Into
the Mist
Taine
McKenna Adventures Book 1
by
Lee Murray
Genre:
SciFi Action, Thriller
When
NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna and his squad are tasked with escorting a
bunch of civilian contractors into Te Urewera National Park, it seems
a strange job for the army.
Militant
Tūhoe separatists are active in the area, and with its cloying mist
and steep ravines, the forest is a treacherous place in winter.
Yet
nothing has prepared Taine for the true danger that awaits them.
Death incarnate.
They
backtrack toward civilisation, stalked by a prehistoric creature
intent on picking them off one by one. With their weapons
ineffective, the babysitting job has become a race for
survival.
Desperate
to bring his charges out alive, Taine draws on ancient tribal wisdom.
Will it be enough to stop the nightmare? And when the mist clears,
will anyone be left?
Into
the Sounds
Taine
McKenna Adventures Book 2
On
leave, and out of his head with boredom, NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna
joins biologist Jules Asher, on a Conservation Department deer
culling expedition to New Zealand’s southernmost national park,
where soaring peaks give way to valleys gouged from clay and rock,
and icy rivers bleed into watery canyons too deep to fathom. Despite
covering an area the size of the Serengeti, only eighteen people live
in the isolated region, so it’s a surprise when the hunters stumble
on the nation’s Tūrehu tribe, becoming some of only a handful to
ever encounter the elusive ghost people. But a band of mercenaries
saw them first, and, hell-bent on exploiting the tribes’ survivors,
they’re prepared to kill anyone who gets in their way. As a
soldier, McKenna is duty-bound to protect all New Zealanders, but
after centuries of persecution will the Tūrehu allow him to help
them? Besides, there is something else lurking in the sounds, and it
has its own agenda. When the waters clear, will anyone be allowed to
leave?
“Murray
pretty much nails small unit tactics.” ‒ Justin Coates, author of
The Apocalypse Drive
“A
fantastic blend of military fiction, a very real primordial monster,
and powerful mythology.” ‒ Paul Mannering, author of Hard Corps,
Hell’s Teeth, and Eat.
Into
the Ashes
Taine
McKenna Adventures Book 3
No
longer content to rumble in anger, the great mountain warriors of New
Zealand’s central plateau, the Kāhui Tupua, are preparing again
for battle. At least, that’s how the Māori elders tell it. The
nation’s leaders scoff at the danger. That is; until the ground
opens and all hell breaks loose. The armed forces are hastily
deployed; NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna and his section tasked with
evacuating civilians and tourists from Tongariro National Park. It is
too little, too late. With earthquakes coming thick and fast and the
mountains spewing rock and ash, McKenna and his men are cut off.
Their only hope of rescuing the stranded civilians is to find another
route out, but a busload of prison evacuees has other ideas. And,
deep beneath the earth’s crust, other forces are stirring.
“INTO
THE ASHES is a kick-ass thriller with twists you will never see
coming! Lee Murray serves up a nail-biter of a weird-science action
adventure. Brava!” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling
author of DEEP SILENCE and V-WARS
Lee
Murray is a Bram Stoker-nominated writer and editor horror
fiction, and multi-award-winning writer of dark speculative fiction
(Sir Julius Vogel, Australian Shadows). Her works include the Taine
McKenna adventure series, and supernatural crime-noir series The Path
of Ra (co-written with Dan Rabarts). She is the editor of ten dark
fiction anthologies, the latest being Hellhole: An Anthology
of Subterranean Terror (Adrenalin Press). Lee lives with her
family in New Zealand where she conjures up stories from her office
overlooking a cow paddock.
GUEST POST
What are you passionate about these days?
