Dark Days: The Long Road Home, a post apocalyptic novel (28 page)

From the Author

This story is close to my heart for many reasons. I always grow attached to the characters, but this story is different to others. As Gemma and Christopher consumed my life, I kept wondering what was happening to Megan and Becky. Would they make it? Would Mike find his way back to them? And then there's Robert. I developed a soft spot for him.

When they arrived at Peak Mountain a similar thing happened.

And Brad and Melina? What was in that damn suitcase. Why wouldn't Melina let go of it?

But it's not only the characters that have stayed with me. It's the 'what if...' behind the story. I'll be honest, voicing something I never thought I would share with others before writing this story.

Most days I just plod along like everyone else. I go to work. I look after my son. I write whenever I can. But some days there is this sort of underlying feeling ... a feeling that we are rushing towards something unknown, something unseen. It's not quite a feeling of dread per se, but a feeling of quiet expectation.

That society is headed for some sort of breakdown. Whether it be an EMP, a deadly virus that overwhelms us, or something entirely different.

I used to think this was paranoid thinking ... but over the course of my research I discovered something. I am far from alone in this feeling. There are millions out there who feel the same way. And perhaps millions more that, like me, don't voice these feelings for fear of coming across as paranoid. Perhaps you've felt it too, that quiet dread and expectation that sometimes creeps up ...

Meanwhile, like everyone else, I keep plodding along, living my life ... but this story changed something in me.

It also made me realize how much we depend on our respective governments to keep things running. How much we rely on others for our everyday needs.

I don't live my life waiting for something to happen, but if it does, I want to be prepared. I don't want to rely on others for the continued survival of myself, my son, or my loved ones.

Sadly, I think that in my lifetime I will see an occurrence of some kind that will completely change things. I think the way we are rushing ahead, it is inevitable that something has to give.

But I digress. I plan to continue Gemma, Christopher and CJ's story, and I wanted to share that with you.

I hope that you've enjoyed their story so far, and that you will forgive me for any inconsistencies or editing errors that have been overlooked.

It is an intimidating process putting your work out there for others to see when it hasn't been backed by a publisher, or looked at by one of their experienced editors. And it is terrifying when you don't know what sort of reception your work will receive. I think that is the biggest fear that faces indie authors – we won't know if we are that kid that gets laughed off the stage on American Idol until it happens, nor will we know if we have what it takes unless we put our work out there so that our peers can judge us.

I'm not going to beg for reviews. But I would like to say they would be very much appreciated. You are my peers, and I value your opinions. While reviews are for readers, they also help us improve as writers. They encourage us to continue, and they help our stories find a home with like-minded readers. And sometimes they help sales so that we can afford to continue writing.

And on that note I would like to thank my son who has been so supportive of my writing even as it stole time away from him.

My dream is to write full-time, but for now I dream of the day when I can cut back at work a little so I have more time to write. Thank you for purchasing this story, and bringing that dream a little closer.

Ellem May

If you would like to find out more about the Dark Days series, or learn more about EMPs, I have started a website, which includes links to some of the information referenced in the story.
Dark Days website

Copyright Notice

Dark Days: The Long Road Home
Text © L. M. May, 2012
Cover © Ellem
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Please respect the hard work of this author.
For permission requests, please contact the author
[email protected]
This book contains an excerpt from an envisioned forthcoming title in this series. This excerpt has been set for this edition only and may not reflect the final content of the next book published in this series.