State of Hope
Summer Lane
(Collapse #10)
Publication date: June 9th 2017
Genres: Dystopian, New Adult
Summer Lane
(Collapse #10)
Publication date: June 9th 2017
Genres: Dystopian, New Adult
THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FINAL INSTALLMENT OF THE SMASH-HIT PHENOMENON FROM #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR SUMMER LANE.
This is it.
Cassidy Hart and her comrades have returned to their home: California, the final battlefield in the fight against the global terror, Omega. Commander Chris Young is in critical condition, the United States Navy has acquired new weapons, and the militias have just made a discovery that could change everything.
Faced with tragedy, heartbreak, and destruction, Cassidy is tempted to give up.
But she is a fighter. Defeat is not in her blood.
When confronted with the possibility of resurrecting the leadership of the United States of America, she will do anything to make the dream of stability a reality. She and Lieutenant Uriah True, along with the legendary strike team, the Angels of Death, undertake a dangerous and outrageous mission, unlike anything they have ever attempted. They will find themselves in the very epicenter of Omega’s stronghold.
Yet doubt remains. No one can be trusted in this dark new world, and their hope may not be as black and white as it seems. Disappointment and rejection cloud Cassidy’s judgment.
Friends will be lost. Tears will be shed. Sacrifices beyond the imagination will be made. The grim reality and bitter destruction of war will inflict one final sucker punch. The militias desperately attempt to hold their ground, and the Freedom Fighters will do everything they can to destroy the greatest evil this world has ever known. The apocalypse has taken everything from Cassidy, but she will not stop until her heart ceases to beat, and until there is no breath left in her body.
She holds onto hope – hope of a future, hope of victory, and hope of love.
There is no going back. It all ends here.
Are you prepared?
—
EXCERPT:
When I gather my gear before deploying with Beckham and the rest of the troops, the full realization of what is about to happen next rips through me. It tears my heart in two, thinking about the people we’ve lost leading up to this final fight. And it terrifies me to know that there is a very good chance we will not emerge from this battle victorious.
If anything, I promise myself that we will damage Omega enough to weaken them, so that future generations will have the courage to fight back, too. So that they can remember what it is to stand, to have courage, and to lay your life down for your friends, your family, and the things that you believe in.
At the very root of our humanity, something greater binds us all together. If not spirit, then it must be the will to survive. Because that is what is at the heart of everything we do: the desire to continue to survive for the sake of our children and for the sake of the history of this country we love and call home. For the sake of the good memories of this place, for the sake of the rolling hills and the towering mountaintops. For the sake of freedom and love and family and unity and security. For all of us.
I know, as I strap my rifle across my back and slide my knife into the sheath on my hip, that what happens in the next few weeks will bring our doom or our victory. Either way, our destiny is waiting. The last fight looms ever closer on the horizon, like a hellish red glow moving on the wind.
I set my backpack on the floor and take a knee, resting my arm on my leg.
“God,” I whisper. “If you’re listening, and you’re good like Father Kareem says you are…watch over us. I’m not a praying girl, and I’m not good at asking for help…but please. We need something, and it’s got to be more than a rabbit’s foot or a lucky charm. We need something bigger than that. I’m begging you…I’m begging anyone.”
I lift my head, looking at the ceiling, feeling the tears roll down my cheeks.
If this is how I die, I have made peace with it.
If this is how the Freedom Fighters perish, we will rest in peace, satisfied with our sacrifice and our devotion to the cause of freedom. As I leave the house behind, and I see my friends gathered around Beckham’s convoy, waiting to take us to the airfield where we will depart for Monterey, one thought strikes me. I cannot shake it, and it cycles in my head, over and over again, until I say it aloud.
“Don’t give up hope,” I say.
I hold onto this shred of goodness with every ounce of my being because I know it is the only thing that has any chance of keeping me alive until the end.
Get to know the Author!
20-Question and Answer Fun with
Bestselling Author Summer Lane
Describe yourself in three words.
Creative. Curious. Focused.
What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
Probably a tossup between riding
dirt bikes and getting married. Ha!
When you’re upset, how do you deal with it?
I burrow into my couch, cuddle
with my dog, grab some chocolate, and I either read or watch a movie (I don’t
watch television, my husband and I don’t even have cable).
In the last year, what are four things that you’ve tried for the
first time?
Snorkeling (ocean water is so
much saltier than I thought it would be), eating barbecued salmon (perhaps not
terribly interesting, but delicious all the same), training a German Shepherd
(not for the faint of heart, let me tell you!) and writing a historical
romance.
You’re a survival writer. If you were stranded on an island, what
five items would you bring with you?
