Territory of the Dead Series
Genres: New Adult, Young Adult, Zombie Apocalypse, Post-Apocalyptic Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction Romance
Places to Purchase Rose Wynters' Books:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
All Romance E-books
Scribd
Oyster
Kobo
iTunes/iBooks
Places to Purchase Rose Wynters' Books:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
All Romance E-books
Scribd
Oyster
Kobo
iTunes/iBooks
Book One, Territory of the Dead
The world as I know it is over...
When I went to work that afternoon I never imagined that everyone around me would die. But that's exactly what happened. My small town of Pleasant, LA is now a dead zone, and I'm only one of a few survivors.
The streets are littered with the dead, but they don't remain down for long. We managed to find a few more survivors, including my sexy next door neighbor. It's not enough. But out of the darkness, Kellan comes. And in the glare of his headlights I realize we might just have a chance.
A chance to make it out of the zombie horde.
A chance to live some semblance of a normal life.
A chance to love...
Excerpt:
Prologue
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The constant and repetitive sound of the cash register was putting me in a trance as I continued to scan the items from the pile placed on the moving belt. It was almost closing time at the small grocery store I worked at, but you wouldn’t be able to tell it by the line of customers waiting. At this time of night, you’d think they’d rather be anywhere but here.
You would have thought wrong, though. It was the end of spring, the weather at that small margin of bliss between cool and comfortably warm. The night had just a touch of coolness that blew through the automatic glass doors every time they opened. It was fanciful I know, but I imagined I could scent spring on the very air.
It was a time of romance, at least for everyone else but me. I’d just graduated from high school, and I still wasn’t sure where I was going after that. The economy hit hard in my family, and there was no money for college.
Truth be told, I really didn’t mind. At least, I really didn’t mind about not starting college that fall. I was tired of school. I wanted adventure, fun, and freedom, not necessarily in that order. I was eighteen, ready to spread my wings and fly.
I knew I’d never find that working as a checkout girl, but at least this job gave me some spending money. It was incredibly boring though, and definitely not something I’d want to do for the rest of my life. You see, I have dreams. I want to be rich and famous, I just haven’t figured out how I’m going to get there.
The customer cleared her throat and gave me a pointed stare, pulling me from my musings. The mountain of groceries on the black belt were gone. Even lost in my thoughts, I’d managed to scan and bag them up.
She had her hand extended with a stack of coupons, waiting for me to take them. Just great, I thought, but I still pasted a pleasant smile on my face. The customers behind her glared at the two of us, impatient with the wait. Usually that meant they weren’t very happy by the time they reached me.
Unfortunately, I was the only cashier that night. It’s sad to say, but that isn’t uncommon. Jim, the manager and owner of this small town grocery, wasn’t big on hiring employees. He’s the type of man that expects his workers to do the jobs of two people instead of one. By the end of my shifts, I’m always dead on my feet.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him glaring at me from his “box” as I liked to call it. His pale cheeks were mottled with red, the bald area on his head shining brightly underneath the artificial light. He was thick-set with thick lips that were currently tight with annoyance. It was obvious he blamed me for the line of customers backed up.
His office was a wooden enclosure next to the glass doors, with steps leading up to it. Personally, I thought Jim had some type of God complex, and it made him feel big to lord himself over everyone. You wouldn’t ever catch him at the cash register, doing something as common as scanning the groceries for his own store.
I exhaled deeply as I finished scanning the last coupon. The woman gave me a sharp look of annoyance, as if I had no room for complaint. Really, what did she expect? Was I supposed to grovel and thank her for allowing me the honor of scanning her precious coupons ten minutes before closing time?
Apparently so. “You know, young lady, it wouldn’t hurt you to smile at your customers and thank them when they offer you their coupons. I don’t think I’ve ever had such poor customer service. I don’t have to shop here, especially with this kind of attitude.” She was working herself up into a rage, her expression full of self-righteous indignation.
I didn’t reply, but instead pushed the total button. Some of the customers in line groaned, while others shifted in impatience. They really didn’t want to be further delayed by her rant. She slammed a hundred dollar bill down on the counter. “Where is your manager? I want to speak with him now.”
