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Dead & Alive
Dead & Alive: Outbreak
Live through the first 24 hours of the journey to hell.
- GenresZombies
23 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 18, 2016
1 person is currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
I.J. Smith
21 books13 followersIan John Smith, born May 1981 in Portsmouth England. My childhood was one of hardship, growing up in a poor household. Many of my memories were that of survival, growing up with a father unable to read and who followed a life of crime. To this day he tells me his greatest achievement was making sure I never followed in his footsteps and what joy he got from watching me read a book. Each day there was a struggle to put food on the table. As an only child my life was a lonely one, I filled my life with a love of books. From the brilliance of Roald Dahl to the amazing inspiration of William Shakespeare.
Growing up in a tough family made me a survivor and that meant my passion for writing always came last, working long hours in a Factory from the age of seventeen. That was until fate intervened many years later, diagnosed with a bad heart. There is a long fancy medical name for it, but I decided long ago to never let it stop me. I have to thank that moment in my life, it made me realize we have to follow our dreams. Whatever path they lead. I took a job for less money as a projectionist, this allowed me to have the time to write. It may have been a scribble on a scrappy piece of paper or a story of meaning, it never mattered it was my passion. Never dreaming of publishing my work, I was happy to enjoy the work for myself.
Little did I know fate would intervene again, My mother, Sandra who passed away so suddenly forcing me to make changes to my life. My father Michael terminally ill himself needed someone, being an only child, I made it my responsibility.
I left my second job due to fate, but along the path I realized I wanted to write. Now my work, maybe ridiculed it maybe considered inferior, but that does not matter. What matters is I finally get to live my dream. I am not a writer looking for wealth or fame I am just a man looking to live his dream.
Now I will publish stories I enjoy, from short stories to Novels. I will also be publishing work in a series format. This is my beginning.
Growing up in a tough family made me a survivor and that meant my passion for writing always came last, working long hours in a Factory from the age of seventeen. That was until fate intervened many years later, diagnosed with a bad heart. There is a long fancy medical name for it, but I decided long ago to never let it stop me. I have to thank that moment in my life, it made me realize we have to follow our dreams. Whatever path they lead. I took a job for less money as a projectionist, this allowed me to have the time to write. It may have been a scribble on a scrappy piece of paper or a story of meaning, it never mattered it was my passion. Never dreaming of publishing my work, I was happy to enjoy the work for myself.
Little did I know fate would intervene again, My mother, Sandra who passed away so suddenly forcing me to make changes to my life. My father Michael terminally ill himself needed someone, being an only child, I made it my responsibility.
I left my second job due to fate, but along the path I realized I wanted to write. Now my work, maybe ridiculed it maybe considered inferior, but that does not matter. What matters is I finally get to live my dream. I am not a writer looking for wealth or fame I am just a man looking to live his dream.
Now I will publish stories I enjoy, from short stories to Novels. I will also be publishing work in a series format. This is my beginning.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 28, 2019
I would like to introduced the wonderful word, "she", to this author.
This entire short story was like, "Raven went. Raven stopped. Raven breathed. Raven took out her purse. Raven sat in the car. Raven jumped." Sentences that followed each other. Like this. The entire book.
Raven just annoys me now.
Other things about the writing style annoyed me as well. The book had no flow, and it made me grind my teeth every two seconds. I would've loved to continue this series if the writing wasn't so bad.
Another thing that annoyed me, which might be me just nitpicking, was a sentence that went like this: "her hair was black and she had olive skin, which made her one of those women who don't need makeup". This is not an exact quote, but exactly what does this have to do with a zombie story? I would like to, for once, not be dragged out of my story because I have to roll my eyes at unnecessary and dumb sounding details.
If the book was about a woman whose need for makeup had something to do with her story, then fine. But this is not such a book, and it's not that kind of story! So please spare me.
I understand that I am hard to please, but I can be pleased. These books are just lazy!
This entire short story was like, "Raven went. Raven stopped. Raven breathed. Raven took out her purse. Raven sat in the car. Raven jumped." Sentences that followed each other. Like this. The entire book.
Raven just annoys me now.
Other things about the writing style annoyed me as well. The book had no flow, and it made me grind my teeth every two seconds. I would've loved to continue this series if the writing wasn't so bad.
Another thing that annoyed me, which might be me just nitpicking, was a sentence that went like this: "her hair was black and she had olive skin, which made her one of those women who don't need makeup". This is not an exact quote, but exactly what does this have to do with a zombie story? I would like to, for once, not be dragged out of my story because I have to roll my eyes at unnecessary and dumb sounding details.
If the book was about a woman whose need for makeup had something to do with her story, then fine. But this is not such a book, and it's not that kind of story! So please spare me.
I understand that I am hard to please, but I can be pleased. These books are just lazy!
May 19, 2016
Awesome
Even though this was very short, it was always very good!! Well worth the .99 cents I paid for it. Very well written. Buy the book, then buy the rest of them, you won't regret it.!! Awesome read as usual!!!
Even though this was very short, it was always very good!! Well worth the .99 cents I paid for it. Very well written. Buy the book, then buy the rest of them, you won't regret it.!! Awesome read as usual!!!
August 11, 2018
This is a short story which is part of the Dead & Alive series. I loved it because it tells about the origin of the virus and some of the characters, who we see in the main books.
Can’t wait to sink my teeth (excuse the pun) into the rest of the series!
Can’t wait to sink my teeth (excuse the pun) into the rest of the series!
July 2, 2017
Awesome read! This is another one I could not put down! Looking forward to future publications!
July 24, 2017
Fast-paced story, but there are too many editing discrepancies for more stars.
May 21, 2016
Welcome to the DEAD & ALIVE series ... this is where it all begins! If you don't know I.J. Smith, there's no better way to get to know an author than to settle in and emerge yourself in a great zombie series, right?
May 22, 2016
Scary thought
Think about it this is just day one not even 24 hrs this shows how fast folks could drip and come back (a apocalyptic virus) could spread.
Read this think about it.
A awesome short read
Think about it this is just day one not even 24 hrs this shows how fast folks could drip and come back (a apocalyptic virus) could spread.
Read this think about it.
A awesome short read
June 11, 2016
Great Short story! Fast paced yet descriptive and to the point. It's the beginning of the Outbreak! You can only imagine the fear and chaos when something simple and untested hits the masses. Of course they have an antidote just incase things go awry.....or not.
May 21, 2016
Awesome
This short story is a prequel to his other Dead & Alive books. It is a fast paced edge of your seat read. The author has a unique spin on the origin of zombies. Loved it!!!
This short story is a prequel to his other Dead & Alive books. It is a fast paced edge of your seat read. The author has a unique spin on the origin of zombies. Loved it!!!
July 20, 2016
short and sweet..... or short and bloody... we start off with the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. i look forward to reading the next one
August 20, 2016
This is a short story. I enjoyed this story along with all the other stories in this series. Looking forward to more.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews