A Message from Hilary

Hilary’s Story

PFD Story Title: Lucky
PFD Chapter: Eleven
Main Character: Arie, a girl with no family, a missing leg, and no one to trust – except maybe a guy she kind of knows

Teaser

Taking a deep breath, she knelt next to Bas one last time, driving the tailspin of emotion in the other direction. Bas would tell her to keep moving: the chemicals would run out soon. She’d lost people before. She’d make it through this. Find new people.

Humanity was just one big lost and found now.

Mini-Interview

How does Prep for Doom compare to other things you’ve written?

My Starbright series is dystopian – it’s kind of like what happens 100 years after Prep for Doom! I’ve had a lot of fun restructuring society after a major population cleansing, but going backward in time to visualize what was happening in the moment of destruction was very enlightening! It actually caused me to add a new scene into one of my novellas, where they find evidence of the violence to which people will resort in order to survive.

What is your favorite thing about this project?

The collaboration! The sense of community we have in the PFD group is so refreshing, and it’s made each of our stories better, I think, to see what everyone else is doing. I haven’t just written a story, I’ve made so many friends!

What was it like working with the other authors to create such an integrated anthology?

Like I said above, it was flat-out fun. The enthusiasm our group has for writing (and for Facebook stickers) is just amazing inspiration. It gave me a sense of validation as a writer, to be included in a group like this! This book is full of absolutely amazing stories.

Have you ever experienced a major disaster that made you think about the end of the world scenarios?

A few years ago, our local area had an ice storm – not much happens in small towns, so people still just call it “the ice storm,” and we all know. It knocked out power for nearly everyone in a two-hour radius, for a couple of weeks. People had to bunk with friends, family, and sometimes neighbors. We had to work together – a lot of people didn’t have heat in negative degree temperatures, so it was a fairly dangerous situation. The first thing my husband did when it was all over was buy a generator!

What do you think would be the scariest kind of apocalypse?

Does alien invasion count? I hate “creatures.” Not knowing what something might be able to do to you and your planet creeps me out. The book/movie War of the Worlds was one that got to me for a very long time.

Tell us one thing people don’t know about you or might be surprised to find out?

I don’t keep a lot of secrets, but a lot of my students and friends would be surprised that I’ve recently been a little obsessed with coloring. I’m always so productive! But I bought myself a mandala coloring book and some nice markers and pencils. It’s very soothing – in my crazy life, the concentration involved in coloring is therapeutic. Plus I like pretty things.

Tell us a little about your Prep for Doom characters and story.

My main character Arie is a girl who has been through a lot – the death of her father at a young age, the loss of her leg, and now she takes care of her uncle and runs her dad’s pawn shop. She’s used to giving orders, in other words! But when her tiny sanctuary is threatened, she has to leave everything she’s built and put her trust in someone she really doesn’t know that well. Her personal struggle in trusting someone is almost as hard as her physical struggle to survive – a scenario a lot of us could relate to, I think.

A Message from Laura

Laura’s Story

PFD Story Title: Nan Tapper
PFD Chapter: Nine
Main Character: Owen Tapper, a boy riding out the pandemic in the seclusion of his grandmother’s farm

Teaser

Owen wiped sweat from his eyes and walked back to the front, scanning the yard, the driveway, the woods, looking for any sign of strangers. The farm was secluded, surrounded by thick forest at the front and the river out back, but Owen felt sure that someone would remember the old farm at the end of the lane. One day, probably soon, someone would come.

Mini-Interview

How does Prep For Doom compare to other things you’ve written?

Believe it or not, Prep For Doom is my first attempt at a short story. Having to fit an entire plot with rounded characters and a complete ‘beginning’, ‘middle’ and ‘end’ into such a short word count is so different from writing a novel. You have to be much more disciplined which was challenging but ultimately very rewarding.

What is your favorite thing about this project?

I have loved the co-operation and camaraderie amongst the writers. Considering the story came from the minds of so many different authors, the anthology flows incredibly well and the overall plot is excellent.

Do you or does anyone you know prep for disasters?

No. I’m British and for us ‘prepping’ isn’t really a thing. We probably imagine ourselves, in the face of disaster, heading down the pub for a few last pints Shaun of the Dead style.

Has being a part of Prep For Doom changed your outlook on disaster preparation and/or apocalyptic scenarios?

Not really. I think I’ll probably stick with the pub plan!

Tell us a little about your Prep For Doom character(s) and story.

My character isn’t a prepper. Owen’s just a normal teenage kid. He’s scared and lost, he doesn’t know what to do. He’s just managing the best he can, thinking he can keep his head down and avoid confrontation with reality. Unfortunately the story doesn’t let him and he’s going to have to make some difficult choices if he wants to survive.

A Message from Kate

Kate’s Story

PFD Story Title: Survival Mode
PFD Chapter: Seventeen
Main Characters: Chad – the boyfriend of Wendy from Casey Hays’ story, Edge of a Promise – Chad’s little sister, Annee, and her friend Elena.

Teaser

She pulled into the lot behind him. The smell wasn’t bad—not yet. They hadn’t been left out in the sun for long.

