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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Doomsday Preppers


Have you seen the show? It's oddly fascinating, all about survivalists who are building and stocking bunkers to see them through the Mayan Doomsday, the zombie apocalypse, or whatever other catastrophe might be on our horizon. Some of them have supplies enough for a few months, some for upwards of a year.

While I shudder at the thought of being stuck in a small underground space for very long, I'll confess to liking that my DH is a low-level prepper, stashing antibiotics, ammo and equipment that should up our chances should a Big Bad happen. Since DH is outwardly a laid-back shop manager, I find his inner Bear Grylls pretty darn sexy.

Because my Nightkeeper series is about the magical warriors prophecized to protect us from the Mayan Doomsday, I get asked a lot whether I think the world is going to end on 12/21/2012. The answer is, “Nope.” However, I do think that when we look back on it, we'll see that lots of things changed during this period (which is how some people have interpreted the Mayan calendar's end).

We're in the middle of those changes right now, and it's not always easy to feel secure. So I say we should do what it takes to make us feel safe (okay, within reason!), whether that's building a bunker or just having some trail mix and bottled water tucked away. What do you think?

If you'd like to learn a bit more about the Mayan doomsday and the brave, sexy men and women tasked with protecting us, check out www.JessicaAndersen.com and the Nightkeeper books, including my upcoming release, MAGIC UNCHAINED (Signet, April 3, 2012).

In the meantime, tell me ... what's in your bunker? Me, I've got chocolate, books by Linnea Sinclair and Lois McMaster Bujold, and Diet Coke. Everyone who posts will be entered to win a random drawing for a signed copy of MAGIC UNCHAINED ;-)

Jessica


***Jessica's winner is Maureen!!  Congratulations! Please email your mailing info to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com as soon as possible!  Thanks.  :) ***

22 comments:

host said...

I have to say that although I have survived the war just one decade ago, I don't keep stashes of anything because my experience says that when bad things start to happen all those prepared things don't mean much instead those you haven't prepared will matter the most.
The Nightkeeper series sounds very interesting; I was always intrigued by Mayan's prophecies.

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Anonymous said...

Hey hosty, and thanks for having me! I'll be checking in throughout the day to say 'hi' and see how the bunker is filling up. I'm going to add a DVD player and copies of LADYHAWKE, FIFTH ELEMENT, and PRINCESS BRIDE. A girl's gotta have some entertainment!

Gail Chianese said...

Hmm, since I'm pretty much a non-believer that the world is going to end, I'm not really stockpiling. However, since I live in New England I do stockpile for crazy winters. Looking at the supplies, I have: lots of soup, tomato sauce, pasta, juice, yeah, there's the Pepsi One. There's always chocolate in my house, so no worries there. Wood for the crappy fireplace that puts out no heat. Oh, and I'm training my sons in martial arts, so I have my own personal bodyguards in case of looters or zombies. ;0)

However, even though I'm a non-believer, I LOVE the NIGHTKEEPER series and am very much looking forward to MAGIC UNCHAINED.

(p.s. great movie choices. We've got the complete Star Wars collection to keep us entertained, but hmm, need to add PB - a classic.)

Lil said...

Hmmmm...hadn't much thought of it. Well, I have iodine, bleach which in a pinch can be used to purify water if there is no way to heat it. I have long lasting tins of food, large quantity of rice, dried pasta, and various dried beans/lentils, I have a pretty substantial first aid kit, a couple of tarps, basics like axe, saw, vegetable and herb seeds, a woven basket fish trap for a nearby lake, string, firewood, and duct tape. Truth be told, this is just normal stuff I have at home but I think it could double for some difficult times. Perhaps not underground living for long.

Mary Anne Landers said...

Thank you for your post and giveaway, Jessica.

What's in my survival bunker? Nothing. I don't have one. And I don't plan to create one.

Though doomsday scenarios can make for cool reads and disaster movies, in terms of real life I can't take them seriously. I've lived through several end-of-time predictions, from the Six-Day War in 1967 to Y2K. Therefore, I expect December 21, 2012 to be just another day.

But suppose I'm wrong. Suppose some global disaster takes place on that day (or any other), one that will kill most people and leave the rest fighting each other for survival?

If my loved ones and I have a survival bunker, no matter how well-stocked, sooner or later our supplies would be gone. Even if they don't get stolen or spoiled, we'll use them up.

Farming probably wouldn't be a good idea. In aftermath of the disasters I can envision, the weather would be out of control, the Ice Ages would return, the ground would be radioactive, and/or any crops ready for harvest would get ripped off.

Therefore I don't see any point in preparing for such a disaster. Anyone who survives it won't do so for long. And the living would envy the dead.

True, someday the world will end. But not in our time. Earth will still be circling the sun long after mankind has gone the way of the dinosaurs.

Good luck with the release of "Magic Unchained"!

Na said...

