# The Last Days of Jericho - A Supernatural Thriller - Free at Amazon Xmas Day!



## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

I'd like to thank everyone here who supported my previous release, De Bello Lemures, or the Roman War Against the Zombies of Armorica









Today I'm announcing that my new release, The Last Days of Jericho







has gone live in the Kindle Store!

_A monster is approaching the Bronze Age city of Yarich.

It cannot be stopped. It cannot be turned aside.

And the monster is&#8230;God Himself.

The Canaanite city of Yarich is home to a society that is literate, cosmopolitan - and doomed. Sakal, caravan-master to the Melek or king of the city-state, recounts the tale of the increasingly desperate battle for survival waged by an urban culture against fanatical outsiders - nomads from the desert wielding a terrible supernatural power. Half_ Deuteronomy, _half_ Gojira, _Brookside's story examines the horror that arises from the knowledge of inexorable fate, and explores the moral ambiguity at the heart of the Old Testament tales that help make up the foundation of western civilization._

You can view the trailer for this book here: http://tinyurl.com/34y3q52

You can download a .PDF format extended preview here: http://tinyurl.com/263hd56

Thanks!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Congratulations on your new book!

I know you've seen this before, but we do like to remind everyone of the rules in each new book thread.

We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Be sure to read the fine print below. Don't forget to bookmark this thread (using your browser's bookmark/favorite function) so you can update it. Although self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar, most of our authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KindleBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles!

Thanks for being part of KindleBoards! Feel free to PM us if you have any questions.

Betsy & Ann
Book Bazaar Moderators

_The fine print:
Please add to your existing book thread when you have news about your book rather than start a new one, it helps the members who are trying to follow you. You may have a separate thread for each of your books. We recommend you bookmark your post so that you can find it in the future.  You may respond to all posts, but if there have been no member posts, we ask that you wait a week before "bumping" the thread by posting back-to-back posts of your own. And we ask that Amazon reviews not be repeated here as they are easy to find at your book link. Also, full reviews from other sites should not be posted here, but you may post a short blurb and a link to the full review instead. All this, and more, is included in our Forum Decorum. From time to time our site rules may change; be sure to check Forum Decorum (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html) for the current guidelines and rules. _


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

So now it's been a week since this new title has been released, and naturally I'm woefully disappointed with my sales so far.

It is really difficult to get used to the indie paradigm where sales start really slow and build over time.  I suppose I expected that for my first book, but not as much for my second.

It just goes against everything you think you know about marketing.

If anyone downloaded the sample and has any feedback, I would greatly appreciate it.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

I wanted to let everyone know that I have lowered the price of this title to 99 cents for a limited time!

Thanks!


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

The Smashwords sample for this title has been set at 50%.

Readers who want a more extensive preview than what Amazon provides should visit that site.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

The Last Days of Jericho has received its first review at Amazon.

It's very gracious, actually.



> This is Thomas Brookside's follow up to his incredibly creative and well executed "De Bello Lemures or The Roman War Against the Zombies of Armorica". Let's make one thing clear. Thomas Brookside may be self-published, but his writing is as crisp and descriptive as any big house publisher. Both stories take place in a very particular historical setting, and Brookside nails the narrator's tone and leaves readers with an extremely genuine exposition.
> 
> "Last Days of Jericho" tells the story of the fall of Jericho. Brookside's fictional account represents Joshua's god as a supernatural near-monster-like entity that destroys everything in its path.
> 
> ...


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

My 2nd reviewer for this title gave it 5 stars. They wrote:



> I missed the footnotes, but this was still really good.
> 
> In this author's first book, he pretended to be a scholar who had translated an ancient document that told a story about zombies in Ancient Rome, and he included lots of footnotes to the text. I thought he would do the same thing here, and make it a kind of Dead Sea Scrolls thing. When I saw that he hadn't, and this was a straight-up historical fiction novel, I was a little disappointed at first - but then the story was so good that I got over it.
> 
> ...


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## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

Your books sound very interesting! Cool concepts. I will definitely check this one out.

Joel


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks Joel!

I hope you enjoy it!

Naturally any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

This one has received another 5 star Amazon review:



> The author excels in this genre-- his first book, De Bello Lemures, is also horror written in the popular "zombie" genre, and set in a historically accurate classical period.
> 
> This book is different. The Last Days of Jericho is full of action from the very beginning-- it's very fast-paced. Some of the scenes are gory, so be prepared. The battles are great. The author takes great care to make sure the setting is historically accurate. It was a very good read.
> 
> ...