I pointed towards Jim, as he straightened his shoulders and attempted to look professional. I could only imagine the holier-than-thou attitude he would have as he sympathetically agreed with her. Around here, I could never do anything right, or so it seemed.
I didn’t see anyone else standing around, though, willing to put up with his crap. If I didn’t need the money so badly, I’d walk out the door faster than he could blink. I was tired of the humiliation and tired of being blamed for the lines, just because he was too tight to hire on adequate staff.
I was silent as I quickly made her change. What could any person say? She was mad due to reasons of her own, something that really didn’t concern me. With one last glare, she huffed and moved on in his direction. She never made it, though.
It would have been worth the complaint and subsequent chewing out I would have received, if the events of the night just wouldn’t have happened. I would later look back on it and pray that things had ended differently. You can’t change events that are completely out of your control, though.
Even so, anything would have been preferable to that one moment when you find your reality has just been blown to pieces and would never be the same again. That’s assuming you live to survive it.
She was halfway to Jim, her teased hairdo bouncing, when it happened. A loud, panicked scream tore through the night, originating somewhere from the parking lot in front of the store. Even through the thick glass, we could hear it loudly. It sounded like someone was being murdered. I immediately stopped scanning, turning in an attempt to see what was happening.
A body slammed against the glass, his face and palms pressed to the surface. It was a horrid sight. His pupils were red and crazed, his face extremely pale and dirty. Dark red blood was smeared across his cheeks and chin. The man stood still for a moment, just watching us with his crazy eyes. Something reanimated him. He slid his palms down the clear, clean glass, leaving a trail of bloody streaks.
Buy Phase One: Identify on Amazon
The world as I know it is over...
When I went to work that afternoon I never imagined that everyone around me would die. But that's exactly what happened. My small town of Pleasant, LA is now a dead zone, and I'm only one of a few survivors.
The streets are littered with the dead, but they don't remain down for long. We managed to find a few more survivors, including my sexy next door neighbor. It's not enough. But out of the darkness, Kellan comes. And in the glare of his headlights I realize we might just have a chance.
A chance to make it out of the zombie horde.
A chance to live some semblance of a normal life.
A chance to love...
Excerpt:
Prologue
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The constant and repetitive sound of the cash register was putting me in a trance as I continued to scan the items from the pile placed on the moving belt. It was almost closing time at the small grocery store I worked at, but you wouldn’t be able to tell it by the line of customers waiting. At this time of night, you’d think they’d rather be anywhere but here.
You would have thought wrong, though. It was the end of spring, the weather at that small margin of bliss between cool and comfortably warm. The night had just a touch of coolness that blew through the automatic glass doors every time they opened. It was fanciful I know, but I imagined I could scent spring on the very air.
It was a time of romance, at least for everyone else but me. I’d just graduated from high school, and I still wasn’t sure where I was going after that. The economy hit hard in my family, and there was no money for college.
Truth be told, I really didn’t mind. At least, I really didn’t mind about not starting college that fall. I was tired of school. I wanted adventure, fun, and freedom, not necessarily in that order. I was eighteen, ready to spread my wings and fly.
I knew I’d never find that working as a checkout girl, but at least this job gave me some spending money. It was incredibly boring though, and definitely not something I’d want to do for the rest of my life. You see, I have dreams. I want to be rich and famous, I just haven’t figured out how I’m going to get there.
The customer cleared her throat and gave me a pointed stare, pulling me from my musings. The mountain of groceries on the black belt were gone. Even lost in my thoughts, I’d managed to scan and bag them up.
She had her hand extended with a stack of coupons, waiting for me to take them. Just great, I thought, but I still pasted a pleasant smile on my face. The customers behind her glared at the two of us, impatient with the wait. Usually that meant they weren’t very happy by the time they reached me.
Unfortunately, I was the only cashier that night. It’s sad to say, but that isn’t uncommon. Jim, the manager and owner of this small town grocery, wasn’t big on hiring employees. He’s the type of man that expects his workers to do the jobs of two people instead of one. By the end of my shifts, I’m always dead on my feet.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him glaring at me from his “box” as I liked to call it. His pale cheeks were mottled with red, the bald area on his head shining brightly underneath the artificial light. He was thick-set with thick lips that were currently tight with annoyance. It was obvious he blamed me for the line of customers backed up.
