Book & Author Details:
(After the Fall #1)
Publication date: March 28th 2015
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult
Synopsis:
The end of the world came fast. Between the time the warning had sounded on the TV, till when 16-year-old Paige O’Connor awakened sometime later, civilization had been crushed.
The attacks had come by “them” – those things in the ships in the sky that had appeared suddenly, and without warning.
And as Paige would soon discover, the attacks had only been the beginning.
Aftermath is the first book in the new After the Fall dystopian action series, which follows a young girl’s struggle for survival in the wake of civilization’s collapse, and humanity’s domination by an alien race of beings.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25245425-aftermath?ac=1
Purchase:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VD66QYO/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641
Tom Lewis served in the United States Marines, before attending college, and then law school. He currently practices entertainment law from his office in Santa Monica, California.
Mr. Lewis has written and sold several screenplays, and is currently in post-production on a motion picture he wrote, directed, and produced.
His novel, "Aftermath," is loosely based on one of his screenplays. In writing "Aftermath," his goal was to take his readers through a post-apocalyptic America, where civilization had been crushed in an alien attack. The reader is taken on this journey through the eyes of his protagonist, 16-year-old Paige O'Connor, and encounters this hostile new world as she does.
"Aftermath" is the first book in the "After the Fall Dystopian Series," which will continue to chronicle the adventures of Paige and the remnants of humanity in their struggle to survive, and ultimately reclaim our planet from the invaders.
Tell us about your
debut novel:
The book’s called “Aftermath”. It’s a fast-paced, dystopian sci fi actioner
that follows a teenage girl’s struggles for survival in the increasingly
hostile wake of civilization’s collapse, and humanity’s domination by an alien
race of beings. I’m calling it a “Hunger
Games” with aliens.
“Aftermath” is the first novel in the “After the Fall”
dystopian series, which will follow my heroine, Paige, and the remnants of
humanity in their efforts to both survive, and reclaim our world.
Author Interview:
How did you get into
writing?
I started writing screenplays in 1999, and had my first screenplay
optioned that year. I followed that up
with several other screenplays, a few of which were optioned by production
companies and ended up getting me hired for writing assignments. Two of those scripts were made into movies
which I produced and directed. The first
of those movies was picked up by Lionsgate for distribution, and we’re in
negotiations with distributors on the second film, a spooky ghost story called
“The Chanel”. It’s about a teenage girl,
who after surviving a near-death experience in a car crash, finds herself
haunted by a shadowy figure she sees from the corner of her eye – something
that followed her back from the other side of death.
You’re also an
attorney?
Yes. I practice
entertainment law from my office in Santa Monica. My clients are mainly producers, so that’s
helped with getting my screenplays out there.
Before that, I served in the Marines.
Where did your
interest in post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction come from?
My first exposure to the dystopian genre came about 4 years
ago, when I was negotiating movie rights to a best-selling novel for one of my
clients. I read that novel, and then
read the “Hunger Games” trilogy, and then I was hooked. Dystopian, YA, NA, sci fi action, survival,
and post-apocalyptic stories are far and away my favorites.
Where did the
inspiration for Aftermath come from?
I came up with the idea for Aftermath about a year ago. I was searching Amazon for something
post-apocalyptic and dystopian, but with ordinary people thrown into that upside-down
world. Most of the books I was finding had either elite commandos, or the
threat wasn’t big enough, or there just wasn’t enough action, thrills, or
scares. So basically I wrote Aftermath
as the story I wanted to read. I
originally started drafting it as a screenplay, but then I saw the potential of
it as a series of novels. The story is
epic in scope – it follows the survivors through the end of civilization, and
its conquest by this alien race. And by
doing it through novels, I wasn’t limited to budget considerations you have
when writing screenplays. But I did have
the fun of shooting the trailer I made for the book. You can see that trailer here: https://vimeo.com/124008432
What's next for you?
I’m about halfway finished with the second installment in
the series, and hope to publish it later this summer. The working title is “The Whisperers.”
About Tom Lewis
Tom Lewis grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where his family
still resides. He served in the Marines,
before returning to Arizona, where he attended Arizona State University,
receiving his BS in Business Management.
