BDS Book Festival – The End and The Long Road

Today I share the next author interview and giveaway in the current Backdoor Survival Book Festival.  G. Michael Hopf , the author of The End and The Long Road is joining us for an interview and is also providing one lucky reader with a free copy of his two books.

Both books are survival fiction set in post-apocalyptic world.  Why is it useful to read survival fiction?  As you follow the decisions and choices made by the characters, you have an opportunity to ask yourself “What would I do if I were placed in that situation?”.

Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out the details of the giveaway below.

An Interview with G. Michael Hopf

Tell me about your books, The End and The Long Road. What are they about?

I have written two novels, they are books 1 & 2 in a series titled, The New World. The first book is titled, The End – A Post-apocalyptic Novel and book 2 is titled, The Long Road.

The series follows several point of view characters around the world as they etch out an existence in a post EMP world. Several super-EMP weapons have been detonated over North America, Europe and East Asia, resulting in a catastrophic collapse of the power grids and most electrical devices in those areas. Without power and with fast dwindling resources these characters must fight to survive

The End sets up the situation and you’re with the characters over a six week time period. The Long Road picks up right where The End closed and follows the characters through 4 more weeks.

What type of research did you have to do while writing The End and The Long Road?

The internet obviously provided a great resource for information on certain topics but finding reliable sourcing can be difficult. I pride myself on having accurate portrayals so after exhausting the internet I found experts in certain fields and interviewed them.

The interview process was amazing! The amount of detailed information, specifically on governmental response to a wide scale event was eye opening. I highly recommend to those writing to look past the internet and conducts in depth interviews on topics related to what you’re writing about.

How long did they take to write?

The End took the longest because it was a part time endeavor, from start to finish for the first draft it took me 18 months. The Long Road was quite different, upon seeing how well the sales were doing for The End, I quit my job and wrote full time. I completed The Long Road in 3 months.

Every book, fiction and non-fiction, includes a message. What message do you hope your readers will take with them after reading The End and The Long Road?

I have two messages actually.

One, be prepared. After interviewing former government officials the over arching point they made is the government has limitations in response capability. While they will want to come to aid in any calamity they will be limited if the event is large scale. It is really important for people not to look to the government for security. It is up to the individual to take care of themselves and the first responsible step is to be prepared.

Two, our electrical infrastructure is vulnerable. We have created a wonderful system that makes our lives easier and convenient but it is not hardened. If the main power grids have a catastrophic failure it will result in cascading failures down the system to our own homes. An EMP is one way to cripple the power grid, the Sun can emit a massive CME or terrorists can bring it down by a cyber attack. Whatever the means, if the power grids fail, we are in trouble.

Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself?

As a young man, I loved adventure, but I wasn’t the weekend warrior type. If I liked something, I’d do it for a living.

I saw the world and wanted to be a part of it so the first thing I did as a legal adult was join the Marine Corps. I spent 6 years in and served with many great men in the Persian Gulf War. I was a commercial diver working off oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico for a couple years after the Corps and then spent 9 years as a bodyguard working for corporate types and even the Saudi Royal family.

In between those two jobs I traveled the world many times. Upon one of my travels I met my wife, Tahnee and she gave me what no adventure could, so I settled down and now we have two beautiful daughters, Scarlette and Savannah. I live in Southern California and have a great life as a writer.

Do you have plans for another book?

I have plans for many more books. Book 3 of The New World series will be published by Plume in April, 2014 with Book 4 following closely behind in the summer of 2014. The New World series will comprise 7 books in total so, yes, I have plans for more books. I am also working on a spin off series with one of the characters from The Long Road.

Is there anything else you would like to share with my readers?

I want to say thank you to all the readers out there who have read the books. I love interacting with them. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for my readers. I am grateful to many in my life but the readers are what keeps this series alive and going.

The Book Giveaway

A copy of both books have been reserved for one lucky reader.  It has been awhile since I have compiled a list of reader favorites so here is the question:

What is your favorite survival fiction novel?

