New Zombie Release: "The Reaper" by Sean Liebling

Ghoulish genius Sean Liebling is back with a horrifyingly hot new release. Dig into The Reaper: No Mercy at Amazon.

Summary
Former USMC Captain Jason Scott comes home one day to find that ravenous zombies have slaughtered his family. Berserk with rage, he kills every one of them. As he stands over the bodies of the now truly dead, his mission is clear. He must fight the Lord's fight and take the battle to the evil minions of Satan, both living and dead. And he must scout westward to recon the forces of a shadow government. In the process, Jason Scott becomes the coldest, deadliest killer in the new world of the apocalypse: The Reaper.

*****

For more information, and to check out some sample pages, please visit Permuted Press's digital catalog page. Also take a bit out of the author's personal website at www.seanliebling.com.

Deadly Dee's Review for "All Together Now: A Zombie Story" by Robert Kent

Moan for joy!!! To celebrate its new cover, All Together Now: A Zombie Story is free on January 24 and 25. Get your copy at Amazon.

Book Summary

Yea though we perish, yea though we die, we'll all be together in the sweet by and by...

Fifteen-year-old Ricky Genero is writing a journal of the zombie apocalypse. His high school has burned to the ground, his friends are all either dead or shambling corpses roaming the earth in search of human flesh, and his best friend died saving his six-year-old brother Chuck from a zombie horde. When Chuck is bitten and infected with the zombie virus, Ricky must travel among the walking dead in search of a cure.

WARNING

This YOUNG ADULT novel is mean and nasty and intended for a mature audience. It is absolutely not appropriate for younger readers. All Together Now: A Zombie Story is a gruesome, repugnant tale featuring horrific acts of violence sure to warp young minds.

 

 

Deadly Dee's Review

 

So, if you've read any of my past book reviews you know by now I don't usually mince words. I'm actually kind of surprised authors still want to give me their books, because I feel like I'm not the nicest reviewer out there. I'm pretty hard on them if their writing doesn't really "do it" for me (or is filled with typos - ick) but heck - at least I can sleep knowing I'm honest to you guys - the readers.
 
So, let me start this review on All Together Now by saying this:
 
Wow.
 
Wow. Wow. Wow.
 
I was so totally and completely taken by surprise by this novel. If you're like me, and love reading indie authors, you know it's a lot of hit and miss out there. Ok... a lot of miss. This is one HUGE hit. Kent's writing style flows naturally. He reads like someone who was born to tell a story, and I for one, feel like I want to keep reading his stories (hint hint Rob - gimme more!!)
 
YA fiction, imho, can be so stilted sometimes - it kinda makes you wonder if the person writing it was ever young. (...and if they were, did they just sleep through adolescence and then totally forget what it was like?)
 
On the other hand, if I'm going to enjoy reading a YA book, it's got to have enough oomph in it that I, as an adult (no, don't ask how old I am, who cares?!) actually get caught up in it and care.
 
I really cared about the characters in this book. A lot.
 
Besides that though, the story itself was fresh and different - not your typical run of the mill zombie story. I wasn't sure I was going to like the journal concept, but that also flowed well.
 
Oh, and did I add that it actually felt believable? Believable and zombies all together in one place! What a concept!
 
One word of warning: Watch out for the ending. I kind of thought I should've seen it coming, but I didn't. Made it rock even more.

 

Mr. Kent, you are the man.

Zombified Interview with author Devan Sagliani

Devan Sagliani is the agonizingly awesome author behind three zombilicious series. His newest book, Undead L.A. 1, is terrifying the living and undead alike. Devon took time away from spreading the zombie virus to let us tear into his brain...

Ang: When were you first bitten by the zombie affliction? Can you take us back to how the infection began? What’s the most difficult part about sharing this ghoulish love as an indie?

 

Devan: I've always been into horror and zombies but what sent me over the edge was zombie ants. I saw a clip of ants infected with a fungus that turns them into unwilling zombies online and it struck a nerve in me. The next thing I knew I had the beginnings of the storyline to the movie Humans Versus Zombies in my head. It was over a year later that I finished the first draft. It came out last year on Chiller TV and is available on DVD and Netflix now.

