This is the blog of Samie Sands, author of Lockdown. There will be many great books and projects reviewed here. For more, check out thelockdown.co.uk.

Saturday 30 December 2017

13 Resurrected

13 Resurrected: An Anthology Of Horror and Dark Fiction (Thirteen Series Book 4) by [Bartelloni, Amy, Ray, Byron Lee, Camille, Cat, Roach, D.A., King, D. Nichole, Roderick, Elizabeth, Lee, Erin, Haines, Joseph Paul, Mills, Nykki, Sands, Samie, Macmillan, Joshua, Schoen, Sara , Henderson, Taylor ]
DEATH

“Noun: the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism.”

It’s the only certain thing in life. A journey every living creature is forced to take. It cannot be eluded, and there’s no escaping its fatal claws. It’s the one constant in every religion that cannot be proved wrong…death will find everyone.

But what if death is not the end? What if it’s only the beginning?

Stories of the living dead have been told through the centuries. Some of us want to believe, and some of us are too afraid to face the truth that sometimes—just sometimes—the dead never leave.

This is a collection of stories bound to make you question every belief, filling in the blanks of the unknown. Whether it’s the woman scorned finally given a chance for revenge after death, or an evil force trapping generations of a single family in a home for eternity—these are the deadly tales told from the grave.

Do not think it’s over when the Grim Reaper comes to call.

Death is not the final masquerade.

13 is Resurrected…

Are you afraid?

Wednesday 27 December 2017

Unleash the Undead

Unleash the Undead by [Drake, J, Jara, Matias, Prundaru, Ana, Herring, Dale, Graham, Jonny, Rosario, Klarissa, Sagar, Akash, Shepherd, Rob, Edwards, Kayleigh, Toinini, Diego]

Delve into the horrifying world of the zombie apocalypse, as bought to you by the following authors and artists:

J.L.Drake, Marina Hume, Matías Andrés Bravo Jara,Ana Prundaru, J.H., Dale Herring, Jonny Graham, Klarissa Del Rossario, Saadia Ammad, Akash Sagar, Rob Shepherd, Rhys Curtis-Thompson, Kayleigh Edwards, Diego Tonini, Lachelle Redd, Victoria Pagac, Noel Osualdini, Glen Holman, Mathias Jansson, Kyle Flak, Ceri Matthias, Gia Berryman, Max Ferreira, Diana Alexandru, Kevin S. Hall, Art Pic, Zoja Vladisavljevic, B.S. Purwanda and Samie Sands

Sunday 24 December 2017

Pandemic by A.G. Riddle

Pandemic (The Extinction Files Book 1) by [Riddle, A.G.]
From A.G. Riddle, the worldwide bestselling author with OVER 3 MILLION COPIES SOLD, comes a sci-fi thriller readers are calling "addictive" and "an achievement that takes the genre to the next level."

In Africa, a mysterious outbreak spreads quickly. Teams from the CDC and WHO respond, but they soon learn that there is more to the epidemic than they believed. It may be the beginning of a global experiment--an event that will change the human race forever.

* * *

A hundred miles north of Alaska, a US Coast Guard research vessel discovers a sunken submarine. It has no national identification. No corporate identity. It has been down there for decades, and deep inside, teams find evidence of an experiment that may answer the deepest mysteries of human existence.

Ten days later, in a remote village in Kenya, several local residents contract a mysterious disease. The next day, two American aid workers fall ill. The WHO and CDC send teams, led by Dr. Peyton Shaw--an epidemiologist who has stopped some of the most deadly outbreaks in recent history. Peyton is good at her job, but she is driven by her own dark secret--and haunted by mysteries in her past.

What Peyton finds in Kenya is an outbreak very different from any she has ever seen. As the pandemic sweeps the globe, Peyton is drawn deeper into a conspiracy of unimaginable scope, a plot that appears to be linked to her past. The answers, and the key to stopping the pandemic, are revelations that carry a price--for all of us.

ABOUT PANDEMIC

PANDEMIC is the first new novel from A.G. Riddle in almost two and a half years. The product of extensive research, PANDEMIC takes readers inside the CDC and WHO response to a deadly outbreak. It features the real-life science and history blended with fiction that readers have come to know and love in Riddle's past novels. PANDEMIC is the first novel in a new series, The Extinction Files, which is now complete.

About A.G. Riddle


A.G. Riddle's debut novel, The Atlantis Gene, became a global phenomenon. It is the first novel in a trilogy that has sold over two million copies, has been translated into 19 languages, and is in development to become a major motion picture.

