VBT – Apocalypse Wow by Ben Mariner

Apocalypse Wow
by Ben Mariner

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GENRE: Science Fiction/Humor

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BLURB:

Jack Winters is in a bit of a pickle. Things started out just fine. He had a decent job and a few friends. Then he met the woman of his dreams. They go out on a date and things go really well. That’s when things go south. The morning after turns out to be a week later and the world went ahead and ended itself while Jack was far away in dreamland. Now he’s awake in a post-apocalyptic world with no family, no job, and worst of all, no girlfriend. Along with his friends and some other random tag-alongs, Jack will journey cross country to find the woman of his dreams against zombies, heavy metal horsemen, pirates, and a power so immense and evil it will put his very soul to the test.

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BOOK EXCERPT

7:51 a.m.

My alarm went off at the same time it always did. It prattled out its god awful incessant whine like it’s prone to doing as if I actually cared about its existence. I reached a hand out from under the blanket and slapped the snooze button with a little more gusto than I probably should have. Maybe it’s just me, but putting a little extra mustard on that snooze button in the morning gives me a feeling of satisfaction, like it’ll think twice about bothering me again if I just smack it hard enough.

I rolled over and went back to sleep.

8:00 a.m.

The alarm blared back into life. Who decided nine minutes was the standard amount of time for the snooze feature on an alarm clock? Was there some kind of study done at some point that found that people only needed nine minutes of extra sleep at a time? Personally I would think fifteen or twenty minutes would be more appropriate. Again, maybe it’s just me. I pushed the blanket back and lurched onto my feet. The room was spinning ever so slightly. That had to do a little with standing up too fast, and a lot to do with being hung over. I clicked the snooze button on the alarm with the big toe on my right foot. Everything in my room was on the floor. I didn’t own a traditional bed. It was just a futon mattress lying on the floor, so everything had to be at ground level so I could easily reach it. I was trying to adopt a Japanese style of living.

All right, fine. I just couldn’t afford real furniture. Are you happy now that you got me to admit that?

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Ben Mariner is the author of Apocalypse Wow as well as The Many Lives of Zane Montgomery, which definitely sold some copies to some people. He currently lives in Denver with his wife and animals. He enjoys mozzarella sticks, dunk tanks at carnivals, and solving crime with his psychic powers and best friend/sidekick.

Amazon listing:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1507635222?keywords=apocalypse%20wow&qid=1449351236&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/A_Writer_Guy

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBenMariner

Blog:
http://www.awriterguy.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1319987.Ben_Mariner

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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

Ben Mariner will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.

Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2016/01/vbt-apocalypse-wow-by-ben-mariner.html 

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Interview With….

Ben, thanks for being here today. Tell us about you.
I prefer Oingo to Boingo. I love puzzles both crossword and jigsaw. I was raised on Seinfeld and Friends. I strongly believe in the use of proper punctuation and not shortening words for no reason. If I could be any animal in the world, I would choose a kangaroo.

If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
I would probably say Adam Brody. He just seems like a pretty chill guy that would be super fun to just grab a drink with and debate the everyday minutiae with. Plus, Seth Cohen from The OC is one of my favorite characters of all time.

What’s the story behind your latest book?
That story is over a decade long and kind of hard to sum up quickly. The idea has been bouncing around my head since high school and I kept coming back to it, trying to write it down, but it never really took hold. I never really got past the first chapter until a few years ago. Once I broke that barrier, it was easy to finally bring this book to fruition.

What is your writing process? 
I’ve got to start every writing session off with Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen. With Apocalypse Wow I tried to listen to as much 90’s music as possible to help me get in the 90’s frame of mind.

Tell us about your main character:
Jack Winters is just kind of a loser. He works in a record store with his friends and lives in a crumby apartment. He has an almost unhealthy fixation on 90’s pop culture and a deep rooted love for retro video games. He’s just kind of drifting along, going with the flow and using sarcasm as a way of dealing with the everyday doldrums.

If your book was to be turned into a movie, who would play the lead role and why.
Unfortunately, since Johnathan Brandis is no longer with us (RIP), I’d want to see Alex Solowitz as Jack. He was absolutely hilarious as Mickey Parke in the 2gether movie back in the early turn of the millennium and I’d like to see him in more of a leading role.

What are you working on next?
Next up is Apocalypse Wow 2: Apocalypse Wower. It’s set a year after the events of the first book. Jack is missing and everyone in the world seems to be out to find him.

What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their book?
Keep plugging away. Times will come when you think no one cares or wants to read it. We all have to go through those things. Just keep pushing your work out there and know that there will always be people who want to read it.

What is your favorite book on your shelf right now?
I just finished reading The Call By Eli Freysson. It’s a fantastic YA fantasy book that just really captivated me. It was dark and gritty. Really good stuff. I highly recommend that to anyone looking for a good adventure.

Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I don’t know if it’s a talent necessarily, but I’m a bottomless pit of useless information, especially when it comes to pop culture. I remember things most people never even noticed in the first place. That information, however, almost never comes in handy.

You are given the choice of one super power. What super power would you have and why?
Such a touch question. There’s so many amazing powers. I think I’d go with healing power like Wolverine’s. Mostly because I hate being sick or injured. It’s annoying. So eliminating that would be pretty sweet.

List 5 things on your bucket list:

1. Get Mickey Mouse to throw the first punch
2. Wrestle a space troll
3. Literally eat my weight in pizza rolls
4. Be an extra in a movie who garners as much attention as the guy double fisting margaritas in Jurassic World
5. Start an internet company that sells nothing but secondhand Zubaz pants

Any final thoughts?

I just hope everyone who decides to read Apocalypse Wow enjoys it and wants to recommend it to a friend. It’s just out there to entertain, and I hope it does that.