30 Days of RecruitZ with Interview, Review, and Giveaway!

Welcome to the 30 Days of RecruitZ Book Blitz!  Today I have an interview with the wonderful Karice Bolton, a review of RecruitZ, and a Giveaway where you can win a zombie survival kit for you today! Also, right now RecruitZ is only $0.99 for a limited time so make sure to grab it up. 

About the Book

Title: RecruitZ

Author: Karice Bolton

Series: Afterworld #1

Publication Date: October 2013

Genres: New Adult, Post Apocalyptic

Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

Scientists are the new rock stars. The infection has been contained for several months, and the world is celebrating. But humans are still dying. Rebekah Taylor has seen it firsthand. Her husband was killed right in front of her by the very creatures that humans were told they no longer had to fear.


Rebekah is determined to find out who is responsible for the death of her husband and the obvious cover-up. Fueled with revenge, she begins to find answers that lead to one frightening conclusion. The apocalypse might be over, but the battles are just beginning.

About the Author

Karice lives in Washington with her wonderful husband, who also happens to be her high school sweetheart
and their two cute English bulldogs! She enjoys reading, baking, and trying to be crafty on her off-hours. She's also a coffee, tea, and snow addict. If she could live somewhere that had the white stuff year-round, she probably would. She also loves chatting with her readers on Facebook!

Her books include: 

The Witch Avenue Series (Lonely Souls, Altered Souls, Released Souls, and Shattered Souls)

Beyond Love Series (Beyond Control, Beyond Doubt, Beyond Reason)

Watchers Trilogy (Taken, Awakening, Legions, Cataclysm)

Afterworld Series (RecruitZ)

The Camp

    

 with Karice Bolton

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sure! I received my undergrad in Culture, Literature, and the Arts and somehow wound up working in the sales and marketing department dealing with lots of numbers. I wrote my first four books while I was still analyzing soda pop rankings. It was an amazing day when I was able to give my notice. I’m currently working on my MFA in Creative Writing and Poetics. I only have a little over a quarter to go on my Thesis work, woohoo!! My husband and I have been married for 13 years, but we’ve been together far longer because we met in high school. I love him so much and he makes the best lattes for me!!  I don’t know where the time has gone because it still feels like we just met. Maybe that’s why I tend to write YA and NA…hmmm. We have two English bulldogs who are the cutest pooches in the world. 

2. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

There have been so many! Growing up, I loved Monica Furlong’s Wise Child. It was really magical and I read it countless times. I also loved reading Shel Silverstein’s A light in the Attic and his other works. I was a huge Sweet Valley High fan too. I absolutely love to read and have a list a mile long of favorite books. But here are a few more, Gath Stein’s Racing in the Rain, Eric Larson’s Devil in the White City, and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl.

3. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?

I would love to go back to Logan and Triss in Witch Avenue. I feel their story is complete from their Young Adult lives, but I really want to see them as adults and some ideas have come to mind that are getting harder to ignore. Also, conspiracy theories are fun to work with, and I got to touch on that with RecruitZ. I’m looking forward to delving into that more as the Afterworld series continues.

4. What was your favorite chapter or part of Recruitz to write and why?

I had so many! The zombie pit and that whole sensation surrounding it was really fun to write and also when Rebekah and Preston were… oh wait! That would give something away!

5. What project are you working on now?

I’m working on a few. I’m finishing up Beyond Reason, which is the third book in the Beyond Love Series. And I’m working on AlibiZ, which is the second in the Afterworld Series. I also have a third project I haven’t announced yet, but am super psyched about it. And another fantasy project is planned for later in 2014.

6. If you could choose to have any characteristic from one of your characters, what would you choose and why?

Rebekah in RecruitZ is pretty confrontational and that is a characteristic I’m definitely lacking. And it’s not that I necessarily want to be confrontational, but it would be nice, sometimes, to just say what’s on my mind without worrying about repercussions. 

7. Zombies are becoming a very popular topic in Book, Movies, and Television in the last couple of years. What drew you to write your own zombie novel?

I never imagined that I would write one. I absolutely LOVE zombie movies, but the topic has been covered so much, it just didn’t occur to me to write about them. And then about a year and half ago or so it hit me. I had to write about after the zombies, not during!! Once the idea hit, I couldn’t stop thinking about the series and all of the paths I could put in the story.

8. Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Knock on wood! It hasn’t happened yet. I hear about it often and really hope to avoid it. 

9. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

It probably sounds cliché, but write a little bit every single day. Whether it’s poetry, journaling, or fiction writing, it helps create a routine. Granted, life happens, and it isn’t always possible, but even if you only manage to do it 75% of the time, a lot has been written! Also, read like there’s no tomorrow. 

10. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Yes!!! I’m so very grateful to my readers. They have made my dreams come true. I never imagined that within a year of publishing, I’d be able to leave my job and continue to write full time. And it’s because so many people were willing to give my stories a try. If they didn’t give me a chance, it wouldn’t have been possible. And what is absolutely incredible is how I’ve gotten to know my readers via Facebook and email. It is so much fun and great friendships have been formed. I can never thank them enough for changing my life. When I started publishing, my only goal was to make someone’s day a little brighter. Little did I know how much the readers would do the same for me! I feel the same way about book bloggers. So many were willing to give my stories a try and for that I’m forever grateful!

My Review of RecruitZ

If you have read any of my reviews before, you may have noticed that I have a love for zombie novels. After reading so many of them, it is refreshing when a novel comes along and changes all the rules. RecruitZ has some very interesting turns that took me by surprise, and I am curious to see how things will play out as the Afterworld series continues. RecruitZ is not your standard zombie apocalypse novel, but a look at civilization after the zombies. 

Rebekah survived the horrors of the zombies with her husband Gavin, only to discover that there are worse things than zombies. After her husband’s death, Rebekah pulls away from her friends and sets her sights on learning what is really going on, and who is behind it. As she delves deep into her personal mission, she discovers that the truth maybe harder than expected, but she may not be the only one searching for it. 

RecruitZ is like an amusement park Haunted House Ride, everything is going along one way but then the twists and turns cause new surprises to leap out at you along the way. The flow of the story keeps the reader in the action, without making them feel rushed. Rebekah is a strong female lead character, but she is not an expert and does need help. I find that quality makes Rebekah more realistic, and believable as a character. Who does not need help from time to time?

With the reveals that happen during RecruitZ I feel like I barely got to touch the whole story of the Afterworld Series, and I am hoping for more developments in the next book in the series, AlibiZ. I am also looking forward more to see how Rebekah’s story continues and where it all leads. 

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review**

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