His fourth novel, Departure, follows a group of survivors of a plane crash who find themselves in a changed world. After A.G. Riddle self-published the novel, HarperVoyager (an imprint of HarperCollins) acquired it and published it in hardcover and paperback.

His latest novel, PANDEMIC, follows a team of researchers investigating an outbreak that could alter the human race.
Gerry grew up in a small town in North Carolina, graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, and currently resides with his wife and daughter in Raleigh, North Carolina. Learn more at agriddle.com.

Friday 22 December 2017

The Girl With No Name by Diney Costeloe

The Girl With No Name by [Costeloe, Diney]
A heart-wrenching story from the bestselling author of The Throwaway Children.
Thirteen-year-old Lisa has escaped from Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport. She arrives in London unable to speak a word of English, her few belongings crammed into a small suitcase. Among them is one precious photograph of the family she has left behind.
Lonely and homesick, Lisa is adopted by a childless couple. But when the Blitz blows her new home apart, she wakes up in hospital with no memory of who she is or where she came from. The authorities give her a new name and despatch her to a children's home.
With the war raging around her, what will become of Lisa now?

Wednesday 20 December 2017

Dead Stop by Barbara Nickless

Dead Stop (Sydney Rose Parnell Series Book 2) by [Nickless, Barbara]
The search for a missing child leads a courageous railway cop down a twisted trail of murder.
It’s been five months since Special Agent Sydney Parnell survived a violent confrontation with a gang of brutal thugs, an encounter that left her physically and emotionally scarred. Deep down, Sydney fears she isn’t ready for another investigation. But when a woman is murdered on the train tracks and a child goes missing, she knows she’s the only one who can lead the hunt for the killer. While Denver police and the FBI chase down blind alleys, Sydney focuses on a single cryptic clue left behind at the crime scene—one that will send her down a path of greed, violence, and long-ago love.
With Denver beset by a series of monsoonlike thunderstorms that threaten to flood the city, Sydney and her K9 partner, Clyde, must wade through a murky trail of murder that stretches back thirty years—all to rescue a child…and catch a killer with a long memory and an insatiable appetite for destruction.

Monday 18 December 2017

Her Sister's Shoes by Ashley Farley

Her Sister's Shoes (Sweeney Sisters Series Book 1) by [Farley, Ashley]
Set in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Packed with Southern charm and memorable characters

Her Sister’s Shoes is the story of three sisters—Samantha, Jackie, and Faith—who struggle to balance the demands of career and family while remaining true to themselves.

Samantha Sweeney has always been the glue that holds her family together, their go-to girl for love and support. When an ATV accident leaves her teenage son in a wheelchair, she loses her carefully constructed self-control.

In the after-gloom of her dreaded fiftieth birthday and the discovery of her husband’s infidelity, Jackie realizes she must reconnect with her former self to find the happiness she needs to move forward.

Faith lacks the courage to stand up to her abusive husband. She turns to her sisters for help, placing all their lives at risk.

In the midst of their individual challenges, the Sweeney sisters must cope with their mother’s mental decline. Is Lovie in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, or is her odd behavior normal for a woman her age? No one, including Lovie, understands her obsession with a rusty key she wears around her neck.

For fans of Dorothea Benton Frank, Her Sister’s Shoes is a contemporary women’s novel that explores and proves the healing power of family.

Saturday 16 December 2017

Thirteen 3

Thirteen Vol. 3: The Never-Ending Nightmare
Welcome back for thirteen more tales of terror! Be prepared for another venture into horror, with 13 spine-tingling tales by some of the best writers in the business. From killer clowns to hungry werewolves, supernatural entities, a haunted house sci-fi procedural and someone who has a hidden secret, to bloody horror, dark comedy and nail-biting frights, there is bound to be something in here to chill you to the bone. Thirteen Vol. 3 is the last to feature the clown for a while, but don't worry - it will be back to wreck bloody vengeance in a new trilogy soon. Compiled by Kevin Hall, who has written Klown III, The Haunted Cellar, The Bone Pit and The Puppet Maker, it also features top writers and stories by Alex Winck, Rob Shepherd, Robert Rumery, Lori Safranek, Samie Sands, Katie Jaarsveld, CL Raven, Michael Carroll and Jack Strange.

Thursday 14 December 2017

13 Resurrected Sample

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000447_00006]
DEATH

“Noun: the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism.”

It’s the only certain thing in life. A journey every living creature is forced to take. It cannot be eluded, and there’s no escaping its fatal claws. It’s the one constant in every religion that cannot be proved wrong…death will find everyone.

But what if death is not the end? What if it’s only the beginning?

Stories of the living dead have been told through the centuries. Some of us want to believe, and some of us are too afraid to face the truth that sometimes—just sometimes—the dead never leave.