 

After the movie I switched gears and began working on Zombie Attack, a young adult novel set in Southern California after the zombie apocalypse. Then I added in my next book The Rising Dead, an adult horror novel set in Las Vegas. I published them myself on Amazon, got a lot of attention, and picked up a publishing deal from Permuted Press. Zombie Attack is out now in paperback, audiobook, and all digital formats. The Rising Dead will be available in paperback in November. I also just put out my own new series called Undead L.A. 1. The first book has been up over a month and doing well. Fans seem to be enjoying it, which is what it's all about.

 

Ang: If you had to dumb down the plot of your series so a zombie could understand, how would you explain it?

Devan: Zombie Attack = Humans fighting humans for survival while we close in for the tasty kill! We would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for those meddling kids!

 

The Rising Dead = What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, unless it's the zombie apocalypse. Gives a whole new meaning to the term All You Can Eat Buffet on the Las Vegas Strip.

 

Undead L.A. 1 = Eat the rich! And the celebrities! And the surfers! And the cops! In fact, eat anything that moves! The streets will stay blood red because it never rains in Southern California.

 

Ang: Describe the lucky survivors who engage with the festering horde of the dead.

 

Devan: In Zombie Attack it's a band of teenagers we're following around so it's through perspective that we experience the end of the world. Adults cause all sorts of trouble, fighting over resources and power. The world is an outlaw paradise in a constant struggle with the remaining institutional forces, law and order in the form of the remnants of the United States military.

 

In The Rising Dead it's an unlikely band of survivors who take us on a ride through the end of days. A web celebrity, a paranoid veteran who has been tortured by Special Forces and turned into an agent, a jock who finds religion via oxycotin, his pal a former baseball pitching star whose lost his edge and become a reluctant hero, a comic book loving zombie obsessed computer geek, and a spoiled princess used to shopping and getting her nails done. With so many different personalities at work, there is a lot of beautiful tension and just enough internal tension to keep things interesting.

 

In Undead L.A. 1 there are six stories being told. The book blurb explains them best.

When it comes to safely navigating 747's Edgar Reynolds is a consummate professional. It's his personal life that's in shambles after a string of affairs he couldn't be bothered to hide. None of that matters to him the morning he wakes up to discover he's smack dead in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Now what's important is that he survives long enough to hijack a plane from LAX and flee the end of the world.

Detective Gary Wendell isn't having the best day. A murder case in West Hollywood takes him from the Hollywood Hills to the Twin Towers in downtown L.A. The hunt for his killer stirs fresh life into Gary's secret obsession. If it's the end of the world, Gary’s going to exact his own justice on the monster who got away, the one who told him that murder isn't art if NO ONE IS WATCHING.

When Donny's dad took off he left him and his mom in a run down apartment in Hollywood scrambling to make ends meet. Still he managed to form a begrudging bond with his mom's new boyfriend, who took him under his wing. Just when things were starting to look up for them as a family, a virus hit L.A. taking away any last shred of hope or safety they had. Soon it's up to Donny, and his pack of teenage friends, to defend their gated apartment complex. Working together, they do their part to protect and provide for the remaining survivors at CAMP ZOMBIE.

Being invited to the Emmys as the date of her favorite television actor is a dream Kathleen could never imagine. She also never expected to return to the city of her college years one last time before dying of terminal cancer. When the doors burst open in the middle of the ceremony and infected homeless people begin eating her favorite celebrities, everything changes. Now she's caught between spending her final moments in mind-numbing terror fleeing for her life, or letting the filthy undead strip the last good memories away in TO LIVE & DIE IN L.A.

Pilar Garcia grew up working in her father's fish taco truck in Boyle Heights, but dreamed of becoming a world-class chef one day. After overcoming the cultural stereotypes and working her way through Culinary Arts school she created a food truck empire so successful that 3 of her best trucks snatch a spot at the coveted Los Angeles City Fall Street Food Fair in downtown. Unfortunately, that's the same day the virus is released into Skid Row, mere blocks away in LA CUCARACHA.