His office was a wooden enclosure next to the glass doors, with steps leading up to it. Personally, I thought Jim had some type of God complex, and it made him feel big to lord himself over everyone. You wouldn’t ever catch him at the cash register, doing something as common as scanning the groceries for his own store.
I exhaled deeply as I finished scanning the last coupon. The woman gave me a sharp look of annoyance, as if I had no room for complaint. Really, what did she expect? Was I supposed to grovel and thank her for allowing me the honor of scanning her precious coupons ten minutes before closing time?
Apparently so. “You know, young lady, it wouldn’t hurt you to smile at your customers and thank them when they offer you their coupons. I don’t think I’ve ever had such poor customer service. I don’t have to shop here, especially with this kind of attitude.” She was working herself up into a rage, her expression full of self-righteous indignation.
I didn’t reply, but instead pushed the total button. Some of the customers in line groaned, while others shifted in impatience. They really didn’t want to be further delayed by her rant. She slammed a hundred dollar bill down on the counter. “Where is your manager? I want to speak with him now.”
I pointed towards Jim, as he straightened his shoulders and attempted to look professional. I could only imagine the holier-than-thou attitude he would have as he sympathetically agreed with her. Around here, I could never do anything right, or so it seemed.
I didn’t see anyone else standing around, though, willing to put up with his crap. If I didn’t need the money so badly, I’d walk out the door faster than he could blink. I was tired of the humiliation and tired of being blamed for the lines, just because he was too tight to hire on adequate staff.
I was silent as I quickly made her change. What could any person say? She was mad due to reasons of her own, something that really didn’t concern me. With one last glare, she huffed and moved on in his direction. She never made it, though.
It would have been worth the complaint and subsequent chewing out I would have received, if the events of the night just wouldn’t have happened. I would later look back on it and pray that things had ended differently. You can’t change events that are completely out of your control, though.
Even so, anything would have been preferable to that one moment when you find your reality has just been blown to pieces and would never be the same again. That’s assuming you live to survive it.
She was halfway to Jim, her teased hairdo bouncing, when it happened. A loud, panicked scream tore through the night, originating somewhere from the parking lot in front of the store. Even through the thick glass, we could hear it loudly. It sounded like someone was being murdered. I immediately stopped scanning, turning in an attempt to see what was happening.
A body slammed against the glass, his face and palms pressed to the surface. It was a horrid sight. His pupils were red and crazed, his face extremely pale and dirty. Dark red blood was smeared across his cheeks and chin. The man stood still for a moment, just watching us with his crazy eyes. Something reanimated him. He slid his palms down the clear, clean glass, leaving a trail of bloody streaks.
Buy Phase One: Identify on Amazon
Book Two, Territory of the Dead
The nightmare is just beginning...
Eighteen-year-old Tabitha Alexander is struggling to adapt to the new world she's living in. The zombies are everywhere, and nothing living is safe from them. They exist for only one purpose. To consume those still left alive.
They find safety in Kellan's home, or so they believe. The secrets are mounting, though, and each day seems to reveal only more questions.
On a mission to seek answers, they find themselves trapped deep within the Louisiana forests. In a deserted shack next to the bayou, Tabitha discovers that the nightmare is just beginning. They haven't seen the worst of the zombies apocalypse. Not by a long shot.
They escape, back to the safety of the compound. But it's only an illusion. Tabitha quickly realizes that zombies aren't the only monsters in the world... And humans have just dropped even further on the food chain.
Excerpt:
“Why do I have to go, though? I'm not exactly search and rescue material.” I turned back around at his impatient look and tried to focus on the scarecrow. He had a giant pile of them lying on the ground next to it. Was there nothing this man was not prepared for?
I jumped when his arms slid around me, the hardness of his body pressed tightly against my back. I had to consciously fight to not lean back into him. Kellan didn't seem to notice, though. He adjusted the rifle, sliding it up my shoulder until it was firmly seated.
His voice tickled my ear, his minty breath washing over the side of my neck as he said, “Focus, Tabitha. There's a survivor inside of you, if you'll just let her free. I would be doing you a major disservice if I didn't give you the tools needed to reveal her. Don't be afraid of your strengths. Use them, develop them, and never rely on others to keep you safe.”
He was right. It was the best thing Kellan could have said to me. I inhaled deeply, struggling to block out everything but the target. It was now or never, I would never be more confident than I was in this moment.
Lining the sight up with the scarecrow's forehead, I gently squeezed the trigger. The recoil kicked me in the shoulder, but I didn't flinch. I was better prepared this time.
The bullet hit the scarecrow, right between its eyes.
“You did it, Tabitha,” Jayden said excitedly, from somewhere back behind us. For a moment, I'd forgotten he was even there. Dumbfounded, I slowly lowered the rifle.
Kellan muttered softly, “You're going to be a magnificent woman, Tabitha.”
His words surprised me. When I turned to look back at him, though, he'd already moved away. I wanted to call him back and demand an explanation, but it would have made me look foolish.
Instead, a silly grin split my lips. I'd done it. I'd hit the target.
Buy Phase Two: Evaluate on Amazon
The nightmare is just beginning...
Eighteen-year-old Tabitha Alexander is struggling to adapt to the new world she's living in. The zombies are everywhere, and nothing living is safe from them. They exist for only one purpose. To consume those still left alive.
They find safety in Kellan's home, or so they believe. The secrets are mounting, though, and each day seems to reveal only more questions.
On a mission to seek answers, they find themselves trapped deep within the Louisiana forests. In a deserted shack next to the bayou, Tabitha discovers that the nightmare is just beginning. They haven't seen the worst of the zombies apocalypse. Not by a long shot.
They escape, back to the safety of the compound. But it's only an illusion. Tabitha quickly realizes that zombies aren't the only monsters in the world... And humans have just dropped even further on the food chain.
Excerpt:
“Why do I have to go, though? I'm not exactly search and rescue material.” I turned back around at his impatient look and tried to focus on the scarecrow. He had a giant pile of them lying on the ground next to it. Was there nothing this man was not prepared for?
I jumped when his arms slid around me, the hardness of his body pressed tightly against my back. I had to consciously fight to not lean back into him. Kellan didn't seem to notice, though. He adjusted the rifle, sliding it up my shoulder until it was firmly seated.
His voice tickled my ear, his minty breath washing over the side of my neck as he said, “Focus, Tabitha. There's a survivor inside of you, if you'll just let her free. I would be doing you a major disservice if I didn't give you the tools needed to reveal her. Don't be afraid of your strengths. Use them, develop them, and never rely on others to keep you safe.”
He was right. It was the best thing Kellan could have said to me. I inhaled deeply, struggling to block out everything but the target. It was now or never, I would never be more confident than I was in this moment.
Lining the sight up with the scarecrow's forehead, I gently squeezed the trigger. The recoil kicked me in the shoulder, but I didn't flinch. I was better prepared this time.
The bullet hit the scarecrow, right between its eyes.
“You did it, Tabitha,” Jayden said excitedly, from somewhere back behind us. For a moment, I'd forgotten he was even there. Dumbfounded, I slowly lowered the rifle.
Kellan muttered softly, “You're going to be a magnificent woman, Tabitha.”
His words surprised me. When I turned to look back at him, though, he'd already moved away. I wanted to call him back and demand an explanation, but it would have made me look foolish.
Instead, a silly grin split my lips. I'd done it. I'd hit the target.
Buy Phase Two: Evaluate on Amazon
Book Three, Territory of the Dead.
Despite the death and decay of the world around them, Tabitha is in love. Jayden is everything she always wanted in a boyfriend. With him, it's easy for her to believe that her every dream has been fulfilled.
But a dream is simply that. The fantasy is quickly destroyed when a shattering secret is revealed. Driven out of the safety and security of Kellan's home, Tabitha finds herself in a life or death situation. The dead can't match the threat that comes from living, and her faith in humanity is shattered when she finds herself in the hands of those meant to protect.
In a world full of vampires and zombies, Tabitha knew to expect more. She just didn't expect it to come from the only man she truly believed could chase the monsters away. It would seem that Kellan was hiding a lot more than she'd imagined... and in the old, abandoned ghost town, as the dead come against the living, Tabitha realizes that Kellan might just be the biggest monster of them all.
