Seffy Carter and her longtime friends Gareth, Addison and Lani share a past dysfunctional and dark enough to keep them bound together under do-over identities. But rends develop in their relationships from the flesh-eating pressures of ending up in 1980, in a Montana desert, surrounded by
zombies wearing dated disco duds.
It's been said that a sure sign of the coming apocalypse is an 80s roller skate disco movie coming to DVD (with special features). In the science-fiction novel series Apocalypse Babes, a stylish group of twenty-something friends are torn from the Babylonian arms of 2006 West Hollywood and flung nearly thirty years into the past. It might be because one of them purchased the taboo film in a nostalgic moment, setting off a chain of events more disturbing than a roller skating conga line. They wake up in an apocalyptic but strangely familiar landscape, complete with a hidden mountain compound and retro survivalists, hinting at hidden and retro secrets they must face if they want to survive.
Excerpt
Everything was the same as the day before. Occasional trees and bushes under a weird sky, low bluffs, rubble, the car...and now the icky guy lurching in their direction. Seffy couldn't bring herself to use the Z word. “And here I was hoping this was all just a dream—”
“THIS IS NOT A DREAM!” Addison's tear-stained face flushed red as she glared at her.
Gareth tried to put his arm around her, but she avoided his touch. He turned to Seffy. “Why do you keep talking about this not being real?”
She lowered her voice. “Addison always thinks I'm in denial, but seriously, all this could not happen in real life. I...I must be having a drunken dream, right?”
“Seffy, what is the last 'real' thing you remember?”
She concentrated sifting the normal memories from the unreal ones. “Being at the tanning salon with Verity.”
“I was at the electronics store, the other girls were doing their thing. And we all experienced the blast. We're all here together.”
Seffy clasped her hands together. “It still doesn't prove anything.”
“You say this is a drunken dream,” he said. “Were you drinking at the tanning salon?”
“No, I haven't imbibed since that party in the Valley last month. Puked my guts out afterwards and you had to help me clean up, which explains my reticence for a repeat.” She blinked. And I reminded him of that humiliating night why?
“Exactly.”
Seffy pressed her lips together, more confused than ever.
Gareth put his hands on her shoulders. “So for now, I need you present. Even if this turns out to be something else, pretend it isn't. Act like this is real.” He frowned. “You don't want to be zombie nosh in a dream anyway, right?”
“Zombies aren't real.” When he started to speak, she put up her hand, “But for your sake, I'll be 'present'.”
“For our sakes.”
Seffy wondered how the admission changed anything. “Fine.”
“Ohhh,” Addy said, her moan an eerie counterpoint to the sound coming up the hill. “How can this be happening? I cannot deal with this!”
Gareth looked down the hill, then ran his hands through his hair. “We've got to find some shelter.”
“Except shelter seems to be where they like to hide,” Lani pointed out, her pretty face pale with fear.
Seffy noticed the man stumbling as he attempted to climb the hill. “Can't we outrun him? I mean, he's so slow.”
“They're slow,” he said, “but they're also like the Energizer Bunny, if you know what I mean.”
“I love that bunny,” Lani said with a wobbly smile. “How cute is it for a rabbit to wear flip flops?”
Seffy emitted a nervous laugh. “Remember when we used to say thongs instead of flip flops?”
“A lot of things changed when we moved to L.A,” Gareth said, his tone distracted.
Addison gasped. “I think there's another one! Look over there!”
They watched a woman with a see-saw gait emerge from behind a tree and head toward the hill.
Seffy shaded her eyes with her hand and squinted. “I can't believe she's wearing fringed moccasin boots.”
Addison's eyes widened. “Are you seriously commenting on her outfit? We're trying not to be murdered here!”
“Sorry. I just happened to notice, okay?”
“The guy was wearing one of those silky landscape print shirts,” Gareth said, his expression grim. “We're gonna need weapons.”
5-star Review on Amazon: "A terrific read about a very disturbing subject!! The book is exciting and interesting and chilling and alarming! A literary ride that is well worth the time and money."
----
Aggressive AI invades young boy. Can he sav
