Water is Thicker than Blood

by Julie Ann Dawson

Fifty years after World War III, the residents of New Orleans struggle daily just to survive. Despite being surrounded by the waters of the Mississippi, latent radiation and pollution have made clean drinking water hard to come by. So Rue has reason to worry when their water purifier breaks down and her husband’s depression keeps him from fixing it. She reluctantly accepts the aid of her neighbor’s son Joseph, who had taken to practicing the dark arts at the Circle of Magi.


But as her husband’s increased hostility makes her more dependent on Joseph just to survive, Rue has to make a decision that will impact not just her own life, but the lives of everyone in Bywater.


Water is Thicker than Blood is a 9700 word novelette set in the universe of the Post-Apocalyptic Blues campaign setting. More information on the world can be found at Bardsandsages.com.

ebook

First published July 21, 2013

About the author

Julie Ann Dawson is an author, editor, publisher, RPG designer, and advocate for writers who may occasionally require the services of someone with access to Force Lightning (and in case it was not obvious, a bit of a geek).

Her work has appeared in a variety of print and digital media, including such diverse publications as the New Jersey Review of Literature, Lucidity, Black Bough, Poetry Magazine, Gareth Blackmore’s Unusual Tales, Demonground, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and others.

In 2002, she started her own publishing company, Bards and Sages. The company has gone from having two titles to over a one hundred titles between their print and digital products.

In 2009, she launched the Bards and Sages Quarterly, a literary journal of speculative fiction. Since 2012, she has served as a judge for the IBPA's Benjamin Franklin Awards.

Special Note: The best way to reach her is through the contact form on the Bards and Sages website. Those messages go directly to her email, which she checks daily.

Reviews

[Patricia Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted. I loved it. This author likes to keep turning the tables on you. The ending needs to be smoothed out a bit. I wouldn't change how it ended, just polish up the way the book closed out. It seemed a bit unfinished and rough. Definitely read this though. It's so original and interesting. I received a free review copy of the audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting look, into post apocalyptic life. This book takes a very different and easy to read approach from the view of 1 woman trying to survive. A quick and worthwhile read.