Excerpt:
It was dark enough that I couldn't make out their features, but I could see that someone was cutting through the links of the fence. There was a sense of urgency about those that watched him, some of them turning to peer over their shoulders into the brush and foliage that edged the fence. I watched them in horror, a sense of dread washing over me. What kind of horrors had they led to our very doorstep?
He stopped inside of a small grove of trees, exchanging a long look with me before stepping out with his pistol held high. I followed suit, but I was careful to remain behind him. Somewhere out there was Drake, which made me feel safer. Should something go wrong, I doubted he'd have any problems taking them down.
“Who are you?” Kellan demanded, his voice deadly in the silence. “And who the fuck told you that you could mess up my fence?”
When they didn't immediately respond, he shot off a warning shot, high above their heads. “It's customary to respond,” he added, “especially when you're standing in front of a very pissed off man holding a gun.”
“Don't shoot,” a man said, his voice low. “You're going to make them find us, man.”
“Who?” Kellan asked, in an unrelenting voice. “Zombies?”
“No, man,” the guy refuted, shaking his head. All of them wore hooded jackets, making it impossible to see their features. From his voice, though, he sounded young, like someone in his twenties. “I don't know what the fuck they are, but they aren't zombies.”
Buy Phase Three: Devastate on Amazon
Despite the death and decay of the world around them, Tabitha is in love. Jayden is everything she always wanted in a boyfriend. With him, it's easy for her to believe that her every dream has been fulfilled.
But a dream is simply that. The fantasy is quickly destroyed when a shattering secret is revealed. Driven out of the safety and security of Kellan's home, Tabitha finds herself in a life or death situation. The dead can't match the threat that comes from living, and her faith in humanity is shattered when she finds herself in the hands of those meant to protect.
In a world full of vampires and zombies, Tabitha knew to expect more. She just didn't expect it to come from the only man she truly believed could chase the monsters away. It would seem that Kellan was hiding a lot more than she'd imagined... and in the old, abandoned ghost town, as the dead come against the living, Tabitha realizes that Kellan might just be the biggest monster of them all.
Excerpt:
It was dark enough that I couldn't make out their features, but I could see that someone was cutting through the links of the fence. There was a sense of urgency about those that watched him, some of them turning to peer over their shoulders into the brush and foliage that edged the fence. I watched them in horror, a sense of dread washing over me. What kind of horrors had they led to our very doorstep?
He stopped inside of a small grove of trees, exchanging a long look with me before stepping out with his pistol held high. I followed suit, but I was careful to remain behind him. Somewhere out there was Drake, which made me feel safer. Should something go wrong, I doubted he'd have any problems taking them down.
“Who are you?” Kellan demanded, his voice deadly in the silence. “And who the fuck told you that you could mess up my fence?”
When they didn't immediately respond, he shot off a warning shot, high above their heads. “It's customary to respond,” he added, “especially when you're standing in front of a very pissed off man holding a gun.”
“Don't shoot,” a man said, his voice low. “You're going to make them find us, man.”
“Who?” Kellan asked, in an unrelenting voice. “Zombies?”
“No, man,” the guy refuted, shaking his head. All of them wore hooded jackets, making it impossible to see their features. From his voice, though, he sounded young, like someone in his twenties. “I don't know what the fuck they are, but they aren't zombies.”
Buy Phase Three: Devastate on Amazon
Book Four, Territory of the Dead.
My name is Tabitha Alexander... and I'm a survivor.
I survived the zombies.
I survived the brutal attack from the soldiers.
But will I survive what happens next?
Because one thing I've learned is that some secrets are just deadly...
Excerpt:
Chapter 1
I stood on the steps and studied the large wooden door in front of me, my eyes locked on the stained glass so carefully inserted into the center of the wood. Each piece had been meticulously painted to create a breathtaking oceanic scene with an exotic male, one not quite human but not quite other. It was a beautiful work of art, the type that most people admired but soon forgot. I'd seen it a hundred times before, a thousand, perhaps, but I'd never realized the significance of the scene in front of me. Now that I did the stained glass was a mockery.
Kellan was a merman.
I hadn't known it.