Chad walked among the dead. He stopped over a young man. Someone he recognized?

“Is it them?”

He nodded. His throat worked. “Some of them.”

Mini-Interview

How does Prep For Doom compare to other things you’ve written? 

Normally, writing is a very solo occupation. Prep for Doom was different from the start. It was this community of writers working together to build something amazing—there were planning sessions and chats and encouragement as we went. It was unique and wonderful.

What was it like working with the other authors to create such an integrated anthology?

I know we each keep saying that it was amazing. It really was. It wasn’t just working with everyone on the overarching theme, either. I worked very closely with Casey Hays, as our stories are linked. It was the first time I collaborated on a story, and she made it easy and enjoyable.

Have you ever experienced a major disaster that made you think about end of the world scenarios? 

Not major, no. But I experienced political upheaval, bombings at my parents’ places of work, and repeated bomb threats to my school when I lived in Europe. It was very real and often frightening. Those experiences inform my apocalyptic and post-apoc writings, because what I discovered was that we DO cling to the things that matter most—our family and friends. I’ve heard others say that at the “end of the world” romance will be the last thing anyone thinks about, but I disagree. Friendship matters. Love matters. Retaining humanity through the darkness matters. And those are the reasons I read and write in this genre.

A Message from Brea

Brea’s Story

PFD Story Title: Proof Falls Down
PFD Chapter: Twelve
Main Character: Amy Savino, a sassy New York reporter bent on getting the truth out

Teaser

She had never gotten over the virus in Africa. She’d gone there and seen what this virus did in person, making it personal for her. In between her assigned work, she had been digging into this previously unknown strain of a virus. Something about the whole thing felt off. The fact that it came out of nowhere and then was somehow miraculously stopped with no vaccine or cure had her naturally suspicious side tingling.

Mini-Interview

What is your favorite thing about this project? 

My favorite thing about this project is the unique experience not only to write a story in it, but to read it. I have never read a book that was from so many perspectives around the same event (some that even relate/interact with each others)! It is an awesome experience!

What was it like working with the other authors to create such an integrated anthology?

This group is amazing! The combined effort, work, humor and fun while working together and behind the scenes has been an experience I will never forget. Despite our different writing styles and voice, we managed to all come together to write on a genre we all enjoy. The amazing editing team then organized and rearranged to ensure all our stories fit together in a way that makes the whole anthology feel like a perfectly intertwined collection. Which is truly evident in the finished product!

Has being a part of Prep For Doom changed your outlook on disaster preparation and/or apocalyptic scenarios? 

I have always had a healthy respect for the “what-ifs” of natural disaster preparation. However, being a part of this project did lead to a family discussion of where and how we would meet pending a disaster of this proportion. It also led to some survival type purchases I might not have made otherwise.

Tell us a little about your Prep For Doom character(s) and story.

My story is titled, Proof Falls Down. My main character is New York city reporter Amy Savino. Amy finds herself pulled into the story of the virus before it even hits home. Her intuitive and suspicious nature leads her to pull all kinds of theories and conspiracies together as her place in the story unfolds. She follows leads, answers questions and in a lot of ways leaves you asking more. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading!

A Message from Kelsey

Kelsey’s Story

PFD Story Title: Roland
PFD Chapter: Seven
Main Character: Roland, a desperate man who slips into a dark role after losing a loved one. Roland is based on a character from Cameo Renae’s story, Existing.

Teaser

He wanted no more fear of the Fever.

But the anger he had for the man that infected her was what he needed. He needed vengeance. Something that gave him purpose.

Mini-Interview

What was it like working with the other authors to create such an integrated anthology?

Being the youngest writer in the group, I knew I had big shoes to fill. The authors, along with some jokes, have been nothing but encouraging and enthusiastic. I’m truly honored to be featured with so many great writers.

Tell us one thing people don’t know about you or might be surprised to find out?

I post covers of songs on my YouTube channel. I hope that one day, I can write some originals with my best friend who lives in California.

Tell us a little about your Prep For Doom character(s) and story.

Roland takes a look at the darker and grittier side of this apocalypse through the eyes of a smaller, and perhaps more sinister, character in Cameo Renae’s story, Existing. Roland’s story is one with heartache, anger, as well as the worst trait to have during the apocalypse—hopelessness.

A Message from John

John’s Story

PFD Story Title: Trust
PFD Chapter: Six
Main Characters: Dangerella, a teen who crosses paths with a homeless man named Earl

Teaser

“Well, see here, this is how it go. If you don’t make it, I want to know what to call the redheaded baby doll that fell through my roof and died on my floor. I’ve cleaned up too many dead folk already with no names. Or no names that I knew, anyhow.”

“Oh,” she bit her lip. “Dangerella.”

Mini-Interview

How does Prep For Doom compare to other things you’ve written? 

It was my first time directly involved with other writers in the project, instead of just writing my own thing.

What is your favorite thing about this project? 

It was an exciting joy ride to blindly collaborate with other very talented writers. I was honored to have had my story chosen. And I’m humbled by their collective talent.

Do you or does anyone you know prep for disasters?

I once knew a guy who did disaster planning for the government. That’s about it.

