by Lauryn Crum
I have had the pleasure of knowing young Reedley author and blogger Summer Lane for a couple of years now. She not only runs a very successful book review blog and has written an e-book on social networking, she is also the author of a best selling post-apocalyptic romantic adventure series called the Collapse Series. This week we are reviewing the first two books in this series, talking to Summer about the books, and you can enter to win an e-book copy of the first book in the series, State of Emergency-details at the end of this post.
Collapse Series By Summer Lane
Review by Lauryn Crum
School is starting and what better way to prepare than by reading about the end of the world, as you know it? The “Collapse” series by Summer Lane will have you rooting, crying, gasping, laughing and needing to know what happens next. Although I know you won’t pick it up just because I’ve told you to, here are some reasons to read the series!
1. It’s an Indie book, so you will be among the first to read it before it becomes famous.
2. An EMP (electromagnetic Pulse) hits America, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
3. Cassidy Hart (the main character) is incredibly witty and just like you.
4. Adventure romance and a bit of snark.
5. You won’t be able to put these books down–it wasn’t just me who read them in one sitting!
This post has taken me a good several weeks to write, not only because I don’t want to disappoint Summer, but also because I don’t want to disappoint the books. You know when you’ve just finished a really good book, you are talking to your friend about it and they haven’t read it yet but really want to? You know, when you are trying not to give away everything big that happens, yet really want to talk about it? Now, picture doing that, right in front of the author. It’s even worse, because she wants to tell you and yet really doesn’t either. This has been a situation that I’ve been in too many times.
Reading State of Emergency, book 1 in the series, was almost like holding my head under really cold water for a little too long. I couldn’t breathe, but the cold against my chest was trying to force my lungs to take in air. When I finished the book it left me panting and shivering for air. By air, I of course mean another book. I read SOE in two sittings, only because I had to go to the store and I was freaked out, kind of like I had just read a nightmare.
Cassidy is in her town doing her thing, when an EMP hits LA, and by LA I mean the entire US (as far as we know). Cars, phones, computers, lights, clocks–everything stops working and planes literally fall out of the sky! So now Cassidy has to survive, and this first book is the story of how she does that and she meets an excellent cast of characters to help her.
Chris Young (who is excellent, trust me) helps her on the journey to meet up with her father. Obviously, things don’t go as planned, but on a good note she gets to see and discover the back roads and underbellies of California, right? That’s pretty good, as long as you don’t count the whole “getting killed several times” stuff…
State of Chaos is the second book in the series, where Cassidy and Chris have made their way north and then south again, but after finding a warm place it is ripped from them. Their mission is now only to survive, and to find their now (and still!) missing family members. As expected this does not go according to plan. I’m going to give you a small spoiler, but to be fair, this was given to me by the author! Chris and Cassidy get separated. Cassidy winds up in the worst place she could, while Chris formulates a plan to find her. 
This novel has you gripping your heart in fear and terror until the very end, when something HUGE happens, but I won’t tell you about that. You’ll have to find out on your own.
Both State of Emergency and State of Chaos can be found in paperback online at Amazon (SoE – $11.99 SoC – $9.99) also as an EBook on Amazon and Barnes and Noble (all copies are $2.99).
Summer’s website is www.summerlaneauthor.com/ Summer would love to hear what you think!
Behind The Book Interview With Summer Lane:
KRL: When did you first start writing this series?
Summer: I started writing this particular series last year. I wrote it purely for the fun of it, without ever having any intention of really publishing it. But by the time I had finished writing the novel, I was really attached to the story and the characters. I didn’t want to give them up!
KRL: How long did it take you to write each book?
Summer: State of Emergency took me 22 days to write. State of Chaos took around 40 days, I believe, because it required more research than the first installment. It typically takes me 3-4 months to complete a manuscript, but this series has been different. I’ve narrowed the novel creation down to a series of steps, and doing so helps me meet my deadlines and get the stories written quicker.
KRL: How did you come up with the idea?
Summer: I’ve always, always, always wanted to write a story set in a post-apocalyptic environment. Survival stories and movies are so much fun to me. The story for State of Emergency was one of those things that just happened. I was literally minding my own business in my room when the whole story popped into my head like a mini-movie trailer. Just like that. I sat down, started writing it, and that was that. Once I started writing, I had to finish. I simply have to finish everything that I start.
Summer Lane
KRL: How did you come up with the characters?
Summer: Cassidy Hart has been a character in my imagination for a long time. The Collapse Series gave her a chance to shine. For her character, I asked myself what would happen if a naive high school graduate was tossed into the middle of a war zone with zero parental guidance. Cassidy created herself from there. For Chris Young, the male lead, I knew exactly what and who he was: the older guy with the experience to keep Cassidy alive, but young enough to fall in love with her and have a sincere desire to keep her safe. Chris’s character required (and still requires) a lot of research – a twenty-eight year old Navy SEAL has to have a believable skill set and background. I get a lot of help from some very cool people when it comes to tactical information and the like.
KRL: This is a trilogy correct, or is it a series? When do you expect the next book out?
Summer: This is a series, and it could continue well beyond three books. I want to remain true to the integrity of the characters and the story, and when it’s time for the series to end, I’ll end it. But until then…Cassidy will be around! The third installment should be releasing Winter 2013. As for a fourth book, nothing is set in stone at this point.
KRL: Why did you decide to go with e-books? Are they also available in print?
Summer: All of my books are available in print, actually, in addition to e-books. I love e-books because it’s easy to reach an international market – plus it’s fun to download a book on your Kindle and take it with you wherever you go. But I’m also a book junkie and I adore the smell and feel of a paperbound novel, so I wanted to make sure my readers could enjoy Cassidy’s story in print or digital form.
KRL: Anything else you would like to add?
Summer: Thanks for having me today! The Collapse Series has been a national bestselling series since I first released State of Emergency on January 18, 2013. I’m just incredibly blessed and thankful to God for the success of Cassidy Hart’s story. I can’t wait to get book three out there!
Check out a more in depth interview with Summer and a review of her book Snappy Social Networking!
To enter to win an e-book (Kindle or Nook) copy of State of Emergency, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “State,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September, 14 2013. U.S. residents only.
Click on these links to purchase these books & a portion goes to help support KRL!
We have a winner
Lorie Ham, KRL Publisher