GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ Guest Post: Magical Apocalypse Survival Kit by Janni Lee Simner + Giveaway! | I Smell Sheep

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Guest Post: Magical Apocalypse Survival Kit by Janni Lee Simner + Giveaway!


Magical Apocalypse Survival Kit 
By: Janni Lee Simner 

It's the end of the world as we know it ... and no way am I leaving that world behind empty-handed. 

That's the danger of writing post-apocalyptic fiction. You begin thinking about what you'd want to take with you if the world really did fall apart. Or at least I did, during the years I spent working on the Bones of Faerie trilogy, which is set after a war between the faerie and human realms has destroyed the world. I don't really expect the planet to fall prey to a magical war, but the deeper I got into the writing process, the more I wondered what I'd want to have with me, if it did.

So here's a grab bag of things I'd pack if I was fleeing a magical apocalypse. (I'm assuming it would work for other sorts of apocalypses, too, but it's always dangerous to stake your life on advice found over the Internet.)

Coffee, tea, and powdered cocoa: Sad post-apocalyptic fact--if you live in the United States, nearly all your caffeine sources come from plants that don't grow here. Once the caffeine is gone, it's gone for good.  I assume I'll have time while running for my life to ponder whether to hoard this stuff or trade it for other valuable post-apocalyptic survival supplies.

Ibuprofin, antibiotic ointment, actual antibiotics, and multivitamins: Okay, I'm trading the caffeine. This is the stuff I'm hoarding for the real emergencies. (No hand sanitizer after the apocalypse, though. If my immune system can't handle garden-variety dirt, I'm toast anyway.)

-  One of those thin silver emergency blankets we always pack on camping trips but never use: It's finally an emergency. Clearly, this is what we were saving it for all along.

A hand-cranked or solar-powered flashlight: The post-apocalyptic nights are long and dark, and plug-in outlets will soon be just fancy wall decorations.

The Joy of Cooking: The post-apocalyptic days are long, too, especially when you're contemplating scavenged food you haven't a clue how to prepare. The Joy of Cookingknows how to cook anything. It even tells you how to skin your own rabbits and squirrels. Not every cookbook would have your back there.

A good knife and an even better knife sharpener: In Bones of Faerie, Liza carries her knife everywhere. Not just as a weapon, but also because those squirrels don't skin themselves.

A flint striker: To spark tinder for cooking fires after the matches and lighters have run out. Squirrels don't cook themselves, either.

The largest bag of rice I can find on short notice: What, you didn't think I was eating that squirrel by itself, did you? It's going to take me a while to get in a crop of wheat or corn. Not to mention to find plucky survivor friends to plant and harvest it with.

A sewing kit: It'll take me even longer to find goats and sheep, raise them, and learn how to weave my own clothing. I need to repair what I have. (Unless … anyone have a sweater they want to trade me for a café mocha?)

My camping backpack: In some fantasy novels characters manage to carry everything they need in an (apparently) light day pack or, I don't know, their hands. I'm guessing that's not going to work after the end of the world.

Extra socks: Wool, preferably. If there's one thing camping has taught me, it's that no one ever regrets packing extra socks.

Any 19th-century ricepaper-thin volumes of poetry and prose I can dig up: I spent all my heavy-book space on The Joy of Cooking. Also on socks. Oops.

Notebook and writing implements: Now that a real apocalypse is upon us, I can finally see what I got wrong. Clearly, it's time to start revising.

Faerie After (Bones of Faerie #3)
by Janni Lee Simner
After a devastating war between humanity and Faerie, Liza’s world was forever changed. Plants and trees became aggressive, seeking to root in living flesh and bone, and newborn children were discovered to have magic powers. Liza was one of these children, and with her abilities she brought her mother back from the ruined Faerie realm and restored the seasons to her own.

Now there are signs of a new sickness in the forest. Piles of ash are found where living creatures once stood. Liza investigates and discovers the Faerie realm has continued to deteriorate, slowly turning to dust, and that its fate is inexorably linked to that of the human realm. To find a solution, Liza must risk crossing over, putting herself and all she cares about at risk. Will Liza be forced to sacrifice her life and the lives of her friends in order to save both worlds?

Here is the exciting conclusion to the Bones of Faerie trilogy, for fans of dark fantasy and dystopian adventure entranced by Janni Lee Simner’s unique vision of a magic-infused postapocalyptic world.

Author Bio
Janni Lee Simner's publications include the post-apocalyptic young adult Bones of Faerie trilogy, the Iceland-based contemporary fantasy Thief Eyesfour books for younger readers, and more than 30 short stories. The final book of the trilogy, Faerie After, was released this summer. Visit her online at simner.com




***GIVEAWAY***
Janni is offering up a paperback copy of Faerie After, bookmarks and book plate to one lucky commenter. This contest is INTERNATIONAL! Fill out Raffledude. 

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12 comments:

  1. I need to start stashing and hoarding...seriously. I can't live without my coffee. And I need Tylenol or some sort of headache pain killer. Good grief I am nowhere near prepared.

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    1. It was a little disconcerting to realize just how tenuous our caffeine supply really is!

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  2. This sounds like a wonderful trilogy. And now I'll be giving thought to what I need to pack for the apocalypse. Or not. I love to procrastinate. I can't bear to think about leaving all my books. And my of course all my animals would have to come with me and that's a lot of cursed squirrels. So I'll refuse to believe in an apocalypse for now. michelle_willms@yahoo.com

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  3. bwahaha! this is a great list and I never thought about some of these... better start packing!

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  4. I think I'd pack my skinning knife, a K-bar, my 8" chef's knife, and of course the proper tools to keep them sharp. I would also make sure to have a supply of those pills to clean up drinking water. I'd still have a rifle since most people would be looking for finished rounds to shoot. I was an NRA instructor and know how to do my own reloads. LOL

    We have friends in upstate NY with almost 1000 acres of land that includes a small lake and a fresh water stream. I doubt all the local farmers would take off so we'd trade labor for corn and wheat. A country girl can survive!

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    1. I almost included water purification tablets on my list! Decided I could boil my water instead, but that does take more time, and the tablets take up hardly any space at all. I probably would grab them when raiding the camping supplies, which of course I would. :-)

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  5. This really is a very good series. I also enjoyed Thief Eyes. Thank you.

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  6. This book sounds like a must-read! Thoroughly enjoyed the list lol

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  7. I don't Tweet so I can't get to the last 2 entries. Bummer. I'd like to be entered in this contest. "Faerie After" appeals!

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    1. If you share on FB then that can count :) just stick the Facebook share link in the box :)

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  8. Thank you for the great sharing, I am glad that although late, I stopped by to read the post anyway. I have been sitting here pondering one of those questions - why is it apocalypses versus say apocalypti o_O I know right? Well I just wanted to say I hopped over to check out this series and it sounds great. I have added to my TBR and hope to read it soon.

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    1. maybe you should ask about the apocalypti... who should we contact. There is Sean Page the zombie expert over in the UK...

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