Guillermo and his half brother Caesar have always been survivors. Growing up in the gang neighborhoods of Venice Beach they've learned to take care of each other first and ask questions later. Yermo is starting to get a reputation as a serious surfer by the local guys he reveres, including the new legend of Dogtown and former professional surfer, Brody. He's not about to let like the end of the world keep him out of the water or off his streets. Together they form a group capable of not only dealing with the zombie menace but also fighting off the new arrivals intent on taking over Venice Beach – a vicious new supergang: One Blood. They're not heroes though, they're just the DOGTOWN LOCALS UNION

 

Ang: What was the most important aspect when writing your non-zombie characters? Realism (losers, assholes, and cowards) or fantasy (Rambo or the guy/gal who has a Rambo hiding inside them)?

 

Devan: I like to use a colorful mix of characters with fully fleshed out back stories and unique quirks, but I also like to make sure they possess qualities and habits that allow the reader to identify with them. There are no Rambo characters in my stories, just survivors, warriors, dreamers, cult leaders, bikers, gang members, outlaws, celebrities, school teachers, detectives, surfers, and everyday heroes doing their best to live another day.

 

Ang: Does your series begin just as the zombies start building their paradise or have zombies already gotten things rocking and rotting?

 

Devan: Zombie Attack begins by explaining that Z Day happened a few months back. The humans are still reeling from the blow, trying to regain some form of control and survive.

 

In The Rising Dead the virus hits while we watch. We get to see the man who created it and how it got out. We get to see it spread. We even get hint of why it might have happened. We are living the nightmare right along with the main characters.

 

My new novel Undead L.A. 1 explores the prelude to the virus in a major city, shows us the release of the first wave, and explores the final days in the sprawling metropolis for six full weeks afterward. It's told through the eyes of six different Angelinos, each bringing a unique perspective to the event, each adding new details that explain why it might have happened or what is coming next.

 

Zombie Attack is a young adult novel geared towards teens and up. It deals with young adult themes like coming of age, learning to cope with loss and death, and interdependence. The Rising Dead has a much more cinematic quality to it, like we're watching a movie but able to hear what each character is thinking. With my new book, Undead L.A 1, I wanted to break away from the idea of a linear narrative and explore the roots of each character. In this way I would be able to give my readers a more satisfying experience, allowing them the chance to really get to know the characters and invest in them. So far I've been getting very positive responses.

 

Ang: Zombies are people too. They come in all shapes, sizes, speeds, and smarts. What types of the walking dead inhabit your series?

 

Devan: Okay so the zombies in Zombie Attack come medium speed. They work together with a hive mind like an insect intelligence and use their sheer numbers to knock over buildings. Once they get the scent of their kill they don't stop. Infection takes a while after being bitten but is certain.

 

In The Rising Dead the zombies are fairly fast but unable to work together. Infection comes on in a few minutes to a few hours after being bitten, depending on the immune system of the infected individual and the degree of the exposure. Bites victims generally turn in under an hour but being directly exposed to the engineered virus will cause near instantaneous transformation. Once infected the individual can feel the virus taking over but is unable to do anything about it. They watch horrified as their hunger drives them to attack others. Eventually the infection kills the part of them that we would call their ego or consciousness and they are effectively walking corpses capable of sustaining themselves only by consuming people.

 

In Undead L.A. 1 the virus is believed to be spread by a two stage system. First the general population is infected with a base virus that is benign and then a catalyst is introduced that kills and transforms them instantly into the killing machines. Once a zombie bites a healthy adult the virus is spread. There is no delay. Zombies do not work together in this nightmarish version of Los Angeles. They are all simply drawn to eat living things. When they are deprived they go into a sort of slow down mode but are capable of springing back to life to feed and moving with shocking speed. They can also be kept in a semi pacified state by controlling their feeding cycle, but only a handful of people have figured this out  and it doesn't always work. Those that try to keep zombies as pets in this world end up being infected and dying eventually when they let their guard down and get too familiar.

 

Ang: Will your infection spread to more books and series? How many blood and guts offerings do you predict in your future? How soon can our zombie and human readers expect to see your next festering contribution?

 

Devan: I'm happy to say that all my books are part of series. I am working on the sequel to Zombie Attack right now for Permuted Press, then I will be going back to Undead L.A. 1 and when I finish with that I will tear into the sequel to The Rising Dead. So it's full speed ahead zombie! Wish me luck.

 

Ang: What is your favorite way to kill a zombie? Shoot ‘em, hack ‘em, poke ‘em, burn ‘em, or something even more fiendish? ***Zombie readers please turn away to avoid having your putrefied feelings eviscerated.

 

Devan: Decapitation is definitely my preferred method of dispatching zombie. It's sustainable, quiet, and effective. I'm also a big fan of driving jagged metal pipes directly into their faces and detaching the brain stem. If I was at the prison on the last season of The Walking Dead I would have spent all day at the fence luring zoms to me then turning out the lights. I'd be happier a kid with a fresh roll of bubble wrap.

 

Ang: Do you have a favorite cinematic zombie? Example: My co-blogger Zombie Earl is quite fond of Zombie Roger from the original Dawn of the Dead.

 

Devan: Absolutely. My favorite is zombie Jenna Jameson from Zombie Stripper! She reads Nietzsche in between dance sets then becomes the hottest zombie of all time. I even played with the idea of adding a character like hers in The Rising Dead, a stripper named Honey, but in the end it just felt too forced so I let it go.

 

Ang: Who is your favorite character from The Walking Dead (comics or TV show)?

 

Devan: My favorite character hands down is Daryl Dixon. Who doesn't want to be Daryl with the crossbow out there just kicking ass? He is awesome. I think I'm more like Glen though, who is also a great character. I relate to their sacrifice and loyalty. Glen is my day to day and Daryl is my dark side I am always trying to keep in check who just wants to go vigilante and get shit done.

 

Ang: Finally, how prepared are you for the zombie apocalypse that we all know is just around the corner?

 

Devan: I am prepared to stand and fight. You won't find me running or cowering when the dead rise up. I am a fighter, a survivor. Just like my characters say in Dogtown Locals Union in Undead L.A. 1. I've been fighting my whole life, surviving my whole life.

 

Actually I think the biggest challenges will be the aftermath of our technology to deal with. What if the people who knew how to shut down a nuclear power plant are all dead? What do we do then? If you think about all the dangerous things in the world that are man made or the secrets we're not supposed to know about you start to realize how a catastrophic event could be just the start of something much worse, with survivors unwittingly opening a Pandora's box with every new discovery. Now that sounds like the synopsis to a new book!

 

Chew into Devan’s books at Amazon.

 

Chase down Devan at Facebook and Twitter.

 

AUTHOR BIO

Devan Sagliani was born and raised in Southern California and graduated from UCLA. He is the author of the Zombie Attack! series, The Rising Dead, A Thirst For Fire, and the UNDEAD L.A. series. Devan also wrote the original screenplay for the movie HVZ: Humans VersusZombies.

Devan's fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Million Writers Award. In 2012 his debut novel Zombie Attack! Rise of the Horde won Best Zombie/Horror E-book on Goodreads. He is also an active member of the Horror Writer's Association. He currently lives in Venice Beach, California with his wife.

Zombified Interview with Jeffrey Littorno

Jeffrey Littorno is the gruesome guy behind a haunting new zombie series. The first book The Most Uncommon Cold was released in August and Jeffrey is already feverishly at work nightmaring up the next book. He did take time away from writing to let us dig around in his head...

Ang: When were you first bitten by the zombie affliction? Can you take us back to how the infection began? What’s the most difficult part about sharing this ghoulish love as an indie?

