you pay with your life, you bastard. You’re going to die at my hand if it’s the last thing I ever do. Slowly and painfully. Very slowly. And very painfully.

My sci-fi thriller, THE MARS IMPERATIVE (Book One of The Imperative Chronicles) is available on Amazon in 13 countries: http://smarturl.it/TheMarsImperative. To find out more about my books, go to my website: http://MarkTerenceChapman.com.
#scifi #ScienceFiction  #SpaceExploration #SpaceColonization #TheMarsImperative #Kindle #kindleunlimited #amazon #MarkTerenceChapman