Tag Archives: BLOG

Bewitching Book Tours

aftermath851x315I have a book virtual book tour hosted by Bewitching Book Tours. Check it out, enjoy and let me know what you think.

Joe Reyes

June 13 Top Ten Guest Blog

Fang-tastic Books

www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com

Top Ten Post-Apocalyptic movies, books and tv shows

June 14 Spotlight

The Recipe Fairy

http://recipe-fairy.weebly.com/

June 15 Interview

Roxanne’s Realm

www.roxannerhoads.com

June 16 Guest Blog

Hart’s Romance Pulse

www.HartsRomancePulse.com

Topic: write about how our fear of the end of the world helps create a deeply emotional post-apocalyptic story?

June 17 Spotlight

CBY Book Club

http://cbybookclub.blogspot.com/

June 20 Interview

Deal Sharing Aunt

www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com

June 21 Spotlight

3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, and Sissy, Too!

http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com

June 22 Interview

The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom

www.creativelygreen.blogspot.com

June 23 Interview

Literary Dust

www.literarydust.wordpress.com

June 24 Spotlight

T’s Stuff

http://teresanoel.blogspot.com/

June 27 Spotlight

Lisa’s World of Books

www.lisasworldobooks.net

June 28 Review

Aussie Bookworms

http://aussiebookworms.wordpress.com

June 30 Spotlight

Fuonlyknew

http://fuonlyknew.com/

July 1 Spotlight

Zenny’s Awesome Book Reviews

https://zennysawesomebookreviews.wordpress.com

July 4 Spotlight

Booklover Sue

http://bookloversue.blogspot.com

July 5 Spotlight

Mello and June, It’s a Book Thang!

http://mellojune.blogspot.com

July 6 Spotlight

Ramblings of a book nerd

www.booknerdramblings.com

July 7 Spotlight

JeanzBookReadNReview

http://jeanzbookreadnreview.blogspot.co.uk/

July 8 Recipe and Review

Cabin Goddess

http://cabingoddess.com/

July 8 Spotlight

Ogitchida Kwe’s Book Blog

http://ogitchidabookblog.blogspot.com

July 11 Guest blog and review

Books and Kats

http://katticusbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

July 11 Guest blog and review

The Novel Girls

www.thenovelgirls.com 

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One Of My Biggest Regrets

I don’t like to use the word “regret”, but I feel like it is appropriate for this story. In the mall there is a Japanese restaurant in the food court that has the best orange chicken and noodles I’ve ever had. This place has ruined me from having the same dish anywhere else because I know it won’t be as good.

I’ve been going there for about 4 years now. I had a job at a JC Penney in the same mall and used to eat there on my breaks every Sunday. Then my next job was at an Ashely Furniture right across the street from the mall, so my breaks consisted of the same meal.

I became such a regular that whenever I walked by, the Chinese workers at the counter would start preparing my dish. He would even give me more chicken and not charge me for it. If it was quiet, we would exchange some small talk and pleasantries.

Then one day it all ended. I took my girlfriend to the mall SPECIFICALLY to try out that special combination that pleasured my taste buds to no end. As we approached the food court I felt a great disturbance. There he was, that Philippian was being hauled away by a pair of men dressed in black overcoats. As he struggled to get free, our eyes locked. He screamed out “Joe Reyes!” and I reached out my hand and screamed “That Asian guy!” and that was the last I saw of him.

Actually, the story really was this; I took my girlfriend to the mall and the Japanese place was bought out by another company and under new management. But the Vietnamese man wasn’t there anymore. I assumed he owned the place and when he sold it he didn’t work there anymore.

That was the end of it. Simple, yet it was sad to me. 4 years of knowing someone, exchanging light conversation, yet I never knew his name. I don’t know why, but I really regret it. Maybe because the food there now is so horrific. Seriously, how do you screw up noodles? They were just plain noodles. And the chicken, don’t get me started on that. Okay I’ll tell you. It used to be big chunks full of life and Asian pride, now they are crispy and small. Almost like they were shrunken by being so overcooked.

So that’s my story. Doesn’t really sound like too big a deal, but I felt selfish after the place closed. The guy saw me as a regular, gave me extra food, asked me about my day, yet I didn’t even think to ask his name.

Joe Reyes

 

 

6 Days Left Update

Felt like a kid at Christmas when I opened up my copies of my novel Aftermath. Probably next week I will schedule a book signing at the library and my old college Brookdale. In the meantime I’m just updating all my social media. The 20th is when Wasteland Press promotes the book.