 

Jeffrey: I don’t think I was “bitten” by the zombie plague. It is more like the virus was always within me and just took a while to gnaw its way out. I do remember being pretty young when I first saw the original The Night of the Living Dead in black & white. Something about the black & white graininess makes it seem more real. Anyway, scare the snot out of me. The thing is I couldn’t help watching.  Drove my parents crazy. That movie still scares me. 

 

As far as being an indie writer, the toughest part is needing to concentrate on marketing to get my books noticed when I would rather just be writing... Oh, other than this interview, of course.

 

Ang: If you had to dumb down the plot of your series so a zombie could understand, how would you explain it?

 

Jeffrey: Zombies are just waiting to burst out.  It might be something as simple as a new type of cold that sets them off.

 

Ang: Describe the lucky survivors who engage with the festering horde of the dead.

 

Jeffrey: Define your idea of lucky. I am not sure any of the “non-undead” in my books would consider themselves lucky. Let’s just say they are survivors. Kevin Turner, the main character, is or was a newspaper reporter. He is someone who is used to dealing with facts. Glen is the young, idealistic minister of a storefront church. Understandably, he has some difficulty understanding where zombies fit into his religious worldview. Detective Greg Lawrence is an older, bitter, possibly alcoholic cop who is obsessed with rescuing Christina, the frightened little girl who called into the police station. Finally, there is Taylor Miller, a teenage boy sent to juvenile hall by Detective Lawrence.

 

That is the group so far, but as things progress, it is sure to grow and shrink.

 

Ang: What was the most important aspect when writing your non-zombie characters? Realism (losers, assholes, and cowards) or fantasy (Rambo or the guy/gal who has a Rambo hiding inside them)?

 

Jeffrey: I have to admit that I have little control of who springs up in the story. The voices in my head simply let me know who will be appearing next. I never know who will show up or how long they will be staying. So far, none of those in the story appear to have any Rambo-like traits. They are too busy trying to grips with what they are seeing. I suppose that is realism. Whatever you want to call it, I think it is what makes these characters relatable or familiar. That is what draws readers into such an incredible world and holds them.

 

Ang: Does your series begin just as the zombies start building their paradise or have zombies already gotten things rocking and rotting?

 

Jeffrey: The book starts just after the zombies have appeared.  In other words, they haven’t quite sunk their teeth into the world.

 

Ang: Zombies are people too. They come in all shapes, sizes, speeds, and smarts. What types of the walking dead inhabit your series?

 

Jeffrey: I try to make zombies representative of every type of person in society. Full zombie integration!

 

Ang: Will your infection spread to more books and series? How many blood and guts offerings do you predict in your future? How soon can our zombie and human readers expect to see your next festering contribution?

 

Jeffrey: Well, the first book in The Most Uncommon Cold series was released in August. I am currently working on TMUC II, and it is coming along nicely. I am hoping to have it out by December. Just in time to celebrate Zombie Christmas. As far as how far the series goes, I have to wait for the voices to tell me. I will let you know.

 

Ang: What is your favorite way to kill a zombie? Shoot ‘em, hack ‘em, poke ‘em, burn ‘em, or something even more fiendish? ***Zombie readers please turn away to avoid having your putrefied feelings eviscerated.

 

Jeffrey: Well, Kevin really seemed to enjoy plunging a tire tool into his wife’s head. I guess I have to try that. Glen’s used a claw hammer to dispatch one. That could be fun. Of course, just blowing their heads off at point blank range as Lawrence does might be the most efficient way, even if it is terribly messy.

 

Ang: Do you have a favorite cinematic zombie? Example: My co-blogger Zombie Earl is quite fond of Zombie Roger from the original Dawn of the Dead.

 

Jeffrey: Hmmm, tough question!  Cinematic? How about televisionatic?

 

If so, it would be Morgan Jones’ wife Jenny (that’s right Jenny Jones!) from Season 3 of The Walking Dead. Something about this woman in her nightgown shuffling around the front porch of her old house sticks with me.

 

Ang: Who is your favorite character from The Walking Dead (comics or TV show)?

