S.A Harrison recently self-published his book Michael and the end of the world on Amazon. The book is part military and part post-apocalyptic and was written to raise awareness to the plight of veterans who have PTSD and/or other mental trauma due to their service. Also as a way to create that awareness through the reading of a novel rather than force feeding the recipient. Forty percent of the revenues from book sales will be donated to worthy causes that support veterans with these injuries.
S.A Harrison is a retired enlisted soldier and following retirement worked as a case manager for over 12 years assisting disabled veterans in their recovery and reintegration through the VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program. They are wonderful people and deserve whatever help we can give them.
As a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, and someone who struggles with PTSD and anxiety, I am spotlighting Steve’s book today on my blog. He contacted me earlier this week looking for a platform to help spread the word about his book. After having read synopsis and short excerpt, along with a brief dialog with the author, I thought The Scary Reviews would be a great place to spotlight his book. It is now available for purchase! and the link is provided below the cover art.
SYNOPSIS-
Multiple combat deployments have taken their toll on Mike’s mind and body and he is medically discharged by the army. Devastated, he retreats away from society to fight his mental demons. When catastrophe strikes the world and civilization teeters on the brink of destruction, the sanctuary Mike has constructed will protect him. The problem is that he must travel over 100 miles on foot and alone to get there. Only his training and experience can guide him to safety and possible redemption as he faces unchecked violence and destruction along the way. This is a gritty, realistic and no-holds barred account of the life of a combat soldier intertwined with a ‘What If’ post-apocalyptic tale of global war and the aftermath. It is bloody, frightening and violent and the scenario not only plausible but entirely possible.
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK-
‘One of us kicks in the door and the rest of us rush in. As hastily planned, the staff sergeant and two other men do the more dangerous thing and dash in first to secure the ground floor. The staff sergeant leads from the front. Three of us run, single file, up the stairs to secure the upper floor. One man, the door kicker, remains on guard at the door.
Shots erupt from one of the rooms downstairs. I am the lead man on the staircase and I watch as a hand and part of an arm come around a corner above me and something falls from the hand. It is a grenade. I know that the enemy above takes about a second to prep the grenade by removing the pin and releasing the spoon for the fuze to start its five-second countdown. That means I have four seconds before it goes off. I can’t continue my way up the stairs and I can’t go down the stairs. Two other soldiers are charging up right behind me. I shout “grenade” and then launch myself sideways through the rickety, wooden stair banisters and my body falls down to the tiled floor below. The guy behind me has about two seconds to react and he does. He, in turn, also flies through the air to land with a thump by my side. The third man, in all the excitement and noise, did not hear me yell out my warning and looks up in surprise as the two privates in front of him seemingly disappear. When he sees the grenade he has a half of a second to react and get out of the way. It is not enough time. His body is in the shape of an X as he begins a leap to nowhere just as the grenade explodes directly in front of him. It has just hit a stair tread and bounced up to greet him.
I see everything as I lie on my back trying to get some air into my lungs. Dozens of shards of steel shred the man. Most of his face instantly appears to have been rubbed up against an industrial size cheese grater. His fingers disappear as they are sheared from his hands. Tiny pieces of shrapnel embed themselves into his arms and upper legs. His balls disappear and his dick turns into a chewed up sausage. He is bleeding from what seems to be a thousand cuts and he is emitting a high pitched keening sound. He is blind and his face is a ruin that no one would be able to look at without wanting to puke.
His torso has been protected from damage by his body armor so all of his vital organs are intact. The back of his head and the top part of his face, from the forehead up, have been protected by the Kevlar helmet.
Me and the other guy on the floor are bruised and battered, winded from the hard landing and dazed from the concussion of the exploding grenade. It takes us both a few seconds to regain our bearings amidst the smoke and noise. The man who was behind me recovers first, comes to a kneeling position and fires a full magazine up the stairwell. I am nearly deaf and my ears are ringing in time with the wounded man’s cries. We hear more shots being fired from downstairs rooms. It is chaotic.’
AUTHOR BIO-
40% OF THE AUTHOR’S PROCEEDS FROM THIS BOOK’S SALES WILL BE DONATED PERSONALLY TO ORGANIZATIONS AIDING VETERANS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. THEY ARE NOT ALONE!
If you are reading this little bio then you are probably thinking of buying this book or have already done so. If you have done the latter I thank you but if you are doing the former then I encourage you to buy it as I am very hungry.
S. A. Harrison was born in a relatively civilized council estate in England many years ago. He spent his formative years dodging bricks and not stepping into dog poo. He moved to the USA at the age of 10, where he was raised by wolves in northern Michigan.
Thanks to the virtual collapse of the US auto industry wiping out jobs combined with poor high school grades severely limiting college opportunities, he enlisted in the US Army at the tail end of the Vietnam War (I told you he was old) seeing some action along the way to retiring with all limbs intact in 1999.
Following his unspectacular military career, he worked for the American Red Cross for a couple of years before returning to England – whereupon he worked for almost 14 years as a contracted case manager for the Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation Program, assisting disabled veterans residing in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The finest people he has ever met.
He’s heard a lot of stories and he’s lived a few in his time and many of them are encapsulated as fiction within this first (and probably last, since he is old) novel.
In his younger years, Mr. Harrison had the face of an angel and the body of Adonis. Sadly, this is no longer the case and cameras refuse to cooperate so no photo is available at this time.
The Scary Reviews 