Guest Post & Giveaway: The Dysus Dreamer by JA Garland

A few brave souls and I recently participated in a Run For Your Lives--Zombie race in Seattle, WA. Our mission, to traverse a challenging obstacle course through hundreds of walking and running dead while protecting three red flags hanging from a belt around our waists. The zombie's mission was to grab our flags before we crossed the finish line, thus making us one of them.

While there were many lessons learned during this event, they can be grouped into three main after action report (AAR) items.

1. Preparation

Conditioning: Make sure you are physically prepared. Our race was held on a BMX racecourse. Hazard flagging was strung along the outside perimeters of the trail, with zombies lurking right up to that line. Running off course in a cross-country trek isn't an option; you must run the gauntlet with the rest of the stampede. For those of you who haven't seen a BMX course, picture hills so steep you have to use your hands to scramble up them. Then imagine that every five feet or so are horizontal lines of zombies waiting for you--and they aren't trying to get up the hill. Some of these zombies are runners, and some are walkers, but their common motivation is an insatiable desire for your flags. You better believe you're going to be sucking air trying to get up and around them.

Weather: Pull a NOAA weather statement for the date/time of your race. Being from out of the area, I should have done this. If I did, I would have pushed the group for an earlier start time. I didn't. I also stopped looking at the car thermometer when it hit 100 degrees. Who cares after that point? It was Africa hot, and as dreaded, I'd soon lean that I didn't pre-hydrate nearly enough.

Battle Dress: Test out your running attire before combat. My chosen ensemble was a pair of long, flared cuff running pants. Crawling on your hands and knees through 20 yard mud trenches meant I emerged with mud coated pants that were several times heavier. They also flapped around my ankles and threatened to trip me up with each evac and evasion maneuver.

2. Teamwork

I'd like to say everyone made it out alive, but in reality, our group had a 50% survival rate. Looking around, we were fortunate, other groups weren't nearly so lucky. I'd like to think that had something to do with our, 'take one for the team,' mentality. When two of us died, (yes, during mile two I succumbed to my injuries) we became the sacrificial lambs for the rest of the team. Coming up on a horde of zombies in the path, we would preplan a left or right hand run pattern with our teammates. Then we'd head in first so the zombies would give us chase, and our uninfected teammates could run an opposite pattern with less heat. It wasn't perfect, but it gave the survivors a fighting chance.

3. Go for the Gold

Aggression of action. I add this in, because thinking back, there was an individual who had strategy worth mentioning. He came at the zombies like they came at him. As if in a game of pigeon, he'd head straight for zombies, crazy in his eyes. Probably fearing an NFL type collision, the zombies would peel off at the last moment, and this guy would run through unscathed. Now, I'm not saying this tactic would work for everyone, I'm 5'4", so my psycho isn't going to be nearly as impressive as his 6', brick house attack.

The Dysus Dreamer
(The Halfling Chronicles, bk #2)
By J.A. Garland

Blurb: 
"A powerful half-demon is kidnapped, bloodthirsty werewolves are on the rise, and a planet is dying. A demon warrior and dark elf joining forces are the least of their worries."

Demon warrior, Slade Aesus, is determined to destroy the werewolves controlling his cousin. But a beautiful elf, consumed by her own vengeance, finds the wolves first. Botching her assassination attempt, Annwyn has the most powerful Packs in the world biting at her heels. Both fiercely independent, can the two join forces long enough to fulfill their missions and stay alive?

Release Date: July, 2013

About the Author

Writing urban fantasy under the pen-name J.A. Garland, Jennifer is a professional firefighter in the state of California. Jennifer is married and has two children, both of whom are as different as night and day. A graduate of Cogswell Polytechnical with a degree in Fire Administration, Jennifer always knew she wanted to be an author. (Except for a brief two month period after watching the movie "Top Gun," when she wanted to be a fighter pilot).  

Jennifer admits she is an addicted trail runner, mostly because she is a devout consumer of all things cheese puff. If she misses you at the next mud run, you can come back here to see what's new in the world "where fantasy becomes reality."

Website

  

Swag bag includes: Signed copy of Instinct, Lula's Chocolates, Wicked Coffee, 2 coffee mugs, monogrammed tote bag, magnets, pen, jelly belly's...and more!

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