Reaper: Aftermath by Jonathan Pongratz - Book Blitz + Giveaway
Reaper: Aftermath
by Jonathan Pongratz
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GENRE: Scifi/Horror/YA
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BLURB:
Five years have passed since the Reapers invaded Earth and tore it asunder. Gregory, his mother, Trent, and their group of scavengers hunt the decimated wastelands for survival.But when a sudden Reaper attack forces Gregory through a Reaper door, he finds himself in a bizarre place, one that may provide answers to the Reapers’ past and where they came from.Can Gregory put together the pieces of the past and find his way home, or will he just become another human casualty in the lost war against the Reapers?
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EXCERPT
I crouched behind a row of old dusty cars beside my mom and two other
sharpshooters, my body trembling. Don't freak out. Be brave. Remember your
training.
I took a deep breath and dared a peek ahead between two cars. Across the street
was a deserted grocery store covered in grime and soot. It was a small shop,
maybe two or three times the size of an average gas station. A bunch of old,
rotted wooden planks covered the windows, but the front entrance was untouched.
Whoever had been here was either dead inside or long gone. No one in their right
mind would leave their home unfortified, not anymore.
All was quiet except for the wind, but I knew better. We all did. Any second and
the Reapers could be right on us. Though they never came out during the day, we
couldn’t leave anything to chance.
Mom pulled out her walkie. “Proceeding with root-out of potential Reapers.” She
retrieved an oddly-shaped ball constructed from cans, tins, and several small
bells we called chatter boxes from her supply bag and hurled it over her
head.
The chatter box clunked loudly on the ground, bouncing before stopping in front
of the seemingly-empty store. For a couple moments we all sat there, waiting for
any sign of Reapers.
Mom’s walkie crackled to life. “Patricia, I think we should--”
“Quiet!” Mom hissed. “I think I hear something.”
I couldn’t hear anything, but there was definitely a difference in the air, like
it was charged somehow. Just like the basement five years ago. Images of the
past filled my mind: My little sister Imogen, the electrified feeling down in
the basement, the Reaper’s sudden appearance. I shook off my thoughts and edged
close to my mother.
“You’re right, something’s coming.”
Mom nodded, her gaze fixed on the grocery store. “Be brave, Gregory. If you have
to, fall back.”
I shook my head. There was no way I was gonna miss out on this.
Her eyes widened, and she gripped her walkie once more. “Reapers, incoming!”
I drew my Glock from my holster, turned the safety off, and tried to look
through the abandoned store’s smudged entrance. It was dark inside, but I could
see two hulking figures scrambling to the front of the store at breakneck
speed.
Oh shi--
Two Reapers crashed through the entrance in an explosion of glass that blasted
shards in a thousand directions. As the projectiles clinked on the ground I
stared at the monsters before us, a chill running down my spine.
Large, festering boils covered their reddish, emaciated bodies. They stood tall
on two clawed feet, but could easily switch to all fours for speed, doubling the
danger of their razor sharp appendages. The Reapers opened their mouths,
revealing multiple layers of jagged, pointy teeth as they gave ear-piercing
shrieks of rage.
A grin spread across my face. Time to die, assholes.
I aimed, then pulled my trigger as deafening gunshots came from my left and
right. We’d hit the one on the right several times. A thick, black liquid oozed
from its wounds, but it was still in fighting shape and pretty freakin’ pissed
based on the hideous snarl on its face.
The aggravated Reaper leaped forward on all fours, bounding over the car we were
hiding behind and landing in front of the sharpshooter furthest from me. It gave
a mighty roar, snatching him up and throwing him like a rag doll. He went
flying, landing on a nearby car’s windshield with a loud crack. The monster eyed
the other sharpshooter with furious, predatory yellow eyes.
Shit, shit, shit! I lunged towards the Reaper as I targeted it, then yanked on
my trigger. It gave a high-pitched cry of pain and staggered back a step. Damn
it! I’d only hit its shoulder. Its hateful gaze was now focused on me.
A sudden gunblast boomed from my comrade, and the Reaper fell to the ground,
unmoving. A large pool of black sludge gathered underneath its head where the
bullet had exited.
Before I could rejoice in the kill, Mom shouted nearby. I spun around. She was
battling the other Reaper in front of the grocery store with a long knife in
hand. She had deep cuts on her arms and legs, while the monster sported several
nonfatal gunshot wounds. I tried to aim for the Reaper but they were moving too
fast, desperately circling one another for an advantage. One wrong move and I’d
shoot my own mother.
The Reaper took a wide-arching swipe at her, but she dodged to the side, cutting
its leg as she went. The monster screeched and turned to attack, but mom slid
between its legs and was now behind it. Point blank, Mom whipped out her
revolver and fired three shots into the back of the Reaper’s head. It fell to
the ground, twitching in its final death throes.
Mom lifted her combat boot and stomped on its head with a sickening crunch. The
Reaper didn’t move anymore. She spat on it, then pulled out her walkie as I
approached. “All clear. Torch the bodies.”
I glanced back. Twenty yards away behind another row of dead cars, our small
group of noncombatants emerged. Mom strolled towards the grocery store and I
jogged to catch up to her, eager to see what was inside. Whatever it was, it had
better be worth it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jonathan Pongratz is a writer and author of captivating horror, fantasy, and
other speculative fiction stories. When he’s not writing, he’s busy being a
bookworm, video game junkie, and karaoke vocalist. A former resident of Dallas,
he currently resides in Kansas City with his Halloween cat Ajax. By day he works
magic in finance, by night he creates dark and mesmerizing worlds.
Website:
http://www.jonathanpongratz.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/jonathanpongratz
GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/jonathanpongratz
Reaper: Aftermath Universal Ebook Link:
https://buy.bookfunnel.com/3asmrg39g7
Amazon Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578827441
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reaper-jonathan-pongratz/1138649891
Reaper: A Horror Novella Universal Ebook Link:
https://buy.bookfunnel.com/yaar1pv37e
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Jonathan Pongratz will be awarding a 15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
18 Comments
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteI thought Reaper: Aftermath was a good follow-up to the first book. Fun read!
ReplyDeleteMorning,
ReplyDeleteThanks for spreading the word about my new book!
I love chills, thrills, and anything that goes bump in the night, and I wanted to create a story that I myself would like to see on the big screen.
My second book takes the original concept of Reaper and pushes it a step further. Here's hoping my readers enjoy it!
Thanks again for your support!
You're very welcome! :)
DeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Rita!
Deletethis looks like a great read!
ReplyDeleteThanks Molli!
DeleteVery nice excerpt and blurb. It sounds like a good read. I like the cover. Nice colors used. Thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lynn! That excerpt is from the very beginning. I love to start things with a bang!
DeleteAs far as the colors involved, the first book had a very similar color scheme. That green is sickening!
Great cover and sounds like an excellent horror/sci read
ReplyDeleteThank you! I stuck with the same illustrator as the first book, Mario Lampic. He's got some serious skills! Appreciate you stopping by.
DeleteI like the cover! The colors are amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeanna. I stuck with the same color scheme of the first book, and that lightning adds a nice pop to the cover.
DeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sherry!
DeleteI like the cover
ReplyDeletePlease try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.