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Building a Community To Survive
The Reckoning of Chaos and Magic follows a group living in a post-apocalyptic world going on a supply run who are captured, tortured, and imprisoned, causing a supernatural power to awaken inside them. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration began with Book One, Rubicon Escape, and continues through this book. My inspiration was to create a hook and immediate tension in the storyline, which would reveal the support from the ranch and the love that TJ has for Mel. As authors, we need that hook in the first few pages to engage and captivate our readers. My hope is that if they pick up this book first without having read the other two, they will go back and grab the other two, and then be waiting for Books Four and Five.
The characters in your book are complex and well-developed, drawing readers into not just their story but the inner workings of their minds. What is your process for creating such in-depth characters?
I write the storyline out in Plotter and build the plot line, the Arcs, and the path I want the story to take. I then began typing on my computer to create the initial draft with this raw idea and the characters. Once completed, I start reviewing, rewriting, and changing how the characters interact and speak in the story. While I’m in the middle of a storyline, I tend to dream about these characters and the storyline, and I wake up making changes based on my dreams and thoughts.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Resilience, perseverance, and survival, and how people will become friends and build relationships in times of need. This story follows a group of people building a community to survive, while also exploring the internal conflicts of a new family coming together. I wanted to portray my characters as relatable to the challenges we face in our everyday lives and how we can learn to get along. The internal conflict is not solved in this book, though the plan is to mend the fences in an upcoming book.
I also wanted to build an external threat to the protagonist and build that conflict and tension in the story.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
Yes, Book Four is currently in the works. The next book will cover overcoming fears and fighting for what we believe in. This genre of book always has the good fighting evil, and that will continue. What might start out as someone being good, they will turn to the dark side and try to fight the team at the ranch.
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Supernatural Apocalyptic War – Book Three
When the world ended, Freedom Ranch became more than a refuge—it became a fortress of hope, grit, and magic.
After the EMP collapse that shattered every system on Earth, Mel and TJ thought they had built something unbreakable: a home carved from the chaos, protected by veterans, healers, and survivors who refused to give up. But the deeper they dig into the ruins of civilization, the more they uncover that the apocalypse wasn’t only man-made… it was supernatural.
A rescue mission gone wrong thrusts Mel and her team into the hands of a brutal gang, revealing just how far the corruption and cruelty have spread across what’s left of America. But the real threat isn’t human—it’s the darkness rising within the unseen world. When Mel, Gail, Shelly, and Raven are marked by a living tattoo of the Tree of Life, time slows, magic ignites, and the four women discover that destiny has bound them together as the Chosen Four.
Each bears a gift born of ancient power: Mel’s nature magic, Gail’s shapeshifting spirit, Shelly’s crystal sorcery, and Raven’s command of the unseen. Together, they’ll learn that the apocalypse has awakened more than survival instincts—it’s awakened a war between worlds.
As allies gather—veterans, witches, and warriors of light—Freedom Ranch becomes the last bastion between humanity and the encroaching shadow. Ruffus, the loyal Malinois, continues to evolve into something beyond mortal comprehension, guarding the ranch as a griffin of legend. Joe, the quiet neighbor with too many secrets, finally reveals his true name and purpose. And when Merlin himself steps out from myth to stand beside them, the team realizes that magic has always been real—it was just waiting for the right people to believe.
But belief won’t be enough. Evil walks in flesh and fog alike: gangs turned warlords, twisted spirits hungry for vengeance, and a demonic force that feeds on fear and blood. When the Chosen Four are hunted by otherworldly beings sent to destroy them, their friendship and courage will be tested to the breaking point. The line between life and death, love and loss, faith and fear blurs in a battle that spans both realms.
Haunted by visions, bound by prophecy, and armed with grit, humor, and firepower, Mel and her allies must face the truth—magic isn’t a gift. It’s a reckoning.
As the skies burn and the earth trembles, Freedom Ranch will either become the birthplace of humanity’s rebirth… or the tomb of its last defenders.
In The Reckoning of Chaos and Magic, blends post-apocalyptic realism with supernatural mythos, forging a story where survival meets destiny and courage is laced with laughter. Heart-pounding action, loyal camaraderie, and deeply human moments drive this third entry in the Supernatural Apocalyptic War saga.
The end of the world was only the beginning.
The true war has just begun.
The Reckoning of Chaos and Magic
Todd Ockert’s The Reckoning of Chaos and Magic picks up in a world torn apart by disaster and violence, where ordinary people cling to survival through grit, loyalty, and a surprising spark of the supernatural. The story follows Mel and her crew from Freedom Ranch as they navigate a brutal new world after civilization’s collapse. Between biker gangs, gunfire, and a hint of midlife magic, Ockert weaves an intense and emotional tale of resilience and found family. It’s a mix of post-apocalyptic survival, combat realism, and mystical discovery, all grounded in friendship and love.
What really struck me about this book was how human it felt. The writing is raw, fast, and filled with emotion. You can feel Mel’s fear and fire. She’s strong, sarcastic, and flawed in all the right ways. The story never slows for long, yet it never loses sight of its characters. The world is cruel, and Ockert doesn’t sugarcoat that, but there’s warmth under the grit. I liked how the dialogue feels like real people talking under pressure. The moments of humor hit right when you need them, like a deep breath between storms. Sometimes the pacing felt jumpy, almost cinematic, but that also gave it energy, like watching an action movie unfold with heart. The magic side of the story adds a weird but welcome twist, it’s subtle, not sparkly, and feels more like power hidden in ordinary people than fantasy for its own sake.
I have to say, this book hit me harder than I expected. The writing isn’t about fancy turns of phrase; it’s about connection and survival. I found myself rooting for every battered, bloodied character. The scenes of violence are harsh, but they’re written with honesty, not shock value. The women in this story, Mel, Gail, Shelly, aren’t damsels or sidekicks. They’re the backbone of the book, and their friendship feels real, full of teasing and fierce loyalty. I also loved the touches of romance, especially between Mel and TJ, which felt tender and grounded in years of shared struggle rather than something sugary or forced. At times, the dialogue leans a bit heavy on exposition, but the sincerity of the writing more than makes up for it. You can tell Ockert loves these characters and the world he’s built for them.
It’s not just about chaos and magic, it’s about what people choose to protect when the world falls apart. I’d recommend this one to readers who love strong characters, action mixed with heart, and stories that don’t flinch from the dark. If you’re into post-apocalyptic tales like The Walking Dead but wish the heroes had a touch of witchy wonder, this book’s your jam. It’s rough, real, and full of hope where you least expect it.
Pages: 346 | ASIN : B0FG87T7T1
LITERARY TITAN 