All the usual things: clean water, the
environment, education for all, freedom from slavery, equal pay for
women, eradicating childhood diseases, care of the elderly… it’s
a long list…
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I
used to be a distance runner, with twenty-five marathons and an ultra
under my belt, but an injury put paid to that, and nowadays I like to
catch up on my reading, watch movies with my son, play with my dog,
soak in the spa pool, take weekend walks and trips to the beach, pop
across town to see family, and chat with my daughter on skype. (Note
that housework, cooking, and ironing do not feature on my favourite
things to do when I’m not writing.) My husband and I recently
bought a caravan, and it’s surprised us how much we’ve enjoyed
picking up at the weekend and taking ourselves off to the beach or
the hot pools for some R&R. New Zealand has a lot of great
seaside campsites with great views, access to the beach or bush
trails, and for not much more than the price of a couple of cups of
coffee. A cheap and fun way to grab some down-time.
Describe yourself in 5 words or
less!
Short Kiwi with book fetish.
E-Book,
Paperback or Hardback?
Books
please. However they come. I love books in any format. I’d read
them if they were printed on the back of a cornflakes packet.
Recently, though, I’ve tried to cut down on print books. A couple
of house moves have highlighted the way print books can impede the
packing process. I’m always tempted to interrupt what I’m doing,
put on the kettle, and waste an hour or two reading books I haven’t
opened for a year or two, dipping in and rediscovering beloved
characters. These days, to keep the distraction to a minimum, I tend
to limit my print book purchases to titles written by my colleagues.
Which doesn’t narrow it down at all really.
Which of your novels can you imagine
made into a movie?
I’d love to see the entire Taine
McKenna series made into movies, but all writers say that about their
books don’t they? The thing is, I’m not the only one saying they
would love to see McKenna on the big screen. One New York Times
bestselling author told me he thought they would be the perfect
vehicle for actors like Jason Momoa or Dwayne Johnson. What a lovely
compliment. Aussie thriller writer Greig Beck, bestselling author of
the Arcadian and Primordia series, has made similar comments:
“Lee
Murray is one of New Zealand’s most awarded and top selling
authors, and INTO THE ASHES is Lee’s continuation of the Taine
McKenna adventures. This magnificent story weaves ancient Maori
mythology, brutal action, and cinematic scenes that cry out for movie
treatment.” – Greig Beck, author of the Arcadian series.
Readers of the series agree:
“Blockbuster
quality.”
“A story begging
to be made into a film.”
“A monster movie
in book form.”
“I can totally
see this as a movie. Peter Jackson, never mind what you’re busy
with, drop everything and make Into the Mist.”
“This would make
an interesting movie.”
“Definitely one
for fans of action movies rooted in local (New Zealand landscape and
traditions.”
“Go and write
the movie script!”
“Peter Jackson –
read this one.”
While my Path of Ra series (with Dan
Rabarts) has garnered some film interest (nothing concrete yet), I
haven’t had any bites on the McKenna series, but I have my fingers
crossed. If anyone reading this post has film industry contacts,
please send them my way!
What literary pilgrimages have you
gone on?
I’ve been on lots of literary
pilgrimages. When my children were small, we lived in abroad in
Wisconsin in the United States. Because my daughter (then aged 6) was
a huge reader, we took a weekend trip to visit the Laura Ingalls
Wilder museum in her birthplace in Pepin, and the model cabin in the
Big Woods. I remember buying my daughter the cutest pink bonnet in
Laura Ingalls Wilder style. Of course, Ann Packer’s 2002 bestseller
The Dive from Clausen’s Pier was set in Madison about the
time we were living there, although the pier itself is fictional. I
have stood on the Pont Mirabeau in Paris and watched the Seine flow
past, as Apollinaire did in his famous poem. I have visited England’s
Lake District where Beatrix Potter was inspired by the rolling
landscape, and Baker Street where Conan Doyle set his famous
detective series. New Zealand pilgrimages include visits to the
former homes of writer Janet Frame in Oamaru and of short story
specialist Katherine Mansfield in Tinkori Road, Wellington.
As a writer, what would you choose
as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Apparently,
like Cho Chang, my patronus is a swan—I took a test. The Results:
You may be quiet, but that doesn’t mean you’re antisocial.
Constantly surrounded by a group of friends, you can always count on
them to act as a support system in times of emotional distress. Keep
your head up and enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Do your best not
to dwell on the past: the future is bright. [Fingers crossed]
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