My husband, my dog, a backpack filled
with MREs, a knife set, and a first aid kit.
How would you describe yourself in high school?
Quiet but underestimated. I was
lonely in high school and I spent most of my time working, reading and writing
to fill myself up with something meaningful.
How about elementary school? How would you describe yourself then?
I was the shy kid – painfully
shy. But I had a bit of a temper. I was constantly getting pushed around, and
that infuriated me. I remember spending a lot of my time as a kid in a constant
state of anger: I kept to myself because I didn’t trust people; I’d been burned
one too many times. In a way, I was practically begging to evolve into a
stereotypical, writer-type when I grew up. Thanks, life. * wink *
Favorite song of the moment?
Believer, by Imagine Dragons.
Pet peeve?
Unnecessary drama. I don’t do
real-life drama.
If you could step into the setting of any book in the world, which
one would it be?
Hard to say! I think the world of
Harry Potter would be fun to visit. I
have to say, I think the world Ransom Riggs has created in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children looks adventurous, too.
What is the best part of your day?
When I’m done with work and my
husband is home with me. I’m happiest when he’s close!
Worst fear?
Heights, cockroaches and dark
water. When I read The Shining, by
Stephen King, my fear of water was temporarily extended to bathtubs. It took me
2 weeks to take a bath again after reading that book. I was legitimately
terrified. True story!
The three best days of your life.
The day I got married, the day I
got my first puppy, and the day I was able to call myself a bestselling author.
What are a few of your favorite memories in life?
Playing with my brother when we
were kids. Sitting around a bonfire in the country in the middle of the
summertime, smelling the fruit on the trees and the aroma of hot dogs on a
barbecue. Wandering through the forest. Reading in the mountains. Visiting the
beach. Getting engaged. Playing with dogs.
You don’t watch television. What do you watch?
I watch a few older television
shows (like The Andy Griffith Show and
Dick Van Dyke), and I admit I do
enjoy watching Sherlock when new
episodes are released. If I watch television at all, it is purely for the
30-minutes that Wheel of Fortune is
on. I believe that too much television will murder any and all creativity that
you have, as well as motivation. It’s best to stay away from it. My rule is
that I never watch anything unless I have completed all of my tasks for the day
and written at least 2,000 words.
How many books do you read yearly (on average)?
At the very least, 20. At the
most, 100 or more. I write constantly, so I am reading when I’m not writing. My
eyes are actually very touchy, so I have to pace myself with reading, if only
to preserve my vision, otherwise I would be reading much more. I usually read a
book a week. Sometimes two.
What is the secret to happiness, in your opinion?
Happiness with yourself, with who you are and where you are in life. I think everything else is supplementary.
Happiness with yourself, with who you are and where you are in life. I think everything else is supplementary.
Name your biggest guilty pleasures.
Ugh. I have a few. Music,
brown-sugar bourbon marinade on steak, floral dresses, BOOKS, a crisp glass of
wine at the end of a long day, watching tragic romance movies, walking
aimlessly up and down the beach, and reading scary books. I also really love
colorful bouquets of flowers.
If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?
It’s hard to choose just one
thing. I think I’d choose to be fearless with my spoken words, rather than just
my written ones.
What’s on your bucket list?
Too many things to list. I would
love to visit Alaska for a few weeks and experience running a sled dog team.
I’d like to visit the East Coast, as well as London. I want to take a road trip
across America, and I’d like to see Disneyworld at some point. I wouldn’t mind
visiting the Caribbean. My husband wants to visit Jamaica soon and I think I’m
onboard with the idea!
Author Bio:
Summer Lane is the #1 bestselling author of the national smash-hit books of the Collapse Series, Zero Trilogy, Bravo Saga, Collapse: The Illustrated Guide, and Unbreakable SEAL. She owns Writing Belle Publishing, and is also an extensively experienced journalist and creative writing teacher. Summer operates Writing Belle, an online magazine where she has worked with hundreds of authors from around the world and helps bring exposure to their work. Summer takes great pride in being an entrepreneur, creative spirit and business owner.
Summer lives in the Central Valley of California with her husband, Scott (who can fix anything!), and their German Shepherd, a sweet girl named Kona. Summer loves to travel, read and cook. She uses the experiences of her traveling adventures as inspiration for her books. Some of her favorite places in the world include the forest (any forest, anywhere!), Hawaii (the tropical setting is beautiful!) and Southern California (so many story possibilities!).
I can't pick a favorite character, only because I've yet to read the series. However, it sounds amazing, and I LOVE dystopian stories. I definitely need to start this series ASAP!
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