dystopia « Robin Writes

I don’t often blog about my book series, REDUCED, because, well, you know how that goes. Besides, they’re all listed down the sidebar here—————->

But just in case you missed all that, and you want more info, I’ll lay it out all nice and neat. And of course, if you’ve read them, feel free to tell everyone how great they are!

[Should I insert a j/k or a wink here or something? Nah, you get that this is all a making-fun-of-promotions thing, right?]

A devastating biological agent is about to be released, to be tested in remote areas. Rumor has it, though, that there is more to this than meets the eye. One group makes plans to hide out, and survive, in case that rumor proves to be truth. Meeting at an abandoned summer camp near St. Louis, Missouri, a dozen old friends gather after the alarm is raised.

Life becomes more precious, more tenuous, as time passes. Government controls tighten, people are herded into the city…or killed. Towns are obliterated. And soon, the enemy agenda becomes obvious.

Abby, like the rest, has special skills – each member of the group was chosen not only because of past ties, but also for their unique training and abilities. She will come face-to-face with death, bear the responsibility for a young girl, and endure the severing of childhood relationships in the most terrible way imaginable.

From mere concealment to reconnaissance to aiding a rebellion, where will it end? Will the entire region be decimated, and who will be left alive to know?

Colonel Barton has been replaced, and the new commander is sending his henchman, Major Blake, to scour the outlying areas and remove any insurgents. Abby and the girls have remained in the cave at the camp, relatively safe for now, but plans are underway to eliminate all of them… for personal reasons, known only to the commander himself.

Soon, however, worlds will collide as Captain Alison Hinson is transferred in from Chicago. In spite of her background, Alison is horrified by the tactics of her superiors in the field and begins to question her own stance on the new government. As she puts together the pieces of the past, she realizes that she and Abby are kindred spirits, faced with a mission not of their own choosing but of circumstance.

Across the country, while officials and mercenaries live the high life, the citizenry are faced with more sanctions, more regulation, and fewer necessities.

Pockets of rebellion are quickly quelled, but incidents continue to increase as more people make the decision to go underground. Literally.

From abandoned caves below St. Louis itself to a subterranean river winding north into Illinois, REUSED will tell you more, perhaps, than you truly wish to know about the potential for the utter collapse of our civilization.

Survival had become a way of life since Co-opComm first launched VADER. Thirteen years had passed, and yet, Abby remained . . . she and the others prevailed where many had surrendered. And died.

Abby is tired. Tired of running and hiding. Tired of struggling, tired of fighting. Ultratron has a new secret weapon—a better, improved version. And the government-sponsored company has a new target, a more heinous plan.

Traveling to Chicago, the heart of the current regime, they come face-to-face with a new threat—or is it? Who is this mysterious Riley, and what does she know about the St. Louis compound? And how? Shadowy inhabitants arise from the depths of the city, but are they friend . . . or foe?

But Abby has only one objective: to defeat the government. Regardless of the cost.

Well, you might say I’m getting a bit discouraged . . . just a bit. Here’s a rundown on the properties we looked at last Monday:

The first one had a house. It was cute on the outside, good layout on the inside—the bright blue walls in what would be my office would be the first thing to be changed. Hmmm. It had, not a walk-in closet, but a walk-THROUGH closet, which was interesting. A huge yard/garden space, and the rest of the acreage went up the hill and into the woods. Not too bad.

There were a couple outbuildings, but sadly too dilapidated to be functional—and that included the very old log cabin.

However. All we could hear were the baying of the hounds. The neighbors’ hounds. That would last about ten seconds for me. No, no, and no.

The second property was all woods. And vertical. Moving on . . .

The third one was awesome! Near the Black River, turn onto a private drive/electric easement; there were four property owners back this road, and only one who lived there. We met him. Super nice guy, once he stopped shooting.

Okay, I’ll explain that:

The property had two sections, one on each side of the easement road. The lower portion was about seven acres, surrounded by trees and bordered on the back side by a creek and then the county road. Electric, well, etc. Nice meadow and a grove of trees in the middle.

The upper section had a road going to the top of a hill, with a level area about halfway up and a wildlife pond. That’s when we heard the shots.

So we decided discretion was the better part of valor and we walked back down the road to the gate. That’s when we met the neighbor. Seven feet tall, I swear. He was very cordial and welcoming, told about the other property owners, talked about the area.

I still don’t know what he was shooting at . . .

Anyway, after we left there, my husband being all excited about this possibility, our agent called—there was a contract on the property. Dammit. Have to say, I’m a little annoyed by the listing agent. He knew this, but sent us out there anyway.

Then our agent called again. Remember the barn property? Word is that the current contract likely won’t go through—and we have a backup contract!

Of course, the bank is being iffy, when I can reach the guy, but there are ways . . . and we’ve signed the offer papers.

So keep your fingers crossed for us—I want to get moving on this and besides, I’m really tired of looking!