 

Jeffrey: It’s hard to pick just one character.  Most people seem partial to Daryl. Daryl’s cool, but I really like Andrea. Maybe it was because so many people were bashing her, but I always thought she got a bad rap. Sure, she was cozy with the creepy governor, but she was just trying to keep things together. I have to find another character for this season. We’ll see who shows up. Carl might shine.

 

Ang: Finally, how prepared are you for the zombie apocalypse that we all know is just around the corner?

 

Jeffrey: Can anyone really be prepared for the ZA?  Well, yes they can! Just keep reading The Most Uncommon Cold series for ideas. I swear, I don’t know how things are going to turn out, but there are sure to be some useful survival tips inside.

 

Dig into The Most Uncommon Cold at Amazon.

 

Hunt down Jeffrey at Facebook.

Zombified Interview with Author R.J. Spears

R.J. Spears is the menacingly mangled mind behind the bloody book Sanctuary from the Dead and the ghoulish novella Forget the Alamo. He took time out of horrifying readers with his deadly delights so we might claw into his cranium...

Ang: When were you first bitten by the zombie affliction? Can you take us back to how the infection began? What’s the most difficult part about sharing this ghoulish love as an indie?

RJ: My first encounter with zombies was with George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. I was a teenager and I walked into the theater not knowing what to expect and was simply blown away. Nothing in my previous movie viewing experience prepared me for the mayhem that was this movie -- entrails ripped out, heads whacked off by helicopter blades, etc. I can say that it is a movie that I watch at least once a year.

Now, with the explosion of The Walking Dead into popular culture, I couldn’t be happier. The more the merrier when it comes to zombies is my philosophy.

As for the challenges of being an indie, they are many. I write everyday around a full-time job, but never feel like I’ve written enough. The most difficult part of being an indie writer is getting readers to discover my work.

Ang: If you had to dumb down the plot of your book so a zombie could understand, how would you explain it?

 

R.J.: Sanctuary from the Dead is about a group of people, holed up in a church, just struggling to survive the zombie apocalypse while also trying to maintain some semblance of their humanity. They deal with the loss of hope and wrestle with how to have a life that is more than just base survival. As the novel progresses, our survivors begin to realize that while the zombies are merciless, the other survivors pose just as deadly a threat.

 

Ang: Describe the lucky survivors who engage with the festering horde of the dead.

 

R.J.: The narrator for Sanctuary from the Dead is Joel. Prior to the zombie apocalypse, he was a 20-something slacker attempting to get by with as little effort as possible. While he still sees himself as somewhat incompetent, the book tells the story of his coming of age. There are some great supporting characters such as Kara, a twenty year old nursing student, Greg, the leader of the warriors in their clan, and Pastor Stevens, who tries to help people maintain their connection to things of a higher order.

 

Ang: What was the most important aspect when writing your non-zombie characters? Realism (losers, assholes, and cowards) or fantasy (Rambo or the guy/gal who has a Rambo hiding inside them)?

 

R.J.: I strive for realism with my characters. I’d like readers to feel like it could be one of them in the book. There are no superheroes in my book, but plenty of people who do heroic things.

 

Ang: Does your book begin just as the zombies start building their paradise or have zombies already gotten things rocking and rotting?

 

R.J.: Sanctuary from the Dead starts eight months after the outbreak. The people trapped in the church have learned how to survive, but they know that’s all they’re doing.

 

Ang: Zombies are people too. They come in all shapes, sizes, speeds, and smarts. What types of the walking dead inhabit your novel (or series)?

 

R.J.: My deaders are just plain dumb shamblers. They aren’t all that dangerous as individuals, but if they group up, then they can be quite deadly.

 

Ang: Will your infection spread to more books and series? How many blood and guts offerings do you predict in your future? How soon can our zombie and human readers expect to see your next festering contribution?

 

R.J.: I already have a draft of a sequel to Sanctuary from the Dead, but I’m still fine tuning the plot. I have the outline for a third book, so look for more stories about my intrepid survivors.