I think I’m in a good position. Every author I talked to said I’m ahead of the game, but in my mind I don’t think so. Nerves and stress I guess. The 20th is approaching fast and I don’t really know what will happen. I’m not a book guy. “But aren’t you a writer?” Yea, but I don’t find much interest in reading. So I don’t know where readers get the scoop on the next latest book. But I trust Wasteland Press.

Oh also in June I have a virtual book tour with Bewitching Books. So from what I read it’s a lot of getting me out on others blogs and promoting my book and doing interviews. It’s very exciting, but stressful. I haven’t woken up past 5:45 in days. I have a list of everything I need to do, but sometimes I can’t do it all in a day.

It’ll get better I know, but right now my toilet is getting a lot of action from my stress induced crapping. On that note, I would like to thank all of you for your support.

You can check it out at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aftermath-joe-reyes/1123764110?ean=9781681111124&st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Core+Shopping+Books_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP325&k_clickid=3×325

http://www.amazon.com/Aftermath-Joe-Reyes/dp/1681111128/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1463223901&sr=8-2&keywords=aftermath+joe+reyes

Joe Reyes

Eating People

Have you ever looked at a guy in a non-sexual way and said, “I really want a piece of him in my mouth?” In the world of Aftermath, that’s not strange statement. Most of us aren’t seasoned forest rangers who can go into the woods with a butter knife and build a shopping mall. To survive you must rely on what you know. Meat = Food plain and simple.

Most people are going to have to live off the land to survive. That can actually be a death sentence in itself. There was a jingle to remember what berries in the woods were poisonous. “Green and sweet and good to eat” or was it “Red and sweet and good to eat” either way you can’t leave your survival up to a coin toss.

You use the same principles in cooking a steak that you would use when cooking a person. Overcooked is better than undercooked to guarantee you won’t get sick from raw meat. The creative part is how to do the actual cooking. Rotisserie style, skillet, barbeque grates, the goal is to have the cooking apparatus has to be raised up over the fire and not sitting directly on it. This is so you’re able to add more wood to keep the fire going.

It’s kill or be killed out there. You have to focus on your survival no matter what the cost. Eating a person doesn’t make you evil, it just makes you more in tune with how the world is run now. You must always remember that you must do whatever you have to if it ensures your survival, even eat someone.

Joe Reyes

 

One Of My Biggest Regrets

I don’t like to use the word “regret”, but I feel like it is appropriate for this story. In the mall there is a Japanese restaurant in the food court that has the best orange chicken and noodles I’ve ever had. This place has ruined me from having the same dish anywhere else because I know it won’t be as good.

I’ve been going there for about 4 years now. I had a job at a JC Penney in the same mall and used to eat there on my breaks every Sunday. Then my next job was at an Ashely Furniture right across the street from the mall, so my breaks consisted of the same meal.

I became such a regular that whenever I walked by, the Chinese workers at the counter would start preparing my dish. He would even give me more chicken and not charge me for it. If it was quiet, we would exchange some small talk and pleasantries.

Then one day it all ended. I took my girlfriend to the mall SPECIFICALLY to try out that special combination that pleasured my taste buds to no end. As we approached the food court I felt a great disturbance. There he was, that Philippian was being hauled away by a pair of men dressed in black overcoats. As he struggled to get free, our eyes locked. He screamed out “Joe Reyes!” and I reached out my hand and screamed “That Asian guy!” and that was the last I saw of him.

Actually, the story really was this; I took my girlfriend to the mall and the Japanese place was bought out by another company and under new management. But the Vietnamese man wasn’t there anymore. I assumed he owned the place and when he sold it he didn’t work there anymore.

That was the end of it. Simple, yet it was sad to me. 4 years of knowing someone, exchanging light conversation, yet I never knew his name. I don’t know why, but I really regret it. Maybe because the food there now is so horrific. Seriously, how do you screw up noodles? They were just plain noodles. And the chicken, don’t get me started on that. Okay I’ll tell you. It used to be big chunks full of life and Asian pride, now they are crispy and small. Almost like they were shrunken by being so overcooked.

So that’s my story. Doesn’t really sound like too big a deal, but I felt selfish after the place closed. The guy saw me as a regular, gave me extra food, asked me about my day, yet I didn’t even think to ask his name.

Joe Reyes

 

 

Free Giveaway!

I am working on a free giveaway short story that will dive into the past of one of the major players in Aftermath. This story will be given to those who subscribe to my email listing so sign up now and receive this free addition.

