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$30 #Giveaway Pandemonium by Susanna Strom @XpressoTours Ends 8.26

August 17, 2020 By Mary



Pandemonium
Susanna Strom
(World Fallen, #1)
Publication date: August 18th 2020
Genres: Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Suspense

The intersection of danger and desire

Kenzie Dunwitty is laser focused on finishing college and landing a job that will give her the security she craves. With a deadline looming, she disconnects to finish a paper. When she emerges, the world is sliding into chaos. Overnight, a simple flu virus has morphed into a lethal, worldwide pandemic. Kenzie seeks refuge at her prepper cousin’s compound and finds herself face to face with a deadly sexy stranger.

Ripper Solis, ex-Army Ranger and current enforcer for an outlaw motorcycle club, protects the people he considers his own. He’s not a nice guy. Not a man that a woman turns to for support and comfort. Not the bad boy hero in the romance novels Kenzie’s escaped into for years. Or is he?

As law and order break down, and the ever-present threat of the virus hangs over their heads, Ripper’s strength and resourcefulness offer an irresistible allure. Sexy and commanding, he’s everything she ever wanted. Their chemistry is combustible.

Will love save the day, or will the perilous new world obliterate their future?

Pandemonium is the first novel in the exciting new World Fallen series. Maelstrom, book two of the World Fallen series, coming October 27.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

CHAPTER ONE:

Kenzie

I slicked my wet hair back from my face and grabbed the towel that I’d slung over the shower curtain rod. A shadow fell across the plastic curtain. I glanced down at the three-inch gap between the bottom of the waterproof fabric and the floor. Bare feet—the toenails painted a bright apple green—shambled past the shower stall.

Jeez. At 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning, I’d figured I was alone in the big, communal bathroom. Whoever walked by was ignoring the unspoken rules of dorm life, not to mention common sense. You didn’t sneak up on somebody in the middle of the night. You called out “Coming through” or “Hi” so you wouldn’t startle them or look like a creeper. And nobody in their right mind walked across a public bathroom with bare feet. Hadn’t they heard of foot fungus?

Muttering to myself, I wrapped the towel around my body.

The overhead lights flicked off and plunged the room into semidarkness. Only a narrow shaft of light from the hallway pierced the gloom. Stumbling backward on the slippery tiles, I almost fell out of my flip-flops. I groped for the walls, my heart thumping in my chest.

“Hey! Turn the lights back on.”

Most people would have apologized and flipped the switch. Not my mystery intruder. She shuffled down the hall, leaving me alone in the dark.

“Thanks, asshole.” She was probably the same type of joker who swiped my towel midshower during my first week in the dorm. Swathed in the flimsy shower curtain, I’d done my own version of the walk of shame back to my room.

That was bad. This was worse.

Squeezing my eyelids shut, I leaned back against the wall and sucked in a calming breath. Okay. If I waited a minute or two for my eyes to adjust, I should be able to navigate my way to the door, then out into the well-lit hallway. No need to freak out; I’d crossed this bathroom at least a thousand times. I counted backward from sixty, opened my lids, and swept aside the shower curtain.

Eyes on the prize.

The hallway light beckoned. I kept my gaze laser-focused on it, ignoring the shadows that hovered in my peripheral vision as I stumbled toward the open door. I stuck my head into the hall and looked in both directions. Green-toenail girl was nowhere in sight.

I marched down the long corridor, past a dozen dark, silent rooms. Lights flickered from the TV lounge. I paused in the doorway. One of those 1950s alien invasion movies that Uncle Mel and I used to watch played on the big screen. Smiling at the memory, I stepped into the room and scanned the sofas and chairs for signs of life. The place appeared empty.

Just last week the perky resident assistant had sent out a memo reminding people to turn off the big TV when they were done watching it, part of the university’s green initiatives. I sighed. If Janie found the TV on when she made her rounds in the morning, she’d probably issue another flurry of memos. Picking up the remote from a table, I clicked off the television and turned to head back to my room.

Somebody groaned, and I jumped backward. Who was that? My gaze darted around the room, finally landing on a figure sprawled across a sofa. Guess I should have looked more closely instead of dismissing the lump as a pile of pillows.

“Hi,” I called out.

Another groan.

With halting steps, I approached the sofa. Long, curly red hair spilled across a cushion and partially obscured her face. It had to be Rachel what’s-her-name from down the hall. One night last month, I found her at 2 a.m.—key in hand and reeking of tequila—passed out in the hallway outside her door.

“Hey, Rachel. You need help getting to your room?”

She mumbled her response, the words lost behind the tangle of hair.

“You okay?” I leaned over and brushed the hair back from her pale face. Her eyes fluttered open, and she squinted up at me. Her lips parted and she burped, spewing out a rancid cloud of rumtainted vapor.

“Shit!” I staggered backward, lifting a corner of the towel to hold over my nose.

Rachel’s chest hitched and she retched.

“No, you don’t.” I rolled her on her side, jammed a pillow behind her back, then pulled a small wastebasket close to the sofa, positioning it next to her head.

I was willing to play good Samaritan to keep the girl from choking if she puked, but if she was dead drunk, there was no way I could carry her back to her room. She’d have to sleep it off in the TV lounge.

“You want some water?” I offered.

“Huh-uh.” She shook her head, then raised a hand to her temple, groaning again. I bet the rum was giving her one hell of a headache.

“You sure? How about an aspirin?”

“Wanna sleep,” she slurred.

My conscience clear, I kept watch over her for another few minutes, until her dry heaves subsided, and she drifted off to sleep.

First the green-toenail girl and now Rachel; I don’t usually see this much excitement in the middle of the night.

Must be a full moon.

Author Bio:

With the publication of Pandemonium, Susanna Strom is branching out into an entirely new variety of romance. Susanna loves to read–and write–stories full of complex characters who find love, hope and connection while navigating through a challenging new world. Pandemonium is her first foray in apocalyptic/dystopian romance, but it definitely won’t be her last.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram

 

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Comments

  1. James Robert says

    August 17, 2020 at 11:10 pm

    Thanks for taking time to share your book with us and it’s always a pleasure in our family to learn about a new one.

  2. Bea LaRocca says

    August 17, 2020 at 11:20 pm

    A gorgeous cover and an intriguing synopsis and excerpt, this is a must read for me. Thank you for sharing your book and author details

  3. Nancy says

    August 18, 2020 at 1:41 am

    The initial premise of this book seems to be following some of our current events.

  4. Pat Lieberman says

    August 18, 2020 at 5:02 am

    Sounds very interesting.

  5. Judy Thomas says

    August 18, 2020 at 5:06 am

    I am loving that cover!

  6. Karen H says

    August 18, 2020 at 5:45 am

    Sounds like a good story. Love the cover too.

  7. Deborah D says

    August 18, 2020 at 6:34 am

    How long did it take you to write Pandemonium?

  8. Dana Scott says

    August 18, 2020 at 6:36 am

    That’s a steamy cover!

  9. Cathy French says

    August 18, 2020 at 7:09 am

    I don’t know why but I love Post-Apocalyptic reads and story lines in movies. Sounds like a read I’ll enjoy

  10. Susan Smith says

    August 18, 2020 at 8:44 am

    I have never heard of a Post-Apocalyptic story but it sounds interesting. Nice cover.

  11. shannon zeidan says

    August 18, 2020 at 8:49 am

    This sounds like an amazing book!

  12. Veronica Lee says

    August 18, 2020 at 9:06 am

    Sounds like a story I would enjoy. Love the cover too.

  13. Debbie P says

    August 18, 2020 at 9:29 am

    This sounds like an awesome read. Great cover!

  14. booklover8 says

    August 18, 2020 at 10:57 am

    The chapter was great. This sounds like a good book.

  15. Carol Knudtson says

    August 18, 2020 at 12:10 pm

    What an interesting book. Congratulations!

  16. Dianne Casey says

    August 18, 2020 at 12:47 pm

    Sounds like an interesting read.

  17. MARCY MEYER says

    August 18, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    The cover looks great. Thanks for sharing.

  18. Kate Sarsfield says

    August 18, 2020 at 1:22 pm

    Jeepers, maybe it’s a bit close to reality?

  19. BookLady says

    August 18, 2020 at 3:04 pm

    What an exciting book! Great excerpt. I’d love to read more.

  20. Glenda M says

    August 18, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    Love the cover

  21. Kayla Harmon says

    August 18, 2020 at 7:01 pm

    That cover is YUM!

  22. Peggy Nunn says

    August 19, 2020 at 5:59 am

    That is a very NICE cover.

  23. Maria Malaveci says

    August 19, 2020 at 6:53 am

    Sounds like a wonderful read!

  24. Jon Heil says

    August 19, 2020 at 1:49 pm

    Keep it up and must not be winter yet

  25. linda harrison says

    August 19, 2020 at 2:52 pm

    A timely-written book.

  26. Teresa Warner says

    August 19, 2020 at 3:00 pm

    Nice cover, sounds good!

  27. Deb Pelletier says

    August 19, 2020 at 5:36 pm

    sexy book cover and the book sounds interesting.

  28. Terri Shaw says

    August 19, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    This sounds like a great read.

  29. bn100 says

    August 19, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    new author to me

  30. TERESA D says

    August 20, 2020 at 10:37 am

    Looks like a good read!!

  31. Amy Pollard Woolard says

    August 21, 2020 at 7:21 am

    This book looks & sounds HELLA good!!!

  32. clynsg says

    August 21, 2020 at 9:35 am

    I am always interested in learning about possible new books to read.

  33. Ellen Stafford says

    August 21, 2020 at 12:37 pm

    Sounds great thanks for sharing!

  34. shelly peterson says

    August 22, 2020 at 9:29 am

    I love the cover.

  35. AuntySuzany says

    August 23, 2020 at 1:05 am

    Sounds interesting! Thank you for sharing!

  36. Anna Bergman says

    August 25, 2020 at 3:54 am

    Sounds interesting!

  37. Juana Esparza says

    August 25, 2020 at 11:33 am

    I liked both the excerpt, and the gorgeous book cover.

  38. Suzanne Greene says

    August 25, 2020 at 11:59 am

    The cover is nice and sexy. The book sounds really interesting.

  39. Daniel M says

    August 25, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    sounds like a fun one

  40. Barrie says

    August 25, 2020 at 9:55 pm

    I can’t imagine one day finding a new world from when I last saw it. SOunds like a great first book to a series!

  41. Brandon Sparks says

    August 26, 2020 at 10:05 am

    Sounds amazing. I can’t wait to read it..

  42. Amanda Whitley says

    August 26, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    this book is perfect to read right now with everything going on!

  43. wen budro says

    August 26, 2020 at 2:26 pm

    This looks like an intriguing read. I enjoyed the excerpt.

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