Have you ever experienced a major disaster that made you think about end of the world scenarios? 

I was in a 7.1 earthquake once, and had to live through a series of aftershocks. It made me fell very helpless.

What do you think would be the scariest kind of apocalypse?

Where people know something is wrong, but they don’t know why, and they can’t communicate with each other.

Tell us one thing people don’t know about you or might be surprised to find out?

I’m a lifelong gamer, and was actually written into a video game.

Tell us a little about your Prep For Doom character(s) and story.

Dangerella is a little slip of a girl, but she’s dangerous. Maybe her emotions make her dangerous, maybe they make her more vulnerable. Earl  looks like a homeless man. Looks are deceiving. Whom do you trust?

A Message from Casey

Casey’s Story

PFD Story Title: Edge of a Promise
PFD Chapter: Fifteen
Main Character: Wendy, a teen trying to find safety after losing her family

Teaser

Chad was the only one left in this world that she truly cared about. She would cling to her faith that he was alive. She refused to let herself believe anything else. 

Mini-Interview

What is your favorite thing about this project?

Writing the story itself was an absolute blast, and what I enjoyed about it most was collaborating my story with Kate Corcino’s. I never thought I would like working so closely with another author. I’m kind of a lone ranger when it comes to writing. But she was so compatible, and very different than me in a lot of ways, which made the project enjoyable and not a bit stressful. We seemed to mesh just right. It was so fun!

How did you prepare for writing your PFD story? Any particular research or personal experience? 

I did a whole lot of thinking in the beginning. I set my story in NM, which is my home state, so minimal research was required as far as landscape, size of population, or weather. I based my character loosely on myself, so that helped. My biggest weakness was not knowing enough about prepping. I’m not a prepper at all and never will be. Neither was my main character, so I did have to rely on the editors and other authors’ familiarity with that culture to bring me up to speed. I guess I didn’t prepare much; I just found my inner “prepper”  along the way. I’m definitely a “follow your characters where they take you” kind of writer. No outlines… ever! So yeah, preparation is pretty minimal in anything I write.

What was it like working with the other authors to create such an integrated anthology? 

It was amazing, really. I have enjoyed getting to know other like-minded people through this project, and I look forward to future working relationships with several. I’ve even been talking to Caroline Gill about cover art for one of my future books. There is a wealth of different kinds of talent in this group from editing to formatting, and everyone was able to utilize their different skill-sets to make this anthology what it has become. I truly believe multiple talents and backgrounds and personalities were necessary to pull this off, and we’ve done it!

What do you think would be the scariest kind of apocalypse? 

Probably exactly what we wrote about. A world-wide sickness seems horrible, especially one so bloody. I am not a fan of puking or diarrhea, either one. Or pain for that matter. So your insides trying to exit your body? Not the best way to end it all.

Tell us one thing people don’t know about you or might be surprised to find out? 

Well, I’m actually a pretty good singer. I tried out for a show in Nashville in 1991 called “Be a Star” and made it to the top four. It was one of the first “American Idol” type shows, only country music. I was supposed to go back for the live filming, but the show didn’t get picked up for the next season, so I was out of luck. After that, I wanted to go to college, so I never pursued my singing career again. Sometimes, I wish I had.

A Message from Yvonne

Yvonne’s Story

PFD Story Title: Escape to Orange Blossom
PFD Chapter: Thirteen
Main Character: Bailey, a teen with an autistic younger brother

Teaser

Taking a deep breath, she knelt next to Bas one last time, driving the tailspin of emotion in the other direction. Bas would tell her to keep moving: the chemicals would run out soon. She’d lost people before. She’d make it through this. Find new people.

Humanity was just one big lost and found now.

Mini-Interview

How does Prep For Doom compare to other things you’ve written?
My debut YA novel, Pandemic, is about a teen girl separated from her family and struggling to survive a deadly bird flu outbreak on her own. Prep for Doom is similar in that it features a deadly infectious disease and its consequences, but the collection of stories has more of a dystopian element than Pandemic.

What is your favorite thing about this project?
Creating a short story for the Prep for Doom anthology was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with other authors who enjoy the same type of fiction. Writing can be an isolated endeavor, but Prep for Doom has allowed a group of us to come together and discuss the creative and business aspects of books—things like character development, marketing ideas, and why making promotional videos is so painful. 🙂 The integrated nature of the stories made this truly feel like a team effort.

Tell us one thing people don’t know about you or might be surprised to find out.
I’m a Nidan (second degree) Black Belt in Isshinryu Karate.

Tell us a little about your Prep For Doom characters and story.
“Escape to Orange Blossom” features a teen girl, Bailey, traveling from Pennsylvania to New York with her cheating ex-boyfriend and her autistic younger brother, Nate. There is lots of talk about diversity in YA literature, and I think learning differences (like autism) are an important part of that conversation. Special thanks to my brother for helping with Nate’s dialogue–his son (who is on the autism spectrum) inspired Nate’s character. Bailey represents an ordinary girl trying to make sense of a completely disrupted world while bravely trying to protect the ones she loves.

Learn more about Yvonne on her dedicated author page here on PrepForDoom.com.