LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING Tops B&N Exploration List of Best Zombie Releases 2012

After SIEGE made an appearance on the B&N Explorations Best Apocalyptic Releases of 2012, I had high hopes that it would also make the Best Zombie Fiction Releases of 2012 list.  THE FIRST DAYS had landed on both lists for 2011, so my fingers were crossed for the final book in the AS THE WORLD DIES trilogy.

To my joy, SIEGE made the Best Zombie Fiction Releases coming in at #6.  After all the agony I went through trimming it down to make it a tight, exciting, terrifying read, it was wonderful to see it on the list among such great writers in the genre such as Z.A. Recht, Jessica Meigs, Mira Grant, etc... All the hard work that went into the novel and the brain damage I joked I suffered in the aftermath was well worth it to see it receive such great kudos.


But what absolutely floored me was that THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING sat at the top of the list at #1.

Paul Allen had this to say about the novel, "It’s vividly realized science fiction, visceral zombie fiction, visionary apocalyptic fiction, but, above all else, it’s a heartrending and – shockingly – hopeful romance. You will never read a novel quite like The Last Bastion of the Living. This was easily my favorite zombie read of 2012 – and one of my all-time favorite zombie reads."

That's very high praise for a book that had a long and difficult road to publication. Conceived in a dream, I instantly fell in love with the lead character, Maria. I tried to make the idea into a short story, but the tale grew larger, so I aimed for a novella. It was even accepted by a small press to be included in a novella anthology when I pitched it to the publisher. Yet, the story kept growing. At last I realized it was going to be a full-length novel and the small press offered to publish it, but my instincts told me to hold onto it.

I had hoped to find it a home at Tor, but the premise was deemed too similar to another novel already coming out from the publishing house (FYI this is actually one of the reasons a really good manuscript might be passed over by an editor). I considered submitting it to Permuted Press, but decided to keep it when I realized I needed a solid list of self-published novels bringing in a monthly income so I could maintain my full-time writing status.

THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING has gone on to be my biggest indie seller since its initial release in June 2012.  It's my biggest paperback seller, sold thousands of ebook copies and nearly 1,000 audiobooks since  the audio version came out in September 2012.  It's also my best reviewed novel and has been optioned for a possible film. Out of all my indie books, it is the one book I get the most requests for a sequel, though there won't be one since it's a standalone.

To see THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING sitting at #1 on this list means the world to me. I'm very blessed to have the AS THE WORLD DIES trilogy published by Tor, but to have my self-pub work rise to the top is another blessing. It's proof that in this brave new world of publishing that anything is possible.

Special thanks to the crew behind the publication of THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING

Felicia Sullivan - Editor

Claudia McKinney of Phat Puppy Art - Cover Artist

Ashley of BB Designs - Typography

Kody Boye - Interior Design/formatting

Giselle Cormier - Beta Reader
Military Advisor - Tim Kirk