After ASU, he moved to San Diego, where he attended law school at the
University of San Diego. He graduated in
1996, and was admitted to the State Bar of California the same year. Shortly after that, he moved to Santa Monica,
where he practices law as an entertainment attorney.
Excerpt:
CHAPTER ONE
The Birds
Destiny can be defined
as a series of events that will necessarily happen to us. As inevitable as it
is unpredictable, it’s a journey we’re all thrown into. Along the way it
defines us, and shows us what we’re made of. And when we reach the end, we
often find that it’s taken us in a direction we never could have imagined. This
is one girl’s journey.
***
It
started on a crisp spring day in the foothills of Los Angeles. The Westwood
High Panthers’ girls soccer team took the field to a small audience of students
and family members scattered throughout the wooden bleachers.
In
the back row, as far away as possible from the other spectators, sat Paige
O’Connor and Shelby Johnson. To anyone watching them, it was pretty obvious
they weren’t there for the game. It was just an excuse to get out of their
houses, soak up some sunshine, and get drunk on the rum Paige was pouring into
a giant Big Gulp cup.
Paige
had just turned sixteen, the legal driving age in California, but at the rate
she got into trouble, it would be a long time before her parents let her get
her license. Riding a bike everywhere sucked, but then so did listening to
parents and teachers.
She
was strikingly pretty and petite, and hated that things were expected of her
because of that. She was going to hang out with who she wanted, dress the way
she wanted, and look the way she wanted. So midway through her freshman year,
she had chopped her long brunette hair down to shoulder length, and painted
several blue streaks through it. Her mom nearly fainted, and of course it got
her grounded, but then what else was new.
As
for clothes, don’t even get her started. It was usually cargo pants, and a
t-shirt, or sweatshirt on those rare cold days. And the more people complained,
or rolled their eyes at her, the more dingy were the clothes she sought out.
Shelby
had been her BFF since they were kids, and they shared everything together.
Movies, gossip, sleepovers, secrets, clothes… you name it, and they shared it.
And that’s what they were doing today.
Paige
steadied her hand, as she emptied the rest of the rum into the cup. Shelby kept
watch, while going on about her favorite topic - boys. And at the moment, that
boy happened to be Paige’s older brother.
“I’m
just saying, pretend for a minute Brad’s not your brother,” Shelby went on.
“We’re
not having this conversation, Shelbs,” Paige replied, trying not to spill the
rum.
“But
he’s cute.”
“He’s
my brother,” Paige grumbled back, capping the cup. “No hitting on him.” She
took a deep swig through the straw, shuddering at the taste.
“That
good?” Shelby smiled.
Paige
nodded, passing her the cup.
“So
who do you think is cute?” Shelby asked, ready to get the conversation back on
track.
“Nobody.”
“Oh,
come on,” nagged Shelby. “If you had to pick someone.”
“Okay,
fine. Liam Hemsworth.”
“Someone
you could actually meet,” Shelby clarified.
“Then
we’re back to nobody,” Paige grinned, taking back the cup.
“Seriously?”
“Yup.”
“You,
Paige O’Connor, are going to make such a pretty little spinster,” Shelby
teased.
“I’m
sixteen, Shelbs,” Paige laughed. “I don’t think they let you become a spinster
till you’re at least like sixty.”
Shelby
just shook her head. “Better start practicing those knitting skills, girl.”
Paige
had to laugh. She loved Shelby to death, but man that girl could get annoying
at times.
“Okay,
new topic,” Paige jumped in. “What would you rather have during a zombie
apocalypse? A gun, or a cross bow?” The topic of zombie apocalypse planning was
always a favorite with the two girls.
Several
rows down, a group of five girls glanced back at Paige and Shelby. Paige caught
them staring. The girls turned back to each other, giggling in that way where
they want you to know they’re giggling.
“Hands
down, a gun,” Shelby replied, ignoring the girls.
“So
you want every zombie in the area to hear you?”
“I
wanna make sure they’re dead. Plus, it doesn’t take forever to reload,” Shelby
responded.
“But
a cross bow just looks so bad ass,” Paige countered, catching the group of
girls staring again. This was getting old.
“You
just wanna look like Jennifer Lawrence,” Shelby continued.
