Staring into the Abyss #MFRWAuthor

Recently I mentioned to a favorite author how close one of her post apocalyptic series came to reality for me. Did she want to maybe expand on that? Being the brilliant young lady she is she said “Well YEAH” So here she is…JAMI GRAY

Known as The Collapse, the ravaged aftermath of Mother Nature’s fury colliding with man’s merciless need for survival has left civilization teetering on the brink of disintegration. Decades beyond the first brutal years, there are those who believe there is a possible future worth fighting for, worth dying for. Betrayed but not broken, they hold to their code, one considered outdated and useless. Loyalty to each other, shields for those without, warriors born and bred.

Staring into the Abyss…

A funny thing happened on my way to writing a book, fiction collided with reality and left me wondering if there was more than caffeine in my cup of joe the morning I started plotting out Fate’s Vultures.

Now here’s the thing, as a writer I spend my life asking, “What if (fill in the blank)?” Mainly because that’s what writers do. They occasionally surface from their word dens, indulge in some serious people/places/things watching, then disappear to make up stories using what they’ve watched.

So maybe it shouldn’t be so shocking that the circumstances leading to the fall of humanity in Fate’s Vultures is an eerie warning of what we may eventually face in truth.

Mona and I, we tend to meander down creative roads, dabbling here and there on various topics and it was her question of “Did you realize going in to your series, how close or how soon they might mirror our lives?”

To be honest, I wasn’t a happy camper when I started this series. The real world was shifting fast and mean, ripping off blinders I had willingly left on for too long. I won’t go into politics because, well…politics *shudders*, but what rose to the all too public surface was a miasma of pain and anger and frustration that’s been long in the making and with the lid off, it’s boiling over. I think for me, that has been the most heart-breaking thing to face during the last three years.  It didn’t help that trauma and grief were circling my nearest and dearests either.

But back to Mona’s question…as a series writer, I tend to play around with ideas for a long time before I start crafting a universe. Fate’s Vultures initially came into vague shape when I wanted to do something different for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Consider it a drawback of years of studying various scriptures growing up. I’ve always been fascinated by the prophecies surrounding the End Times, add in my fascination with magic and the unexplainable, it was bound to come up sooner or later.

Yet as I started to shape my world, that focus changed and I started reading papers from leading minds on the future of economics and government structure. Add in real-life situations and the world of the Vultures came into focus. Because of who and what the Vultures are, there was never a chance of a happy start to their story.

They were who they were because of what they survived, that’s the core of the characters. Living in a world consumed by chaos and loss of order, what will emerge will be those who understanding that white and black are simply shades of gray.

Yet you can’t create a grim world without adding light. We can’t live our lives without hope and that’s true whether those lives are a creation of imagination or contain a beating heart. Hope is humanity’s greatest strength and it’s that same hope that pulls us (universal us) through the darkest of times. In the Vulture’s world, that same hope is what will change the world as they know it. It gives them something to reach for, to fight for, and to believe in.

As much as I enjoy spending time in the Vultures’ world, this first arc was always meant to be only four books. Currently the first three books in the series are out, and the fourth and last book, FEAR THE REAPER, is currently sitting on my editor’s desk. I’m hoping for a late 2019 release, but it may be closer to early 2020. You’ll know as soon as I do.

What I can share, without spoilers, is yes, there is light in the darkness and it doesn’t take much for that spark to turning into something that leads the way to hope. In fact, considering the unusual family the Vultures tend to gather, I’m pretty certain I’ll be back to hang with a few familiar faces. Well, right after I finish my mission with the PSY-IV Teams, and then get Gavin’s story out with the Kyn so we can move further into the shadows.

*checks calendar* Umm…okay, so it may be a bit before I return, but the Vultures will be back because this is just the beginning….

 LYING IN RUINS – Fate’s Vultures 1

In a world gone to hell, it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad…

On a mission to retrieve a kidnapped child, a woman skilled in secrecy crosses paths with a nomadic vigilante bent on revenge. Despite their mutual distrust, the unlikely pair joins forces to hunt a common enemy. Together they must survive the predators picking through the desiccated remains of civilization. What will tear them apart first—their suspicions or their enemies?

• Escape Publishing: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9781489245656
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XS9BSVF
• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lying-in-ruins-jami-gray/1126450833?ean=9781489245656
• iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lying-in-ruins/id1327657445
• Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lying-in-ruins

BEG FOR MERCY – Fate’s Vultures 2

Choosing a side has never been so dangerous…

To trap a cunning and illusive predator, a protector forged in a blood soaked history must partner with the cynical heart of a betrayed assassin. Can the wary pair forge a bond of loyalty before suspicions and betrayals tear them apart?

• Escape Publishing: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9781489255198
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076C9JX8X/
• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beg-for-mercy-jami-gray/1127273688?ean=9781489255198
• iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/beg-for-mercy/id1301645100
• Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/beg-for-mercy-11

CAUGHT IN THE AFTERMATH – Fate’s Vultures 3

Vengeance can leave you blind…

Blinded by vengeance, a deadly predator is forced to turn to unexpected allies, only to discover a storm of passion with the one woman who threatens his long-term plans. Caught between a looming conflict and the fallout of a brutal betrayal, will they survive vengeance’s aftermath?

• Escape Publishing: https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781489277022/caught-in-the-aftermath/
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GSH44HW/
• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/caught-in-the-aftermath-jami-gray/1129393470?ean=9781489277022
• iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/caught-in-the-aftermath/id1433966430
• Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/caught-in-the-aftermath

BIO:

Jami Gray is the coffee addicted, music junkie, Queen Nerd of her personal Geek Squad, Alpha Mom of the Fur Minxes, and award-winning author of the Urban Fantasy series, The Kyn Kronicles, the Paranormal Romantic Suspense series, PSY-IV Teams, and her latest Romantic Suspense series, Fate’s Vultures. She writes to soothe the voices in her head.

• Website: http://www.JamiGray.com
• Newsletter:http://eepurl.com/LvoZn
• Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jami-Gray/e/B006HU3HJI
• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/JamiGray
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamigray.author