This is a collection of stories bound to make you question every belief, filling in the blanks of the unknown. Whether it’s the woman scorned finally given a chance for revenge after death, or an evil force trapping generations of a single family in a home for eternity—these are the deadly tales told from the grave.

Do not think it’s over when the Grim Reaper comes to call.

Death is not the final masquerade.

13 is Resurrected…

Are you afraid?

Featuring 'The Game' by Samie Sands

Today’s the day. 
I spent all last night gearing myself up for what I’m pretty sure I have to do. I haven’t totally worked out how I’m going to go about it, I only know I need to put an end to this group before they can remove the skin of another person. I can’t sit back and allow that, it just wouldn’t be right. I grip so tightly onto the knife in my boots the blade cuts into my fingers. I ignore the blood trickling down my hand, keeping my eyes fixed forward while I try my best to prepare myself. I can feel myself blooming, blossoming, becoming a new person, and this is someone I actually like. 
Finally, I'm someone worthwhile. I’m a person with my own game.  
For the longest time I’ve tried to convince myself I’m more than simply a pawn in everyone else’s games. Now that I’m rewriting my own rules I can see I’ve never been special. I’ve never been above anyone else, I’ve just been lucky. What comes next has nothing to do with luck. I’m grabbing the bull by the horns and taking full control.  
“Hey,” my asshole best friend Alex calls out to me, jolting me from my thoughts. “I suggest you get yourself ready.” 
“Why?” There’s no lilt of sarcasm to my voice now. I’m cold and monotone, and it feels good.  
“Because today’s the day. Boss has decided we’re going to your camp. It’s time to get the shit we need from your people.” 
My people.  
Even though I’ve left them, they still feel like that. I actually feel like I have a group to call my own, and they’re relying on me. I guess leaving wasn’t enough. I’ve never let them go.  
“Why’s it taken so long?” 
“None of your business.” He grabs my arm and tugs me out of the room. I allow myself to be pulled easily. I don’t want to act differently at all. I need him to be as unassuming as possible so no one gets suspicious. “Come on, let’s go.” 
It’s starting.  
My heart thunders so painfully in my chest I can almost feel it bouncing off my ribcage. Anticipation runs thickly through my bloodstream. If I’m going to do this I need to start now. I have this guy alone right now. If I let him get me out there things could easily spin out of my control. And it's not only that, my judgment could easily be off. There could be hundreds of guys in this group just waiting to take me down if I dare step out of line. 
It’s time, it’s now. It has to be now.  

Tuesday 12 December 2017

13 Resurrected by @limitlessbooks

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000447_00006]
DEATH

“Noun: the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism.”

It’s the only certain thing in life. A journey every living creature is forced to take. It cannot be eluded, and there’s no escaping its fatal claws. It’s the one constant in every religion that cannot be proved wrong…death will find everyone.

But what if death is not the end? What if it’s only the beginning?

Stories of the living dead have been told through the centuries. Some of us want to believe, and some of us are too afraid to face the truth that sometimes—just sometimes—the dead never leave.

This is a collection of stories bound to make you question every belief, filling in the blanks of the unknown. Whether it’s the woman scorned finally given a chance for revenge after death, or an evil force trapping generations of a single family in a home for eternity—these are the deadly tales told from the grave.

Do not think it’s over when the Grim Reaper comes to call.

Death is not the final masquerade.

13 is Resurrected…

Are you afraid?

Featuring 'The Game' by Samie Sands

My heart pounds violently against my ribcage as I lie frozen in my sleeping bag, waiting for the right moment to arrive. There’s an argument playing out in the back of my mind, a small voice wishing I could reconsider my decision, but I won’t. This is how I’ve survived the last three and a bit years by myself, and that’s how I intend to go on.  
Developing deep connections and feelings doesn’t lead to anything good. It leads to people dying, and I cannot lose anyone else. I won’t. I’m not even attached to these people, not really, it’s just because I’ve been here for a long time, a mistake I won’t make again. I don’t know why I’m even doubting myself, it makes no sense.  
Once the moon’s high enough in the sky, I sit up and glance around at everyone, trying not to think about the fact I won’t ever see these people again. Leaving in the middle of the night isn’t ideal, it leaves me tired and vulnerable, but if I wait until it’s daylight and everyone else is awake, they’ll try and persuade me to stay and for the first time I might actually be tempted. 
It looks like everyone’s sleeping, time to get my stuff together. Time to go. 
I have my backpack already organized, which is the only thing I’ll take with me because I like to travel light, I’m already dressed, and all I need to do is slip on my boots. 
So why am I hesitating? 