The subscription will also grant you access to future writings, release dates and chances for free giveaways! Thank you all for your support!

http://eepurl.com/bjCh5r

Joe Reyes

Ian Character Info

This whole story started with the creation of Ian, which, was supposed to be a single character story about his journey in this world. Ian is the prototypical “good guy” character. He is that brave, kind, and innocent character that could lead this story. As more and more characters came into the story, Ian became the absolute toughest character to plan for. Which again, sounds odd because he is the one who started this whole journey. Ian isn’t a thug, he doesn’t have any commitments to other characters, he isn’t a soldier, he is just a regular guy. Ian lives in a remade town called Riverfield. It’s a quiet and peaceful community in the middle of the woods. He has a crush on a young woman Carmen, who he has never been able to converse with. They exchange playful glances and have a few words, but are always interrupted by something. Every morning, Ian and a few others go hunting for the town. When they go out, the town gets attacked and the people of the town are taken. Ian makes his fellow hunters pursue the attackers and leads them on a long, every-changing journey. His pursuit for Carmen and the others in his town takes Ian through a gauntlet of several factions and characters. Joe Reyes

Signup to be the first to know whenever I release a new book, host contests, online parties and events. Signup now and you’ll receive a free gift.

http://eepurl.com/bjCh5r

Character Bios

Hey everyone! Wanted to give you all some insight into the main characters in Aftermath. I made a post for each of the 7 characters and will be putting them up one by one when I get the chance. I didn’t want to give away too much, just give you guys a little insight into who they are, what their motivations are and the process I went through creating them.

Thanks again for reading!

Joe Reyes

Signup to be the first to know whenever I release a new book, host contests, online parties and events. Signup now and you’ll receive a free gift.

http://eepurl.com/bjCh5r

 

 

My Bio

I was never one for clichés, so I don’t want to start this off with “as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a writer”. I was never a big reader because I found a lot of novels boring. Unless a book was mandatory for school, or became a TV show or movie, then I had very little reason to pick them up. Even the big authors, like Stephen King and John Grisham, I’ve never found interesting.

I lose interest quickly in a book. No, I don’t need constant action to keep me flipping pages, but I must be entertained. Long drawn out descriptions and dialogue kill my engrossment. I don’t need a room described to me down to the dust clumps under the couch.

I get plot ideas easily. Almost to a fault because I can’t work on all my ideas at once. The challenge is sitting down and committing to seeing one story through, rather than having a ton of half-finished ideas.

My style of writing is the kind that catches my attention. I feel my stories are very fast paced. It reads like you’re watching a TV show, especially if it’s a story with multiple characters. I describe the setting and characters, but I don’t like to take a long time doing it.

When I create a character, I put myself in their shoes. I picture as that character in the same situation with all the backstory, and write what I would do if I were them. Even when I have the characters do terrible things. I think what I would do in the same situation with that mindset.

Honestly, I don’t really enjoy writing stories about violence and killing, but I do it because I feel I come up with creative plotlines. I think I’m better at darker storylines than happy ones. I once had to write a rape scene and it took me two days to begin writing because I tried to find a way around it, but it was the only scene that made sense.

The characters aren’t just words on a page, they are extensions of me. They are real to me, and I am in control of their failures and successes. Sometimes it’s nice to see some have happy endings. However the problem is I like to take a real life approach to my stories, and not everyone gets that storybook ending.

I want to be able to do more with my writing than just sit at a desk all day and type. Yes, it would be ideal to have more money than I know what to do with, but I would like to do more than just that. I would like to start charities and give back to people; give a large portion of a books profits to disease research. I would also like to start writing communities and give unknown writers the chance to showcase their work.

But I can’t look that far in the future now. I know right now I must focus on my own dreams before I can help others fulfill theirs or give back to the community. I do hope you enjoy what I write and hope I can produce more pieces that catch your interest.

Joe Reyes

You can also follow my blog and sign up for our mailing list. Signup to be the first to know whenever I release a new book, host contests, online parties and events. Signup now and you’ll receive a free gift.

http://eepurl.com/bjCh5r

 

Aftermath Teaser

Aftermath is a growing series about war, love, brutality and most of all, survival. What was once the United States has become a savage post-apocalyptic environment where the worst of the worst prosper and the remaining good hide.

The series features a brutal setting, where 7 characters in different parts of the United States must adapt to this new environment. The “fight or flight” mentality plays into the story, as the nation is divided into factions fighting for control of the country. The government is outnumbered, outgunned, and forced into hiding as well to recoup their forces.

The novel follows a fast paced momentum from the first page to the last word. The plot pits these characters against the elements and each other, with plot-lines intertwining on opposite sides of the war effort. And one character’s quest for revenge can jeopardize not only the war outcome, but the reshaping of the entire nation.

With an ever-changing storyline and evolving characters, the Aftermath series gets more intense with every chapter. But what these characters don’t realize, the terrifying evil making its way across the ocean.