Thank you for joining us for my stop of the virtual book tour of Ray Gorham and his book, 77 Days In September! This tour is hosted by VBTCafe. Please enjoy a review of the book, followed by an interview of the author!
Happy Reading!
77 Days In September by Ray GorhamOn a Friday afternoon before Labor Day, Americans are getting ready for the holiday weekend, completely unaware of a long-planned terrorist plot about to be launched against the country. Kyle Tait is settling in for his return flight home when a single nuclear bomb is detonated 300 miles above the heart of America. The blast, an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP), destroys every electrical device in the country, and results in the crippling of the power grid, the shutting down of modern communications, and bringing to a halt most forms of transportation.
Kyle narrowly escapes when his airplane crashes on take-off, only to find himself stranded 2,000 miles from home in a country that has been forced, from a technological standpoint, back to the 19th Century. Confused, hurt, scared, and alone, Kyle must make his way across a hostile continent to a family he’s not even sure has survived the effects of the attack. As Kyle forges his way home, his frightened family faces their own struggles for survival in a community trying to halt its own slow spiral into chaos and anarchy.
Based on scientist’s predictions of what would happen if a single nuclear bomb is detonated over Kansas, 77 Days in September follows Kyle and his wife, Jennifer, as they are stretched past their breaking point, but find in their devotion to each other the strength to persevere.
My Review
When I first read this blurb, I thought I'd really enjoy the book. I had no idea how much! This book is easily one of my favorite of all time, which is a bit odd considering my favorite genre is the paranormal romance type.
77 Days is about a very realistic, in my opinion, scenario of a terrorist attack on the United States. We follow Kyle on his journey, walking from Texas to Montana, in order to get back to his wife and 3 kids. He encounters quite a few people that are violent and out for only their own survival, which I'm sure is how things would actually be, but he also meets some helpful people along the way as well. The POV switches between Kyle and his wife, Jennifer. This way we get to live the struggle she and their children, as well as the small town in which they live, are going through while Kyle is trying to make it home to them. This book gave me hope that there would actually be those out there willing to help others in a huge crisis such as this! It was very refreshing, as well, to see the instances of real faith that were displayed by some of the characters. I also loved reading a story about true love and faithfulness, without it being sappy and unrealistic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to everyone!
I give this book 5 stars!
You can buy this great book here.
77 Days is about a very realistic, in my opinion, scenario of a terrorist attack on the United States. We follow Kyle on his journey, walking from Texas to Montana, in order to get back to his wife and 3 kids. He encounters quite a few people that are violent and out for only their own survival, which I'm sure is how things would actually be, but he also meets some helpful people along the way as well. The POV switches between Kyle and his wife, Jennifer. This way we get to live the struggle she and their children, as well as the small town in which they live, are going through while Kyle is trying to make it home to them. This book gave me hope that there would actually be those out there willing to help others in a huge crisis such as this! It was very refreshing, as well, to see the instances of real faith that were displayed by some of the characters. I also loved reading a story about true love and faithfulness, without it being sappy and unrealistic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to everyone!
I give this book 5 stars!
You can buy this great book here.
Now, Please enjoy the interview with the author, Ray Gorham.
1) Tell us about 77 Days In September.
77 Days is really a book about people. It is a story about a man separated from his family due to an extreme terrorist event, and his efforts to re-unite with them, while they struggle to survive. It’s
classified as a thriller, but it really is a story about love, dedication, and survival.
2) What inspired this particular story?
I was frustrated will all the stories about people who aren’t faithful, who find excuses to not be their best selves. I realize it is more exciting to have the affairs and the conflicts, but I wanted to create
characters who do the right thing, even when the circumstances get extremely difficult.
3) When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
There was never an event where that happened. I’d wanted to write a book for some time, but didn't have a story that I thought would be interesting. Once I decided what kind of characters I wanted to
write about, the story kind of came together.
4) Did you contact many publishing houses before deciding to publish the book yourself?
I queried dozens of agents and a few publishers, but only got one agent who read the manuscript. She was quite positive about it, but wanted some changes done to it that I didn’t want to make. As a first time author with no writing background it was probably unreasonable to expect anyone to take interest in me.
5) Any tips for us aspiring writers about getting published?
Don’t get hung up on the publishers and agents and such. Digital publishing is an amazing opportunity, and authors make significantly more than they do with a publisher. The tradeoff is the loss of the marketing offered by publishers. One of the other things I’ve noticed is that editing is something that is really important. My wife is good with that and really polished my work for me. Had that not been the case, I’m sure I wouldn’t have had any success to speak of.
6) So, what’s next for Ray Gorham?
I have more ideas for stories I’d like tell, but no time to sit down and write them. I’m self-employed with a large family, and business is very busy, so little time for writing. I’m hoping to have another book out by the end of the year, but that is not a sure thing at this point. I’ll have to see how things go in the next few months.
1) Tell us about 77 Days In September.
77 Days is really a book about people. It is a story about a man separated from his family due to an extreme terrorist event, and his efforts to re-unite with them, while they struggle to survive. It’s
classified as a thriller, but it really is a story about love, dedication, and survival.
2) What inspired this particular story?
I was frustrated will all the stories about people who aren’t faithful, who find excuses to not be their best selves. I realize it is more exciting to have the affairs and the conflicts, but I wanted to create
characters who do the right thing, even when the circumstances get extremely difficult.
3) When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
There was never an event where that happened. I’d wanted to write a book for some time, but didn't have a story that I thought would be interesting. Once I decided what kind of characters I wanted to
write about, the story kind of came together.
4) Did you contact many publishing houses before deciding to publish the book yourself?
I queried dozens of agents and a few publishers, but only got one agent who read the manuscript. She was quite positive about it, but wanted some changes done to it that I didn’t want to make. As a first time author with no writing background it was probably unreasonable to expect anyone to take interest in me.
5) Any tips for us aspiring writers about getting published?
Don’t get hung up on the publishers and agents and such. Digital publishing is an amazing opportunity, and authors make significantly more than they do with a publisher. The tradeoff is the loss of the marketing offered by publishers. One of the other things I’ve noticed is that editing is something that is really important. My wife is good with that and really polished my work for me. Had that not been the case, I’m sure I wouldn’t have had any success to speak of.
6) So, what’s next for Ray Gorham?
I have more ideas for stories I’d like tell, but no time to sit down and write them. I’m self-employed with a large family, and business is very busy, so little time for writing. I’m hoping to have another book out by the end of the year, but that is not a sure thing at this point. I’ll have to see how things go in the next few months.
7) Tell us where to find you.
I’m on facebook, or, if a person really wants to, they can email me at raygorham1@gmail.com.
I’m on facebook, or, if a person really wants to, they can email me at raygorham1@gmail.com.
Thanks to Mr. Ray Gorham for taking time to tell us a bit about himself and his work!
*I have to say a few things to this interview.. first, to question #2, I completely agree! I think you made an excellent choice with your characters, and while you showed the ugly side of humanity, you also gave me hope that there will be those few who will help others.
To question #4, those publishers should be kicking themselves right now, I know if I were a publisher, I would've snatched it right up, esp after reading it!
*I have to say a few things to this interview.. first, to question #2, I completely agree! I think you made an excellent choice with your characters, and while you showed the ugly side of humanity, you also gave me hope that there will be those few who will help others.
To question #4, those publishers should be kicking themselves right now, I know if I were a publisher, I would've snatched it right up, esp after reading it!