To enter the giveaway, you need to answer this question by responding in the comments area at the end of this article. The deadline is 6:00 PM Pacific next Wednesday with the winner notified by email and announced in the Sunday Survival Buzz.  He or she will have 48 hours to claim the winning books.

Note: If you are reading this article in your email client, you must go to the Backdoor Survival website to enter this giveaway in the comments area at the bottom of the article.

The Final Word

It is always a toss up when I select the next book I want to read; sometimes I choose something educational and other times I choose survival fiction.  You will find this story of a post EMP-world frightening if only because it really could happen.

I hope you will enter the giveaway to win your own copy of g. Michael Hopf’s two book!

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye

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Spotlight Items:  The End: A Postapocalyptic Novel (The New World Series)

For Gordon Van Zandt life once was one of duty and loyalty to his country, so when 9/11 happened he dropped out of college and joined the Marine Corps. This youthful idealism vanished one fateful day in a war torn city in Iraq. Ten years later, he is still struggling with the ghosts of his past but must now face a new reality thrust on him and his family. North America, Europe and the Far East have all suffered a devastating Super-EMP attack that has caused catastrophic damage to the power grids and all electrical devices.

With nothing working from cars to phones and with the total collapse of the economic infrastructure, Gordon must fight for the limited and fast dwindling resources. He knows survival requires action and cooperation with his neighbors. As daily life continues to break down so does all sense of civility within his community. With each passing day Gordon makes choices that would seem extreme in today’s world but necessary in this new world.

The Long Road: A Postapocalyptic Novel (The New World Series)

The End was just the beginning of the new world.  It has been 6 weeks since the attacks; the United States is a wasteland of starving bands of survivors, mobs and gangs. Millions are dead and millions more are suffering and will die.

For Gordon, Samantha, Sebastian, Cruz and Barone, the turmoil and chaos they dealt with before will seem trivial now as the real collapse of society plays out before their eyes.  They all have suffered great loss but what is coming towards them on the journey ahead will test their sanity. Uncertainty abounds as they all travel different paths in search of a safe place to call home.

The one thing that is certain, The Long Road will take its toll on all of them.

Bargain Bin:  Today is all about books.  Listed below are all of the books in the current Backdoor Survival Book Festival. There are both fiction and non-fiction titles and a bit of something for everyone.

If you covet an e-Book reader, consider the Kindle.  Prices start at $119 although a basic kindle is only $69.  And if not, at the very least pick up the free Kindle app so that you can read Kindle books on your PC or favorite electronic device.

THE BACKDOOR SURVIVAL BOOK FESTIVAL 4.0 – NON-FICTION

Backyard Cuisine: Bringing Foraged Food to Your Table
Home Remedies
Living on the Edge: A Family’s Journey to Self-Sufficiency
Make It Last: Prolonging + Preserving the Things We Love
Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills
The Pocket Guide to Wild Mushrooms: Helpful Tips for Mushrooming in the Field
Good Clean Food
The Amazing 2000-Hour Flashlight
Recipes and Tips for Sustainable Living
The People’s Apocalypse
Go Green, Spend Less, Live Better

THE BACKDOOR SURVIVAL BOOK FESTIVAL 4.0 – FICTION

Going Home: A Novel of Survival (The Survivalist Series)
Surviving Home: A Novel (The Survivalist Series)
Expatriates: A Novel of the Coming Global Collapse
The Border Marches
Rivers: A Novel
After the Blackout
The End: A Postapocalyptic Novel (The New World Series)
The Long Road: A Postapocalyptic Novel (The New World Series)
3 Prepper Romances:  Escape To My Arms, plus 2 other e-books (your choice)
Prepper Pete Prepares: An Introduction to Prepping for Kids

THE BACKDOOR SURVIVAL BOOK FESTIVAL 4.0 – LAST MINUTE ADDITIONS

The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
Escaping Home: A Novel (The Survivalist Series)
Living Ready Pocket Manual – First Aid: Fundamentals for Survival

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