Mad World: Epidemic (Goodreads)

“The Black Plague is ancient history. It killed 100 million people nearly seven centuries ago, halfway around the world from the technologically advanced research center at Stanford University. Scientists there have recently begun examining samples of bone marrow from plague-infected corpses unearthed in Europe. All the necessary safeguards are in place. What could go wrong?

Alyssa and Jake are away with their class on a highly anticipated year-end trip to Broadway with their senior acting class when all hell breaks loose at home. Traveling back, and trying to find their families, they encounter deadly results. Riots are breaking out. People are being evacuated. And they have no idea what's happening to their families.

Horrific ordeals, heart-pounding tragedy, and chance encounters harden them for what lies ahead. Faced with tormenting decisions, they're forced to follow their instinct for survival at any cost - even when the cost is a heart-wrenching decision of life or death.
A harrowing adventure of frightening discoveries, horrifying confrontations and narrow escapes in Epidemic, the first installment of the Mad World series.
Find out what's got everyone so terrified.”

Guest post – Samaire Provost

Hello everyone! My name is Samaire Provost and I am the author of Mad World: EPIDEMIC. I really enjoyed writing this book for a number of reasons. First of all, I wanted to write a plausible modern day adventure centering around what would happen if the real world was submerged in the paranormal. I wanted it to be logical and scientific and it needed to make perfect sense.

Second, I wanted to write about normal teenagers thrust into this paranormal situation, in a world that was slowly becoming more and more difficult to survive in. What would they do? How would they survive? Would the crisis make them stronger or would they fall apart?

Third, I wanted to write about a strong female characters who are heroes. Heroes that are real. Heroes that are imperfect reflections of YOU.

My favorite kinds of books are YA paranormal thrillers, so that’s my favorite kind of story to write. I strive to write the kind of books that make you stay up past midnight to finish. The kind of books where you take it with you to the bathroom because you want to keep reading. The kind of books that make you want to stay in and read all day. Books that are “unputdownable.” Books that scare you, thrill you, and make you feel good inside when your hero conquers the bad guys and triumphs!

Like the character Risa, I have a name that is difficult to tell how to pronounce. My first name is Samaire, and it is old Irish Gaelic for “Rising Sun.” It’s pronounced with an irish brogue: “sah-m’air-ah” and rhymes with Sahara. My last name is Provost, but it is French and the last two letters are silent, so you say “provo” like in Provo, Utah. And if you’re wondering about Risa’s name, it’s pronounced with a long “I” and a hard “s” and rhymes with the name Liza.

Samaire Provost lives in California with her husband and son. Her love of paranormal stories, odd plots, and unique tales as well as the works of Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, Madeleine L’Engle and Stephen King has deeply influenced her writing.