Frail

For fans of contemporary urban fantasy with a twist, Joan Frances Turner brings us Frail, the follow-up to Dust, a poignant story about survival in zombie infested post-apocalyptic America.

Being human is a disadvantage in post-apocalyptic America . . .

Since a devastating, morphing plague swept through human and zombie populations, almost everyone who survived is an ''ex'' these days. Ex-human. Ex-zombie. Both creatures crave flesh, have the strength and speed of predators - and what seems like immortality. Pierced skin and broken bones mend, but their all-consuming hunger never dies . . .

Amy is the only purely human survivor from town - a frail. Her mother is gone, but she won''t believe that she''s dead. Feral dogs stalk her, in reality and in her imagination. Amy thinks she''s losing her mind. But when an ex-human named Lisa saves her life, a fragile friendship forms, a bond that will save Amy over and over again when she and Lisa are abducted into a makeshift community run by exes who use humans as their slaves.

For a girl who is used to going it alone, trusting anyone isn''t easy, but Amy will have to. She has secrets from her past she can''t afford to face by herself, and secrets in her future that will cost her just about everything - including her humanity . . .

Joan Frances Turner''s Frail is a brilliantly evocative tale of the fight for survival in a dangerous post-apocalyptic, zombie-ridden world.

Praise for Dust

''A thoughtful, poignant and frightening book about the undead'' Laurell K. Hamilton

''A nail- bitingly good zombie romp . . . a cut above the rest'' Amber Benson, star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

''A new and unique take on zombies'' Ilona Andrews

Joan Frances Turner was born in Rhode Island and grew up in the Calumet region of northwest Indiana. A graduate of Brown University and Harvard Law School, she lives near the Indiana Dunes with her family and a garden full of spring onions and tiger lilies, weather permitting. She is author of Dust, which is also published by Penguin. Find Joan Frances at www.joanfrancesturner.com.