ASHEN WINTER, October 8th, 2012, Tanglewood Press. Ages 14+, ISBN 978-1-933718-75-0, $17.95 hardcover, $9.99 ebook.

Read the first two chapters of Ashen Winter here or download a PDF from the link at the bottom of this page. WARNING: this sample contains huge Ashfall spoilers. Please feel free to print this sample or share it on your own website--I'm okay with any reuse of the sample that doesn't involve charging anyone anything for it.

About Ashen Winter:

It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

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Praise for ASHEN WINTER:

Los Angeles Public Library, Best Teen Reads of 2012

5P, 5Q rating in VOYA--the highest rating for writing quality and teen interest they award.

"Ashen Winter is an astounding sequel that I will read again and again. You don’t want to miss it." --Sabrina at My Home Away from Home.

"If you want a compelling, engaging, well-told story that makes you both think and feel, then you want to read Ashen Winter." --Bea's Book Nook

"This series has one of my most favorite female kick-ass characters ever. Darla is my hero. I love her snarkiness and her resourcefulness, her and Alex have developed this awesome healthy relationship despite everything working against them and it has totally got me rooting for them." --Jenni at Alluring Reads

"The faster pace of Ashen Winter makes it even more enthralling than the first book. If you like post-apocalytpic fiction, you'll definitely want to check these books out!" --Jen at Page Turners.

"How would you rate this book? 6 Even better than 5!!" --Donny, Teen Reviewer for Bethesda Library's YALSA YA galley program.

"If there is one specific place I think this book shines (though it shines everywhere), it is in its setting. Mike Mullin did a crazy amount of research for this book. If you don't believe me, just read the Author's Note at the end and look at all the places he went and the different people he talked to to make sure he got everything right. And it shows. He brings this post-apocalyptic landscape to life and it easily feels like you are right there with the characters and that this setting truly exists. It's frightening." --Kara Malinczak, Great Imaginations

"The story is so riveting and emotionally engulfing that I could not put it down." --Brian Myers, 3rd Degree Black Belt and Certified Martial Arts Instructor.

"Teens who enjoyed Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games (Scholastic, 2008) and Michael Grant’s Gone (HarperTeen, 2008) will find Mullin’s story equally engaging." --School Library Journal

"The story hits the pavement running and doesn't stop until the very last sentence. Mullin has created a disturbingly realistic world, and his narration is detailed and believable. While many dystopian novels create futuristic worlds that lean more toward science fiction, Mullin succeeds in presenting an accurate "What if?" scenario that is almost too real for comfort." --Laurisa White Reyes, author of The Rock of Ivanore.

"I flew through this book, just as I did the first. (550 pages in two days - sleep is for the weak.) The action is so heart-pounding, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. --Alison Skap, Alison's Book Marks.

"The only major problem with the book is that it ends. I can hardly wait for the third volume in the series." --Ron Hawkins, Science Fiction Sojourns

"Non-stop action, fantastic new characters, tragic and moving moments." --ReaderAlex

"Dark, gritty, and heartbreaking." --The Passionate Bookworm

"An edge of your seat apocalyptic thriller you'll get lost in." --KidsBookShelf.com

"If you thought Ashfall was a thrill ride you ain’t seen nothing yet! This one will grab you from page one and won’t let you go. I couldn’t put this book down, every time I thought it would slow down so I could go to bed it hits another rush and sucked me right back in!" --Susie at Miss Susie's Reading and Observations.

"Wow. Just wow . . . Mike Mullin has done it again! Ashen Winter is filled to the brim with heart stopping, hold-your-breath action as well as believable characters you continue to root for with each turn of the page. This second novel in his trilogy will not disappoint any of his fans. --Sherry Gick, Media Specialist, Rossville Jr/Sr. High.

"Wow, what a freakin' thrill ride." --Carol Oates, author of Shades of Atlantis

"Awesome writing, amazing characters, some great romance, and lots of action." --Carina Olsen, Carina's Books.

"Ashen Winter is just amazing. It's packed with fast-paced action and obstacles to overcome. There are oodles of plot twists and surprises you should, but won't, see coming! You're jaw will hit the floor at least a couple of times. Romance is casually woven into the story all throughout - but love isn't quite as simple in this book as it was in Ashfall. ;) This book is full of situations where humanity is on display at its very worst and very best - and the thing is? Everything that happens is realistic... I could easily see these things happening if such a disaster were ever to occur. Ashen Winter is pure brilliance. A definite addition to my favorites list!" --Sarah Hollis, Bookish Sarah