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Thomas,

just a gentle reminder that we ask that Amazon reviews not be reposted here on KindleBoards as they are easy enough to find on your book page...  Congrats on the great review, though!

Betsy
Book Bazaar Moderator


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

Sure thing Betsy


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

I'm trying out a new cover for this edition. I wanted something more in line with the brand identity of my first book.










I'd like to once again thank everyone who helped me critique my different cover choices.

Now I just have to figure out how to work the "cover image in sig line" magic again.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

Today is the last day of the August 99 cent promotion for this title!

If you're interested, you might want to grab it at this price!

The Smashwords coupon to bring the price down to 99 cents over there also expires today (WJ59Y), for those of you who like to patronize that outlet.

Thanks!


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

The sticker price on this one is now $2.99 at Amazon, but there is a Smashwords coupon out there that brings the price down to $1.99.  It's only good through 09/11/10 though.

Coupon Code RL68H


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

For a limited time, this title is now FREE at Smashwords!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18168


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

I just wanted to let everyone know that this is the last week of the free Smashwords promotion for this title:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18168


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks to everyone who took advantage of the free promotion!

Any feedback you might have would be greatly appreciated.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

To anyone who has tried to access the Nook version of this book: B&N took down the Smashwords version for some reason, but it will be back up as a PubIt! title shortly.

I know this is a Kindle users' board, but I wanted to post this just in case.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

I don't think I ever posted the Amazon UK link for this title.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

A UK reviewer writes:



> The author has done a magnificent job of turning a biblical story into the story of characters we care about and giving the Ancient city of Yarich a living, breathing population and a place into which to live. It is utterly absorbing and, as the story builds to a climax, you feel the utter helplessness of people against a power they have never seen before. Highly recommended.


Nice to have a UK review at last!


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I hope that, unlike me, you are able to spend your holiday reading something other than _Arthur's Thanksgiving_ over and over.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

Another Amazon reviewer writes:



> "Jericho" is a whiplash-paced gem. At just 162 dead-tree pages, a thorough review could embarrass a lesser book, but sophomore author Thomas Brookside's pricing delivers at about a third of the cost per-page of the legacy authors. Buy, borrow, or download this book. You will not be better entertained in the necessary timeframe, or for a better price.


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## velicion (Sep 22, 2010)

hi Thomas.
Your kindle book has been available for nearly six months now. how have the sales been? Did it start slow and gain momentum?


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

This title eventually rose up from its initial very low levels.

It still isn't selling extraordinarily well, but it's not a complete failure either.

I'm a little disappointed. I consider it a superior book to my first title in virtually every way, but my first title still outsells it 3 or 4 to 1. But I guess the audience, and not the author, ultimately gets to decide which book is "better".

The people who have read it have given me positive feedback, and the reviews have been good, but sales have never really taken off. It may be that many potential readers are put off by the subject matter. I thought that this book would have broader appeal than my first one ["the Bible" would seem at first glance to be more of a mainstream-interest area than "Ancient Rome and Zombies"] but that has not proven to be the case.


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## velicion (Sep 22, 2010)

Zombies do appear to be the 'in thing' at the moment Thomas. As for biblical horror, there is an indie author who has an e-book out on Amazon dealing with Jesus and vampires and according to the author's blog, it does appear to be selling quite well.

If you haven't heard of it, it's called 33AD.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

velicion said:


> Zombies do appear to be the 'in thing' at the moment Thomas. As for biblical horror, there is an indie author who has an e-book out on Amazon dealing with Jesus and vampires and according to the author's blog, it does appear to be selling quite well.
> 
> If you haven't heard of it, it's called 33AD.


Yeah, McAfee is kicking butt and taking names with that release. So it can definitely be done; just not by this book, apparently. At least, not beyond a certain modest level. Sales are sales, though, and I appreciate them _all_.


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## velicion (Sep 22, 2010)

If it's any comfort Thomas, your kindle book is about 100,000 places above Shades of Green on the Amazon chart!


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

velicion said:


> If it's any comfort Thomas, your kindle book is about 100,000 places above Shades of Green on the Amazon chart!


Not any more!

