The Dead Survive Series by Lori Whitwam

**Mature Content Warning** Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual content. It should be easy to tell who the monsters are in the middle of a global zombie pandemic… The blank-eyed swarms of animated corpses who want to gnaw on your flesh. Well those are the obvious choice, of course. In reality, though, it’s not always that simple. In the early days of the global zombie pandemic, Ellen Hale learned a brutal lesson... more**Mature Content Warning** Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual content. It should be easy to tell who the monsters are in the middle of a global zombie pandemic… The blank-eyed swarms of animated corpses who want to gnaw on your flesh. Well those are the obvious choice, of course. In reality, though, it’s not always that simple. In the early days of the global zombie pandemic, Ellen Hale learned a brutal lesson. While trying to survive the hordes of zombies, Ellen was abducted by a band of marauders and subjected to abuse almost beyond her ability to endure. She is broken both mentally, and physically, and fears she is on the verge of becoming a monster herself… Until she is rescued by a growing band of survivors and given a second chance. Ellen is taken to “The Compound”. Where she meets ex-convict, Quinn. He’s everything she’d ever been taught to fear, but his presence is the only thing that makes her feel safe. Will she be able to look past his rough exterior and learn to trust him? Or will the memory of the men who subjected her to such sadistic horrors ruin her chance at a new life? less

After being rescued from a brutal band of marauders, Ellen Hale rebuilt her life in the fortified neighborhood that became her home. A heartbreaking decision and devastating loss pushed her to become a fierce fighter, because weakness only got you and those you loved killed. Now her community is facing a deadly threat, and Ellen has another choice to make... moreAfter being rescued from a brutal band of marauders, Ellen Hale rebuilt her life in the fortified neighborhood that became her home. A heartbreaking decision and devastating loss pushed her to become a fierce fighter, because weakness only got you and those you loved killed. Now her community is facing a deadly threat, and Ellen has another choice to make. Ellen volunteers as a member of fallback team three, tasked with establishing a temporary refuge for their citizens in the event their community is overrun by the enemy. As the danger intensifies, she and her adopted sister, Melissa, set off with the rest of their team on the road trip from hell. Their mission is cloaked in secrecy, but suspicions of a traitor arise. Something is affecting the zombies’ migration patterns, and when blacksmith Tyler Garrett is discovered trapped in a farmhouse, the team refuses to trust him. But Ellen believes his story, and it’s not just because of his rugged, blond good looks and soft-spoken manner—his skills can greatly benefit their team. As the team struggles to reach the fallback, previously secure locations are overrun, and their chances of success seem remote. With the likelihood of a traitor nearly certain, and the lives of everyone she loves at risk, Ellen must figure out who to trust before the traitor—or the zombies—destroy them all. Is there a spy among the fallback team, or is there another threat lurking in the Kentucky hills? less