Samie Sands

Samie Sands

About

Samie Sands is a 28 year old freelance graphic designer who has recently decided to follow her lifelong dream and use her creativity in a new way by writing. Lockdown is her debut published novel. She has had a number of short stories included in successful anthologies.

She has a degree in Media Studies and PR and has already had articles published in a number of e-zines, including one of the most popular pieces at Zombie Guide Magazine. 

She lives in a small seaside town in the UK, but loves to travel to gain inspiration from new places and different cultures. To follow Samie's work, please check out her website http://samiesands.com

The Time That's Given

The Time That's Given

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Description

<p><strong><em>Have you ever awoken from a vivid dream and wondered which side of waking was real?</em></strong></p><p>Burt Higgins' retirement is not going well. His children have grown, and his wife has gone off to earn a late-life degree, leaving him alone in his sprawling suburban home. With too much time on his hands, he broods on the state of the world, obsessively following the worst of cable news and the Internet. Increasingly angry at the state of affairs, he nurtures a fantasy that a dark lord from another realm has foisted these problems on humankind. If only he could transport to that world, he'd confront the demon and use the magic found there to defeat the beast and end despair forever.</p><p>On a particularly bad news day, while housebound in the midst of a snowstorm, he retreats to his study to shut out the world and immerse himself in his books. When, on a whim, he lights a candle purchased in an obscure Prague curiosity shop, a magical guide appears and offers to take him on whatever quest he chooses. When he asks to become a hero in a fantasy realm, he discovers a more complex world than he expected, and battling evil with magic turns out to be far from his greatest challenge.</p><p><strong>EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS</strong> a specualtive fantasy adventure sure not just to entertain you, but to make you consider your life, your dreams, your goals. [DRM-Free]</p><h2><strong>Books by David Litwack:</strong></h2><ul><li><em>Along the Watchtower</em></li><li><em>The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky</em></li><li><em>The Time That's Given</em></li><li><em>The Children of Darkness</em> (The Seekers - Book 1)</li><li><em>The Stuff of Stars</em> (The Seekers - Book 2)</li><li><em>The Light of Reason</em> (The Seekers - Book 3)</li></ul><h2><strong>More Great Fantasy Fiction from Evolved Publishing:</strong></h2><ul><li><em>The Awakening of David Rose</em> (David Rose #1) by Daryl Rothman</li><li><em>Shadow Swarm</em> by D. Robert Pease</li><li><em>Kingdom in Chains</em> by J.W. Zulauf</li><li>The &quot;Grims' Truth&quot; Series by Isu Yin &amp; Fae Yang</li></ul><p> </p>

Story Behind The Book

Lockdown is a zombie novel with a difference. Not only is it from the perspective of the typical girl-next-door, but it also combine gore with comedy in a unique and interesting way.

Reviews

<p>&quot;<span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">When I sat down to read Lockdown, Samie Sands' debut novel, I expected it to be the usual fare: protagonist assembles a ragtag group of survivors to outwit the zombie apocalypse and score one for human kind. What I got was something surprising and more severe.</span></p> <div class="a-row review-data" style="width:997.921875px;color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;"><span class="a-size-base review-text">To say that Lockdown is different than a typical zombie apocalypse story doesn't quite give it enough credit, but to tell you what truly sets it apart would be giving away some of the surprises that at its core make it so enjoyable to read. Samie's approach to how the world ends is unique in my readings, and at the same time, undeniably human and real.</span></div> <div class="a-row review-data" style="width:997.921875px;color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;"><br /><span class="a-size-base review-text">The story opens centering around Leah, a normal girl with normal problems. Her life doesn't stretch much farther than the streets of her neighborhood and, all told, we don't see much more than that by the end of the story either. It's a fascinating arc that manages to provide all the drama and strain of an undead contagion without overwhelming the reading by having to provide a global scale.</span></div> <div class="a-row review-data" style="width:997.921875px;color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;"><br /><span class="a-size-base review-text">It's a fun read with frustratingly real characters - and I am happy to see that Samie has not only kept this universe alive in a sequel, but has a number of novellas involving new characters from the same struggling human race as well.&quot;</span></div> <div class="a-row a-spacing-top-small review-comments" style="width:997.921875px;color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;margin-top:10px;"> <div class="a-row a-expander-container a-expander-inline-container" style="width:997.921875px;">&quot;<span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">What do you get when a reporter plays a practical joke? A Zombie story that leaves the audience feverishly turning pages. Leah, in a ploy to attract fellow co-worker, Jake, gets her boss embroiled in a Zombie apocalypse.</span><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" /><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" /><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">The heroine has us rooting for her from the beginning. The zombie apocalypse that she inadvertently exposed leads her to wanting to reconnect and protect her family. She, and two friends, defy the Lockdown to get to the ones they love.</span><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" /><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" /><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Their journey leads them into the zombie infected world, where they must avoid being turned in order to fulfill their wishes.</span><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" /><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" /><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Samie interjects humor, as well as fear and horror into the zombie invasion. As the book progresses, the story moves faster and the ending has an unexpected twist that leaves the reader wanting more.</span><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" /><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" /><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">The first person narration, from Leah’s point of view, puts a unique spin on the zombie world. A must read for all zombie fans.&quot;</span></div> <div class="a-row a-expander-container a-expander-inline-container" style="width:997.921875px;"> </div> <div class="a-row a-expander-container a-expander-inline-container" style="width:997.921875px;"><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">&quot;I have never been interested in zombies and doom this may surprise the younger crowd who are trending but Lockdown had my attention from the beginning. The story of a modern office girl with the details of modern life lulled me into identifying with the story. Eagerly, I followed the story line and was hooked. Leah is today’s modern girl with all of the problems. What started as a prank surprises even her.</span><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" /><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" /><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Ms. Sands is prolific in her writing. She has all the skills of amazing talent. Samie also loves the zombie stories, I could tell. Knowledge of all</span><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" /><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">things “zombie” are enticing. I found myself believing that this tale was totally possible. So to all of the older generation, don’t discount the Zombie Craze. There is somthing worth reading.&quot;</span></div> </div>