Saturday 9 December 2017

My Soul To Keep (yresruN semyhR) by @sonnenbooks

My Soul To Keep (yresruN semyhR) by [Sonnenberg, Jackie]
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
If I shall die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take…

When thirteen-year-old Sky Monroe arrives at her new boarding school, all she can think about is death and connecting with the afterlife. Soon she discovers her school’s spirituality group called Guardians of Light—and they have a secret.
The Guardians of Light can speak with the dead…

When Mitchell Brooks, the teacher and leader of the group, reveals this unnerving secret to Sky—though this is exactly what she believed she wanted—she learns the organization is rapidly becoming a cult. Now she’s concerned she and her friend Damien will not be permitted to walk away.
Danger and death lurk around every corner…

The campus house, where Sky resides, is haunted, and the spirits have their own agenda. December 21, 2012 threatens the end of the world, and Mitchell and the spirits have special plans in store. They just might bring Sky closer to the afterlife—and possibly beyond—than she ever imagined.

Sky is looking for a connection to the afterlife, but what she finds may be more than she bargained for…because what lies after life is death.

Thursday 7 December 2017

Want to #win Lottie Loves? All it takes is a comment…

915ea-lottie-loves-samie-sands

“Will you marry me?”

Four words I’ve waited my whole life to hear. Four words I was sure would change my life forever…and they did. Just not in the way I expected.

Finding out my extremely gorgeous rock star boyfriend was about to propose had the complete opposite effect I thought it would. Rather than catapult me into a future I’ve always wanted, it plunged me back to a past I tried to forget.

Now I can’t get him out of my head. I can’t help but wonder what could have been, how our lives would have ended up if he didn’t leave me behind, a shattered mess.

All these memories are dangerous. They’re bringing my past back to ruin my future. And worst of all, they’re taking me right back to him, my childhood sweetheart, my first love…my biggest regret.

All you need to do is comment on or share this post to be in with a chance of winning!

Tuesday 5 December 2017

Want to #win Lockdown? All it takes is a comment...

DFBUnPSXYAABJ5W_380x600
Leah Watton’s practical joke has spiralled way out of control—all to impress a crush…

With a prank online video, Leah hopes to catch the attention of Jake Colton, a cute, blond-haired, blue-eyed co-worker she’s had a crush on for months. But instead of sending it to Jake, she manages to forward the clip to her boss—who buys every gory second.

When mass panic ensues, Leah learns the video is more than a staged act…

The government is calling the virus AM13. As the outbreak spreads, citizens are forced to stay indoors while they assess the gravity of the illness. Most people are quarantined in their homes, but Leah, Jake, and Leah’s best friend Michelle are some of the unlucky few who are stuck at work when the Lockdown occurs.

That’s where she first encounters one of the infected…

Aside from a contaminated woman devouring one of her co-workers, Leah has another problem. Does she do as she’s ordered and stay at work? Or should she disobey government orders and break free to reunite with her family?

She can’t go it alone—after all, Leah has none of the skills needed to survive—but with Michelle and Jake by her side, not even a contagious virus and a sea of the dead can keep her from…

Breaking out of the Lockdown…

All you need to do is comment on or share this post to be in with a chance of winning!

Sunday 3 December 2017

One Wrong Move by Angela Smith

One Wrong Move by [Smith, Angela]
Romance doesn’t fit into Camden Alexander’s hazardous line of work…

A DEA agent, Camden is deep undercover, posing as a chef on a dangerous drug operation. He wants to take down Darrell Weberley, the owner of the Vin Doux restaurant, who is suspected of manufacturing his own brand of designer drugs. The investigation leaves no time for romance, plus he can’t risk exposing his cover. His love ’em and leave ’em philosophy is the only thing that keeps his one night stands out of harm’s way.

Rayma O’Riley isn’t looking for a quick hook-up. She has her own agenda…

Rayma is bored with her position as anchorwoman for News 12. She misses the thrill of investigative reporting. When she receives an anonymous email about a lucrative restaurant manufacturing drugs, she decides to investigate the story in her free time. She quickly finds a source for information in the form of the handsome and flirty chef. She agrees to a date, thinking she can pry insider information out of Camden.

If Camden can’t convince Rayma to drop this investigation, Darrell will have both their heads…

Camden can’t blow his cover, but if Rayma doesn’t stop snooping around, he knows it will lead to trouble. He doesn’t want her getting hurt before he can take Darrell down. He tries to scare some sense into her, but Rayma releases an article about the restaurant’s below-the-law side business anyway.

Darrell Weberley isn’t the kind of man to let something like that go without punishment, and all it’s going to take is…

one wrong move.

Cincopa Gallery

...