Welcome author Vannetta Chapman to the blog today, friends. She's going to share some quotes from her new release, Raging Storm. See the book description below and find out more about Vannetta at the bottom of the post.
Raging Storm
by Vannetta Chapman
In the Darkness,
Anarchy Awakens
When a massive solar flare wiped out all modern technology across the globe, the small town of Abney, Texas, was thrown into chaos. Shelby Sparks and her teenage son, Carter, have found refuge, but Shelby knows she can't simply remain hidden forever. Carter is a type 1 diabetic in need of insulin—and Shelby will risk her life traveling to Austin to make sure he gets it.
Shelby's best friend and high school sweetheart, Max Berkman, won't even consider letting her make the perilous journey alone. Together, they manage to get to the capital—only to discover that while things are desperate in Abney, Austin has turned into an urban nightmare on the brink of anarchy.
Shelby and Max's search for medical supplies will lead them into terrifying territory, where the only thing more uncertain than finding what they need is the hope of making it out of the city alive.
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In this second book in an eerily plausible, action-packed dystopian series, survival will be threatened and faith will be put to the ultimate test as a raging storm engulfs America.
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Thank you so much for having me on your blog. I’m thrilled to talk to you today about my newest release, Raging Storm. This is the 2nd book in my Remnant series. It’s a story about a world where most technology has been destroyed by a massive solar flare, and how a small group of friends from Abney Texas learn to survive.
I’d like to share with you a couple of quotes from the story.
They found a room that had been set up with tables and chairs. Several lanterns sat darkened on the middle of the tables. Shelby glanced at her watch—it was only ten o’clock, but the room was empty. Everyone was in bed. Funny how their sleeping patterns had reverted back to a farmer’s lifestyle. They were up at sunrise and asleep by the time it was good and dark. No more late nights scouring the Internet, watching television, or reading one more chapter. She was reminded again that life had changed, and they had changed with it. Surviving took every ounce of energy they had.There’s so much in this excerpt that I like. People’s lives have fallen into a natural rhythm again. I imagine much of our problems with insomnia would be gone, because we’d be physically exhausted from a day of labor. Plus we wouldn’t have the technological noise that has become a constant background to our lives. I enjoy many of these things as much as anyone--social media, digital music, an endless supply of movies at my fingertips--but I do wonder if perhaps these things have come at a great price. At the end of this excerpt, Shelby realizes that life has changed. That they are stronger than they’ve ever been.
He leaned in toward her, his hand tracing the outline of her jaw, his lips finding hers. Softly, gently, he kissed her.This short romantic scene between Max and Shelby makes me laugh. I can see it in my mind. Shelby has held her emotions at bay for a long, long time. She loves Max, but she’s afraid to admit that--afraid of being hurt, afraid of being abandoned, afraid. Her emotions somersault between joy and fear. Max sees it, and Shelby finally acknowledges it, and that’s a turning point for her. Because she begins to understand that fearful is not what we’re called to be. As Christians, our trust is in the Lord, and so we can afford to be bold in our faith and in our relationships.
She pulled away first, laughing nervously. “That didn’t settle me down.”
So he reached for her hand and pulled it between his. “Your hands are always so cold.”
“Low blood pressure.”
“Even as the world is ending.”
“Even then.”
“You were so happy just a few hours ago. What happened?”
“Fear crept in.”
She saved Max for last. When she moved to slap his hand, he pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear. “Carter’s going to be fine, and he’s lucky to have you for his mother.”
She touched his cheek once and started to answer. Changing her mind, she kissed him on the other cheek and whispered “thank you” before pulling away.
Something inside of Max blossomed, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Certainly not since the flare, and maybe even before that. Maybe it was something he’d smothered well before the sun changed their world.
For the first time in many years, Max experienced hope. That they would get the supplies of medication back to the people who needed them and that Carter would be fine. He caught a glimpse of a future with Shelby, one that was more than friendship. He allowed himself to dream about the next day and the next one after that with Shelby in his arms, by his side, completing his life. And in that moment the thought crossed his mind that just possibly the life they were building could be better than the one they’d left behind.
And there is another theme of the book, that sometimes the things we fear, the things we would never wish for, give us joy that we couldn’t imagine. No one in this story would have wished for a solar flare, to lose all modern conveniences, to be thrown back into the lifestyle of their grandparents. But once these things happen, they find joy. They find hope in the future that God has planned. “The life they were building could be better than the one they’d left behind.” I think this is a truth for each of us, because God’s grace is always sufficient.
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Connect with Vannetta:
http://vannettachapman.com
https://twitter.com/VannettaChapman
https://www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks
https://www.instagram.com/vannettachapman/
Purchase: Raging Storm
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