I try to have an eclectic mix of books and authors on Linda’s Book Bag but one genre that features less frequently is post-apocalyptic fiction. Today I’m rectifying that by inviting Geoffrey Pierce to stay in with me and tell me about one of his books.

If you’re an author who’d also like to stay in with me to tell me about one of your books, please click here for more details.

Staying in with Geoffrey Pierce

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Geoffrey.  Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Thank you so much for inviting me.

Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it? 

I’ve brought along my debut novel, Manna City. It’s the story of a pregnant woman whose unborn child shows her visions, leading her through a treacherous post-apocalyptic desert. She’s helped on her journey by a one-armed man and an escaped slave. I know, it sounds a bit dark, and it is, but there’s yang to balance with the yin.

Gosh – that sounds quite a narrative. You’ve piqued my interest right away. so, what can we expect from an evening in with Manna City? 

I think you can expect to feel grateful for what you have. It’s not easy living in the desert, especially in the future.

(I think you’re absolutely right Geoffrey. We should feel grateful for what we have. My travels in third world countries show me that.)

Consider the following: The apocalypse wiped out almost all life on earth. You’ve been living in a desert cave for years, hiding from lawless killers and the beasts that hunt you. You’ve been struggling to find enough food and water to survive. Now there is a baby on its way. And ever since conception, the child has been talking to you, telling you of a place where there is plentiful food, water, green grass, and safety. The baby has shown you visions of a man who will lead you to this place. And now he’s here. Are you going crazy, or will you trust the visions and journey out into the treacherous desert?

(I’m liking the sound of Manna City more and more – and I understand the title more now too!)

I think this reviewer summed up the experience of reading the book pretty well when she said:

It’s not often that I read a book that I have a physical reaction to. I’ve only just finished it and can still feel the tightness in my chest, the curl of my toes and the echo of my racing heart. I already know it is a story that is going to stay with me because I felt so deeply entwined in the feelings of the characters. Disturbing read, in all the right ways. Can’t wait for more of what this author has to offer.

(What a fabulous review. You must be thrilled with those words.)

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I’ve brought an image of a desert flower Linda. I think of my main character, Nista, like a flower in the desert – she is incredibly strong, using all of her resources to suck every bit of nutrition out of the earth around her in order to survive; she’s vulnerable because of the fact that she is such an anomaly – she is a figure of beauty and love in a world where those “resources” have been greatly diminished; and she shows the rare kind of determination we attribute to things that grow in places where life seems not only improbable but prohibited.

(That’s such a wonderful analogy Geoffrey.)

Thanks so much for staying in with me Geoffrey, to introduce Manna City. It sounds like a book that could just turn me on to reading more post-apocalyptic fiction!

Thank you again, Linda. I truly appreciate this opportunity to share my book with your readers.

Manna City

Nista is nine months pregnant, starving, and living in a cave. Her husband, Dane, thinks she’s gone crazy. And the first time she heard the voice of her unborn child, she thought she’d gone crazy, too. But the child has told her too many things, shown her too many things that have come to pass. She knows…someone is coming to usher them away from their isolated purgatory. Someone is coming to lead them through the unforgiving desert – teeming with lawless killers and savage beasts – to the last bastion of civilization, a mythical land of plenty called Manna City.

Manna City is available for purchase here.

About Geoffrey Pierce

Geoffrey Pierce was raised in Upstate New York. He spent several years roaming the deserts of Arizona and Utah, climbing through the mountains and valleys of California, and cavorting with the beasts in Yellowstone National Park. He spent far too much time in college attaining a B.A. in English Literature and Philosophy, an M.A. in Teaching Arts, and another M.A. in English Literature. He’s had an array of jobs, from painting and construction to working at a law firm and slinging medical equipment. After teaching for several years, he resigned to be a stay-at-home father. Now that his son is in school full-time, he works as a custodian, handyman, substitute teacher, and daycare provider at his son’s school. Geoffrey is a New Voices Playwright Award-winning author who currently lives in South Florida. He enjoys camping with his family.

Geoffrey has just joined Twitter where you can follow him @BruceLeePierce.