I think I have figured out what is happening this month for this title. Barnes and Noble still has it listed there for free, because Smashwords has never sent over the opt-request I filed back in the middle of November. Can a Nookbook be re-imported into Kindle? I guess I wouldn't buy it if I could find it for free, either.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

Another Amazon review writes:



> "Jericho" is a whiplash-paced gem. At just 162 dead-tree pages, a thorough review could embarrass a lesser book, but sophomore author Thomas Brookside's pricing delivers at about a third of the cost per-page of the legacy authors. Buy, borrow, or download this book. You will not be better entertained in the necessary timeframe, or for a better price.
> 
> Overall, the svelte story is its own biggest enemy. Brookside's likable characters cry out for subplots -- most notably smirky Bensakal, ethereal Nahara, and the condescending Egyptian contingent -- and more than one passage hints at a whole world of intrigue (political, romantic, and otherwise) just beyond the narrator's perception. As deft as Brookside is at realistic dialogue and characters that act like human beings, I would have enjoyed seeing more of those stories play out. "Jericho" positively shines, however, as a supernatural historical thriller. Despite the frenetic pace, Brookside manages to draw the reader fully into a dense setting steeped in recognizable Biblical history, with a brilliantly enjoyable twist of perspective.


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

I just got it from amazon, seems like something I would like.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks, mcostas!

I hope you enjoy it!


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

OMG!!!! I just finished it, it was so awesome!!!!

It kind of reminded me of pillars of the earth, in the writing style. It started out slow, or maybe I am just impatient, and I had to reread the beginning a short way through cause I wasn't paying enough attention. 

But then around the middle!!! I can't say anything cause I don't want to spoil it for others!! I even liked the way it ended! I actually felt like the main character! It made me think about what life might be like in ancient times. 


I can't understand why it isn't more popular, old testament stories make great subjects for modern novels. I wouldn't even call it science fiction, ancient writings have a lot of "magic" in them, just look at beowulf, or any of them. It had a jason and the argonaugts flavor to it. I can imagine a movie about the battle of jericho being modeled after that book!




eta: I just realized, I need to chose another book to read and I'm not sure what's going to satisfy me after that one. The bar has been raised.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

mcostas said:


> OMG!!!! I just finished it, it was so awesome!!!!
> 
> It kind of reminded me of pillars of the earth, in the writing style. It started out slow, or maybe I am just impatient, and I had to reread the beginning a short way through cause I wasn't paying enough attention.
> 
> ...


Thank you very much, mcostas!

I saw that you left an Amazon review, as well - thanks for that, it really helps when readers leave reviews.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

If you're playing with your new Kindle today, you could try this one out.

I finally got to see what it looked like on my own BRAND NEW K3 and was very gratified at how nice it looked.


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

I just finished the zombie war in rome one, it was awesome as well!!!

Now I am getting spoiled and can't decide what to read next.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks, mcostas!

If you like the historical / horror approach, you might check out McAfee's _33 AD_.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

bump


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

Welp I read 33ad and liked it as well! I really have gotten to like these kinds of novels. And now I have 4 new history texts on my kindle, I never thought I would be pleasure reading history, I didn't know what I was missing!


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

It's funny how sometimes you can get drawn into a different genre and get on a roll.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

Trying out a new cover:


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

I think I like the other last days covers the best. 

And I found a new historical novel, "vestal virgin"  It's differant than the two brookside ones, and the title doesn't sound too good but the writing is excellent and it appears to have been well researched. I'm not finished with it yet.




I've gotten into this kind of genera so much modern novels aren't doing it for me anymore.      I am almost halfway through what is probably not a bad book but I keep rereading. . . .  I have finally just put it down for now. 

I have a hard time switching mindsets.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

I believe that _Vestal Virgin_ is the work of a Kindleboards author as well.

I haven't had a chance to read it yet and really should. I overdosed on free nonfiction content when I got my K3 for Christmas and I'm still digging out.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

I have moved this title back to 99 cents at Amazon and at Barnes and Noble.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

The 99 cent sale continues!

Thank you to everyone who has added this book to their TBR pile during the sale.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

I'm sorry, the 99 cent promotion for this title has now ended.

Thank you to everyone who has purchased this title to date!


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

If you missed the free copy at Smashwords.....
and you missed the 99cent offer at Amazon.....
Shame on you.
Pay the $4.99 current price and read the book.
I did not realize that I had not commented on this book here.
Read it a couple of months ago, at least.
I thought it would either be "dry" middle east history or overthetop new-age stuff.
but it is well-thought out and especially interesting in that this story is exactly what one might imagine a citizen of Jericho thinking about those events.

And very well written.

Just sayin.....


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

Wow, thanks Geoff!

I'm glad you enjoyed it.


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

I'm putting this one on sale for 99 cents in July!


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

This title is now free at Smashwords!

Thanks!


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I have to come back and recommend that you run - don't walk - to smashwords and get this book for free.
It is worthwhile at full price, at reduced price and a must-read at this price.
Seriously read the description and pick it up - don't put it into your To Be Read stack, read it.

Just sayin.....


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

This title is now free at Amazon today, 12/25/11!

Thanks everyone!


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