 

I also am working on a series of novellas that I’m calling the “Forget the Zombie” series. It starts with Forget the Alamo and charts the tale of a group of people trapped inside the Alamo surrounded by a horde of undead. The inspiration for the first novella came from my wife when we visited the Alamo in 2012. It features a cameo from a very famous zombie novelist who happens to live and work in San Antonio.

 

Ang: What is your favorite way to kill a zombie? Shoot ‘em, hack ‘em, poke ‘em, burn ‘em, or something even more fiendish? ***Zombie readers please turn away to avoid having your putrefied feelings eviscerated.

 

R.J.: My characters prefer headshots, but they also know that gunshots are like the dinner bell for the hordes of the undead, so they have some more quiet techniques to dispatch the zombies, too. In fact, the characters in the book have a friendly debate in the book -- slicing or bludgeoning weapons. Joel, the main character, prefer his baseball bat.

 

Ang: Do you have a favorite cinematic zombie? Example: My co-blogger Zombie Earl is quite fond of Zombie Roger from the original Dawn of the Dead.

 

R.J.: I would have to say Bub from Day of the Dead. Day is definitely Romero’s most cerebral zombie film and the most thought provoking.

 

Ang: Who is your favorite character from The Walking Dead (comics or TV show)?

 

R.J.: This is a hard one. If pushed, I’d have to say Rick because he’s the leader. He has a great character evolution. If I had to say what character I relate to the most, it would be Glenn.

 

Ang: Finally, how prepared are you for the zombie apocalypse that we all know is just around the corner?

 

R.J.: I know I think about it a lot and that may give me a head start, but other than that, I’m woefully underprepared.


Chew into R.J.'s books at Amazon.

Hunt down R.J. at his website, Twitter, blog, and Goodreads.

Zombified Interview with M. Lauryl Lewis

M. Lauryl Lewis is the bloody babe behind the erotically charged Grace series. With twists and turns, love found and lost, these zombie books provide a unique entry into the gruesome world of the walking dead. The newest rotting book, Dark Grace, was published just last week and is already a hit. Let's dig around in the author's head and see what yummy offerings we can find...

Ang: When were you first bitten by the zombie affliction? Can you take us back to how the infection began? What’s the most difficult part about sharing this ghoulish love as an indie?

 

M: It all goes back to when I was about five years old. My parents somehow got "free" HBO in the basement of our family home, and I would sneak horror movies in the middle of the night. They were scarier with rabbit ear antennas. If you're old enough to remember a time before digital TV, you'll know what I mean! My love of horror grew, as did my rate of nightmares. I've always been particularly fond of zombies, but not mummies. Mummies just don't make much sense to me, I suppose. Vampires, werewolves, and things like that are just ok, but zombies really are the coolest. Ghosts are next best. As an Indie, my biggest hurdle is competing against all these darn vampires. It seems like vampire novels runneth over these days. Now, it might make more sense for me to say that other zombie authors are a bigger hurdle, but I don't see it that way. My issue is that all these vampire fans just don't see the coolness of zombies. Yet.

 

Ang: If you had to dumb down the plot of your series so a zombie could understand, how would you explain it?

 

M: That's a tough one to answer. Traditional zombies are extremely "dumb," acting on instinct alone to eat flesh and brains. Some of the zombies in The Grace Series are traditional, but there's a second strain that bears some intelligence. For the sake of tradition, I'd describe the plot of the series as: "See girl.  See boy. See girl and boy run. See them fall in love. See them make friends. See lots of friends get eaten by the living dead. See the dead evolve."

 

Ang: Describe the lucky survivors who engage with the festering horde of the dead.

 

M: The series opens with lifelong friends Zoe Kate and Adam Boggs. Zoe is young at twenty years old and on her own in the world. She's naïve and a loner. Boggs is a couple of years older and more experienced in life. Before long, Gus arrives on the scene. A cowboy nearly twice Zoe's age, he takes a natural leadership role in their small group. Emilie happens upon the group by chance. She's a feisty redhead in her mid twenties who adds humor and life to the group. As time goes on, sub characters are introduced who may or may not hold more significant roles in later works. Susan, Wanda, Julio, Louisa, Jane, Abbey, Kelsey...Bobby.