I exhaled shakily as I looked past it and into the foyer. It was lit but silent, though the house wasn't anywhere close to being empty. In fact it was more occupied than it had ever been, as least in the time since I'd been there. Before the zombies, before my subsequent move, I had no idea of what Kellan's life had been like. None of us did. And though I'd known he was mysterious, I'd never dreamed his secrets were as big as they were. Maybe some doors really were better left closed. I'd already learned that Kellan wasn't human. I wasn't sure my mind could take anymore revelations from him.
But as soon as I thought it I discarded it. Merman or not, I respected Kellan. I admired him. Those emotions hadn't come easy, but they were honest. Kellan had saved me more times than I could count, but it was more than that. My parents were happy and healthy because of him. They were safe, with comforts that should have been impossible in the apocalyptic world we now lived in. I could have went on and on, but I didn't need convincing. I liked Kellan. I felt loyalty to him, a loyalty that wouldn't diminish because of who or what he was.
When would he return? The thought crossed my mind that it would have been a lot easier to walk through that door had he been with us. Was he hurt? Dead? No. Kellan had slipped away under his own steam. Had there been anything to worry about, Drake would have said something by now. Kellan didn't answer to anyone. He'd return when he wanted to and not a moment before.
As late as it was, it was likely that everyone was in bed. If not, they would be found in the living room or kitchen as they waited to see how the night played out. They had to know I had left, but did they know that Drake and Kellan had launched a rescue mission to retrieve me?
Tears filled my eyes, burning them. I'd come so close to death that I couldn't seem to completely pull away from its clutches. I still felt it on me, all around me, even in me, my body chilled and my mind numb. I was well aware of how the night could have ended, if not for Drake and Kellan. I was sore, beaten, and bleeding, my clothing ripped, my body nearly violated, but I was alive.
It was enough. It had to be enough.
Buy Phase Four: Analyze on Amazon
My name is Tabitha Alexander... and I'm a survivor.
I survived the zombies.
I survived the brutal attack from the soldiers.
But will I survive what happens next?
Because one thing I've learned is that some secrets are just deadly...
Excerpt:
Chapter 1
I stood on the steps and studied the large wooden door in front of me, my eyes locked on the stained glass so carefully inserted into the center of the wood. Each piece had been meticulously painted to create a breathtaking oceanic scene with an exotic male, one not quite human but not quite other. It was a beautiful work of art, the type that most people admired but soon forgot. I'd seen it a hundred times before, a thousand, perhaps, but I'd never realized the significance of the scene in front of me. Now that I did the stained glass was a mockery.
Kellan was a merman.
I hadn't known it.
I exhaled shakily as I looked past it and into the foyer. It was lit but silent, though the house wasn't anywhere close to being empty. In fact it was more occupied than it had ever been, as least in the time since I'd been there. Before the zombies, before my subsequent move, I had no idea of what Kellan's life had been like. None of us did. And though I'd known he was mysterious, I'd never dreamed his secrets were as big as they were. Maybe some doors really were better left closed. I'd already learned that Kellan wasn't human. I wasn't sure my mind could take anymore revelations from him.
But as soon as I thought it I discarded it. Merman or not, I respected Kellan. I admired him. Those emotions hadn't come easy, but they were honest. Kellan had saved me more times than I could count, but it was more than that. My parents were happy and healthy because of him. They were safe, with comforts that should have been impossible in the apocalyptic world we now lived in. I could have went on and on, but I didn't need convincing. I liked Kellan. I felt loyalty to him, a loyalty that wouldn't diminish because of who or what he was.
When would he return? The thought crossed my mind that it would have been a lot easier to walk through that door had he been with us. Was he hurt? Dead? No. Kellan had slipped away under his own steam. Had there been anything to worry about, Drake would have said something by now. Kellan didn't answer to anyone. He'd return when he wanted to and not a moment before.
As late as it was, it was likely that everyone was in bed. If not, they would be found in the living room or kitchen as they waited to see how the night played out. They had to know I had left, but did they know that Drake and Kellan had launched a rescue mission to retrieve me?
Tears filled my eyes, burning them. I'd come so close to death that I couldn't seem to completely pull away from its clutches. I still felt it on me, all around me, even in me, my body chilled and my mind numb. I was well aware of how the night could have ended, if not for Drake and Kellan. I was sore, beaten, and bleeding, my clothing ripped, my body nearly violated, but I was alive.
It was enough. It had to be enough.
Buy Phase Four: Analyze on Amazon