“I
wanna look like Norman Reedus,” Paige grinned back.
Then
that group of mean girls was at it again. Glancing back, then turning to each
other in annoying giggles. Paige had had it.
“You
got a problem?” Paige hollered at them.
Cindy
Willis was the tallest of the girls. Captain of the girl’s volleyball team, and
at least seven inches taller than Paige, she shot Paige a glare. “Yeah. You,
O’Connor,” Cindy snorted.
“Screw
you!” Paige shot back.
“What
was that?” Cindy was on her feet, stalking up the steps towards Paige and
Shelby. Cindy’s minions followed behind.
Paige
rose to her feet, followed by Shelby. Both stood their ground. “You heard me,”
Paige responded.
“Yeah,”
said Cindy, “I heard you trying to be tough in front of your girlfriend here.”
“Fuck
off,” Paige snorted.
Cindy
shoved Paige in the chest, knocking her back on the row behind her. Paige
hopped to her feet, and lunged at the tall volleyball player, tackling her onto
the bench, and pummeling her. Cindy squirmed and struggled beneath the blows,
but Paige was just too quick.
“Break
it up!” came a shout from the field. It was an all too familiar voice for
Paige. She backed off of Cindy, and looked towards the field. The school’s
principal was storming their way. Several of the girls grumbled beneath their
breaths.
“What
the hell’s going on?” demanded the principal as he reached the girls.
“This
freak attacked me for no reason!” Said Cindy, wiping a trickle of blood from
beneath her nose.
“She
did not! You pushed her first,” Shelby jumped in.
“Is
that alcohol on your breath?” asked the principal. Shelby and Paige both closed
their mouths, looking more than a bit suspicious.
“Check
their cup,” said Cindy’s minion, Stacy.
“You
five, get back to your seats,” said the principal, turning to Cindy and her
friends. “I’ll see you all on Monday.” The mean girls grumbled beneath their
breaths, but knew better than to argue. They stomped back to their seats. The
principal turned back to Paige and Shelby.
“What
the hell’s your problem, O’Connor,” he asked, more out of disappointment than
anger.
Paige
just shrugged. “Nothing.”
But
he wasn’t going to let it rest. “No, I’m serious,” he continued. “How is it
that your brother’s an honor student, class president, and actually has a
future. And here you are, this… mess?”
“Maybe
I just don’t feel like sucking up to people,” she replied.
“Or
maybe you’re too scared to even try. Afraid you might not cut it.” He knew he
was hitting a nerve with this one, but he also knew he had to go there.
“Go
to hell!” she shot back.
“You’re
coming with me. Both of you,” he demanded, motioning to Shelby as well.
“I’m
not going anywhere,” Paige replied, folding her arms across her chest.
“Oh,
yes you are,” he insisted. “We’re calling your parents.”
“They’re
not home.”
“Then
I’ll call their cells.”
That’s
when a loud groan filled the air. Like an enormous metal object bending under
stress. The principal and girls barely had time to look around, when suddenly
the ground shook with a violent jolt. The principal stumbled, trying to
maintain his balance. Down on the soccer field everyone had stopped, waiting to
see if more jolts would follow.
“What
was that?” asked Shelby, a startled look on her face.
“Look!”
Paige shouted, pointing to a transformer mounted to a nearby telephone pole.
Sparks showered from the side of it down onto the dirt track circling the
field.
Then
a static charge filled the air, causing their skin to tingle. The girls brushed
their hands down their arms.
Suddenly
something large and black dropped to the bleachers beside them. The girls
leaped back with a startled yelp. A dead raven lay there, its feathers sizzling
with smoke.
“Look
out!” the principal shouted, seconds before another bird crashed down. This one
also sizzled with smoke. Then came another, and another. They were raining down
on the bleachers and field.
Then
came a loud crack! The transformer broke off the telephone pole, and crashed
down onto the dirt track in a shower of sparks.
“Keith!
Get everyone in the locker room!” shouted the principal, as he hurried down the
bleachers towards the sidelines.
Paige
turned to Shelby. “Let’s go!” she said, hopping to her feet. The girls raced
down the bleachers, and over to their bikes parked along the track.