If I had a survival bunker I would be sure to stock up on non-perishable foods, books and solar-powered gadgets. I figure if I could sneak above or get into sunlight I'd have something fuctioning. The books I need for sanit sake and an escape from reality. Thank you for the chance to read Magic Unchained :)
Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

Michele L. said...

I haven't thought of it much but hubby and I have a whole pantry in our basement full of food! Snacks, canned foods, pasta, tuna, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, water, pop, etc. etc. We have it all in our basement. Plus we have a stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, our sump pump is down there, furnace, a ton of furniture, including 6 dining room sets,(people like to give us furniture), blankets, radio, clock, phone, everyhing is in our basement. We would survive very well indeedy! Awesome contest Jessica! I love the cover on your book!

GLORIA said...

I always say I'm going to start stocking up supplies for an emergency and never actually do it :) I would def need some chocolate, batteries for the flashlight and all my books LOL
gwoman23(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the contributions, ladies! I'm with most of you, btw, in that I'm on any sort of doomsday countdown. Hurricanes, though ... now that's another story. We spent a couple of weeks last year without power, and I was grateful for the camp stove and canned goods!

Shelley N Greene said...

Okay, I've been a ghost reader lately but the bait has been laid out now. I've been eager for MAGIC UNCHAINED since the part in NIGHTKEEPERS when Cara had the conversation with her father while out horseback riding. (Her horse is named Coyote - the foreshadowing made me smile.) And that moment really spoke to me. I think the ones who have waited the most patiently deserve the best HEAs.

And Cara's hair is awesome. Just sayin'. Mallen streaks are cool.

So, what would put in my survival bunker?

Hmm... A e-reader with unlimited battery and downloaded book data wouldn't be feasible... no magical Kindles. Darn.

That would leave my favorite fiction novels, information books and at least one book of art. It's just too hard to live in a regimed future without something beautiful to be inspired by or something new to learn.

Sustenance-wise it'd be plenty of water, a way to make coffee (so I'm easy to live with), canned food, and maybe some of that spiced dark chocolate. That sounds really good. :0)

Good luck to everyone entering and if I don't win, the countdown is ON to April 3rd!

Barbara E. said...

My bunker would have some good food, lots of water, plenty of batteries to make all the fun stuff work, and of course a heap of books to while away the time stuck underground.

Barbed1951 at aol dot com

Mary Preston said...

In my bunker I would need a light source, so candles probably, matches, gallons of water, food, books, a radio to find out what is going on outside the bunker & good company.

DM said...

My beliefs are that if something happens it will be a temporary thing and those with the foresight to plan ahead will come out of it in better shape that those who do not.

Get info at www.85-quick-smart-talks.com

Eli Yanti said...

i have chocolate too because i'm addicted with chocolate and ofcourse pile of books =D

Maureen said...

I cannot stash chocolate because I always eat it. I always have plenty of food in the house so I think that's the best I'm going to do for a doomsday scenario.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com

Chrisbails said...

My bunker has plently of books, my nook, my phone, and all my chargers(hopefully some power), if not will be doing a lot of book reading. I would also have plently of mt dew or mellow yellow. I would also need some beef jerky, nuts, and chips.
Would love to win and read this book.
Thanks for the giveaway.
christinebails@yahoo.com

donnas said...

Chocolate, Diet Coke, Water, Gum, 2 bookscases full, and dried fruit.

bacchus76 at myself dot com

Dina said...

lays chips, coca-cola, books. movies, dvd player, lots of vetteries, lol, popcorn

Jeanne M said...

Jessica -

When I was in grade school during the 1950's I can remember having drills when we all had to go out into the hallway and "duck and cover" and had a neighbor across the street that built a bomb shelter in his backyard!

Today most people who might consider building a bomb shelter would probably be taking their cell phone but with no functioning cell towers they wouldn't work! Computers wouldn't work either and most people don't have military rations to stock away.

I'd be more likely to think of the 1950's and stock in canned goods and my good old-fashioned can opener and have lots of canned tuna fish, sardines, some beef jerky, good old peanut butter, Kool-Aide and bottled water. My Kindle would be set aside and lots of books packed up from my bookcases (many of which had been "required reading" while I went to school and are now considered "banned books"! I'd be sure include an old set of encylopedias from the 1970's and some even older history books from the 1800's that I inherited. A old fashion fishing rod would be there with me as well as an axe and saw, a hammer and some nails. Our old camping eequipment would be stashed as well as sleeping bags and a Coleman stove and fuel.

Most important would be lots of paper towels and TOILET PAPER!

Hum, I just realized that's about the same thing we do when it's hurricaine season. Some things change and some stay the same.

*yadkny* said...

Hi Jessica!
I got mostly books in my bunker! Lots of water and of course food, but I could probably survive on books and trail mix:) Thanks for the intro to your book... definitely adding it to my wishlist and hopefully my bunker:)

yadkny@hotmail.com

Jen B. said...

I am so glad I found this post (I only discovered this site today!). I am headed over the Amazon to get my copy. I can't believe I missed the release date! jepebATverizonDOTnet