 

Ang: What was the most important aspect when writing your non-zombie characters? Realism (losers, assholes, and cowards) or fantasy (Rambo or the guy/gal who has a Rambo hiding inside them)?

 

M: I strive to write realistic characters who are flawed. Zoe has gotten a lot of criticism because she is a "weak" main character. She cries and whines a lot, throws up, etc. My reason for this was to write about how I thought a real person, randomly picked from society, might react if they were suddenly in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. The characters in the series engage in realistic activities: sex, drugs, abortion, chewing tobacco, suicide, even domestic violence. None of them are perfect. Some of them are hiding secrets. Some of them will break trusts. Some will live. Some will die. None of them will ever be perfect.

 

Ang: Does your series begin just as the zombies start building their paradise or have zombies already gotten things rocking and rotting?

 

M: Zombies have just risen in Grace Lost (book one). The apocalypse was unpredicted, and happened overnight. The cause is unknown, and the infection has hit the long dead, the newly dead, as well as the living (yup you read that right). There isn't much set up in the series; the first zombie appears in the first few pages. That was intentional as the characters themselves had no warning in the book. I didn't want readers to have an unfair advantage.

 

Ang: Zombies are people too. They come in all shapes, sizes, speeds, and smarts. What types of the walking dead inhabit your series?

 

M: From amputees to drug addicts with needles still in their arms, from obese farmers to little kids and infants, from bloated "swimmers" to a German Shepherd...The Grace Series has them all.

 

Some are slow (Roamers) and some are fast and capable of thought and planning (Runners). Some look burnt with the clear eyes of the living. One thing is for sure - the dead are evolving into something unimaginable.

 

Ang: Will your infection spread to more books and series? How many blood and guts offerings do you predict in your future? How soon can our zombie and human readers expect to see your next festering contribution?

 

M: As of right now there are three books in The Grace Series, with two more planned (Fallen From Grace and Praying for Grace). I'm leaving the series open and plan to continue to add installments as long as I can keep them "fresh." If that happens to be five books, so be it, but I'm hoping to go beyond that. I'm aiming to have Fallen From Grace out by January 2014 (or sooner). My goal is every six months or so. I also have a new book that I hope to write soon, Schiessl House, which will be a ghost/haunting tale. It will likely be a stand-alone vs. a series. There will be more books, and I'm sure more series, but I need to give my aging mind a chance to imagine them. I cannot imagine NOT writing.

 

Ang: What is your favorite way to kill a zombie? Shoot ‘em, hack ‘em, poke ‘em, burn ‘em, or something even more fiendish? ***Zombie readers, please turn away to avoid having your putrefied feelings eviscerated.

 

M: A fork through the ear-hole. Hands down. I would say my next favorite is a sledge hammer to the mouth. I'm not sure there's much more to say here...especially without a mouth.

 

Ang: Do you have a favorite cinematic zombie? Example: My co-blogger Zombie Earl is quite fond of Zombie Roger from the original Dawn of the Dead.

 

M: I'm not so sure it had a name, but the zombie in the movie NIGHT OF THE COMET (1984) that was the lead of the mall zombie gang. He was super evil and still semi-human. He also looked good in sunglasses. Well, for a semi-zombie. His voice over the mall loudspeaker was also bone-chilling. "Let's go shopping!"

 

Ang: Who is your favorite character from The Walking Dead (comics or TV show)?

 

M: Merle. Oh, I miss Merle.

 

Ang: Finally, how prepared are you for the zombie apocalypse that we all know is just around the corner?

 

M: I got me a gun and I got me some bullets. I also have a fork and a sledgehammer... And, I have five and a half chickens and two ducks our family can eat if the stores close. Our motorhome will probably keep the dead out for a couple of days. If they get in, the best I can do is Clorox Wipes.

Dig into all three Grace books at Amazon.

Chase M. Lauryl Lewis at her website, Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter.