Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2015: Mike Evans

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! It's the only blog that won't make you feel hungry a half hour later! I am your blog host, Mr. Frank!

Day two on the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour brings us a new author to spotlight, Mike Evans. It also brings us an opportunity to present another of our blog tour options to spotlight: The Essay. The essay assignment was this: Write a short essay on the current zombie phenomenon in popular culture. Either from the point of view that it is far from over or that it is over saturated and the time has come
for a new movement.

Avid listeners of our sister podcast, Books, Beer and Bullshit, know that as much as we enjoy zombie fiction and zombies in general, we are largely burned out on the subject. In it's popularity it has become readily available in abundance. We often wonder when or if the breaking point will come. It always amazes us how rabid and loyal the zombie fan base is. An essay on the matter from dedicated zombie authors could help shed some light on why the trend continues to grow in the face of its mega-popularity.

Here is what zombie writer, Mike Evan has to say on the matter:

I am a believer that even though zombies have taken modern pop culture by storm, that the

movement as only just begun. The walking dead ended its most recent season on such a high

that people will be looking forward to the next one. Mainstream movies such as World War Z

and Zombieland are actually getting sequels made which will not be sent straight to a dvd or

blueray. The idea behind zombies is ever changing and always evolving. Can you imagine the

zombies from Day of the Dead back in the original version of Night of the Living Dead? Hell no,

people wouldn’t have slept for a month. As people are further and further desensitized, the

zombies and action seem to get even more intense. I can only imagine what a Z movie is going

to be like in twenty to thirty years, and hope wholeheartedly that it is still as powerful and fast

moving in the genre as it is today.

Zombie Author Mike Evans

Mike Evans lives in Iowa with his wife and children. He writes for character depth because he wishes for you to love the character, regardless if they are the villain or the hero. He likes to write from a unique perspective, doing things with books that no one has done before. He keeps his characters realistic, there are no superhero like events that will happen. There are no perfect characters in his books, everyone has their flaws much like that of life.

Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Mike-Evans/e/B00IQ9Z75A/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Facebook author page https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-Evans-Author/1438259789750360?ref=bookmarks

Twitter @mikee1123

Email m.evansauthor@gmail.com

We hope you enjoyed Mike Evans and take a moment to check out the zombie fiction he has to offer. Stay tuned Friday when we feature the incomparable, Jack Wallen the (self-proclaimed?) Zombie King!

Here is a picture of a woman with sausage wrapped around her neck for no apparent reason

Winter of Zombie 2014: Armand Rosamilia

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! It's the only blog that's opened on Black Friday! We are your blog hosts, Mr. Frank and Mr. Jeff!

This, the final stop of the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour, features the ring leader of this chilly carnival, Mr. Armand Rosamilia. Armand is no stranger to either this blog nor it's mother podcast counterpart, Books, Beer and Bullshit Podcast where he holds the honorarium of "Mayor".

So, as part of the multi-billion dollar marketing contract he signed with us, we are obligated to feature him here on the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour. It's a dirty horse, but someone has to ride it. Oh, and we are always tickled pink to promote Mayor Rosamilia whenever possible becuase he is, in point of fact, a damn fine writer.

The Blogshit:  Welcome to the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour stop at Books, Beer and Blogshit. Do you have new tales to tell in the dead of winter 2014?

Armand Rosamilia:  Why, yes… yes, I do. I met this guy and his wife with overlarge boobs in Orlando one Saturday and we went to the Ale House for six hours and… oh, not that tale? How about the one where I self-promote spammy-like and tell you about the latest release, Dying Days: Origins 2? It is a prequel tale about David Monsour, a character from Dying Days 2. Now, about her boobs…

The Blogshit:  Have your zombies had to face a freezing cold winter yet? If so, how do your particular breed of zombies react to cold, harsh winters?

Armand Rosamilia:  I have had a couple of stories set in the snow… Undead of Winter, Dying Days: Origins and a couple of others… they don’t really get hindered too much other than to fall down a lot and slide on the ice. A zombiesicle would be tasty, though.



The Blogshit:  Does or will, Winter figure into your zombie world or do you figure what you will tackle will be unaffected biologically or geographically?

Armand Rosamilia:  I’m sure as I write more and more and more and more Dying Days stories you’ll see winter rear its ugly head… sonofabitchbastardwinter…


The Blogshit:  Do you yourself live in a part of the world that is affected by the cold of winter?


Armand Rosamilia:  Not anymore, sucker! I moved out of New jersey to get away from the snow, the New Yawka’s and Donald Trump’s hair. But I miss the food.


The Blogshit:  In the summertime we talk about zombie sandwiches. We think in the winter it’s time to talk about zombie ice cream. What crazy zombie inspired ice cream flavor can you come up with?

Armand Rosamilia:  The grossest ice cream flavor of all tastes like zombie tears… vanilla.

That's it folks! Another great blog tour. Another fun set of interview with many interesting indie authors. And of course, gross food recipes. We hope you all enjoyed this round and we look forward to presenting another great batch of zombie fiction writers on the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2015. Until then, check out all things Armand Rosamilia, the organizer of the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour.

Armand Rosamilia HQ

Armand Rosamilia on Amazon.com

Dying Days Origins 2 -only 99 cents!

Armand Rosamilia on Goodreads

Winter of Zombie 2014: John O'Brien

You're reading Books, Beer and Blogshit! It's the only blog that's a day late and a dollar short! We are your blog hosts, Mr. Frank and Mr. Jeff!

This, the second to last interview on the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour 2014, features a seminal guest on the seasonal tours, writer John O'Brien. John has been to The Blogshit more times than we can shake a stick at... and we can shake a stick at a lot of blog appearances.

The best part? He somehow always has something new to say and always has new material to talk about. He is one of those machines of a writer. Even in the dead of winter, he keeps chugging along. Just watch:

The Blogshit:  Welcome to the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour stop at Books, Beer and Blogshit. Do you have new tales to tell in the dead of winter 2014?
John O'Brien:  I released the 10th book in the series last in late August, A New World: Storm. I’ll be working on another set of short stories which will hopefully be ready by mid-December.

The Blogshit:  Have your zombies had to face a freezing cold winter yet? If so, how do your particular breed of zombies react to cold, harsh winters?
John O'Brien:  The timeline of the series takes the story from the beginning of summer to late Fall. However, there is a part of the story that encompasses northern Canada and the night runners aren’t able to sustain themselves with the short nights and freezing temperatures.
The Blogshit:  Does or will, Winter figure into your zombie world or do you figure what you will tackle will be unaffected biologically or geographically?
John O'Brien:  The night runners are affected by the cold temperatures in the northern climates. Most of the story takes place during the warmer months and in the US, so the climate doesn’t figure into it
much.
The Blogshit:  Do you yourself live in a part of the world that is affected by the cold of winter?

John O'Brien:  In the western part of the northwest, the climate is pretty mild for most of the year. There are freezing temperatures at night and for about two weeks during the year, we have snowfall.
Some freezing at night, but that’s about it. book in the series last in late August, A New World: Storm. I’ll be working on

The Blogshit:   In the summertime we talk about zombie sandwiches. We think in the winter it’s time to talk about zombie ice cream. What crazy zombie inspired ice cream flavor can you come up with?


John O'Brien:  Well, the ice cream itself has to be especially made. You first have to capture a lactating night runner and add...wait, that’s just not right. I could come up with an ice cream sandwich joke, but I’ll spare you that one as well. And ice cream isn’t a joke. Very serious business.

John O'Brien
Author of the series, A New World

Author page: http://www.amazon.com/John-OBrien/e/B005IDEPP0/

Web site: http://anewworldseries.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/A_NewWorld

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJohnWOBrien

Merchandise store: http://zazzle.com/anewworldsupplies

http://www.cafepress.com/anewworldseries

Winter of Zombie 2014: Shawn Chesser

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! It's the only Blog that doesn't follow instructions. We are your blog hosts, Mr. Frank and Mr. Jeff!

This round of the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour features a man who makes his own rules, Shawn Chesser. Mr. Chesser was gracious enough to join us from nearly the Great White North, Portland, Oregon! This is a guy who knows a thing or two about winter.

And in the true spirit of Portland and all the great writers who break the rules way out there, Mr. Chesser declined to answer the first question in the interview and got right to the meat of the matter. It's cool Shawn, we won't hold it against you for too long.

Have yourselves a lick of a cold cold Shawn Chesser Popsicle straight out of our ice cream truck, Books, Beer and Blogshit!

The Blogshit:  Have your zombies had to face a freezing cold winter yet? If so, how do your particular breed of zombies react to cold, harsh winters?
Shawn Chesser:  No, [The Guys From Books, Beer and BLOGshit], they haven't. So far I've written eight books in my 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse' series and the leaves are just beginning to turn in 'Ghosts' my latest installment.

The Blogshit:  Does or will, Winter figure into your zombie world or do you figure what you will tackle will be unaffected biologically or geographically?
Shawn Chesser:  Yes, winter will eventually be upon my survivors and the walking corpses that stalk them. And as a matter of fact,[The Guys From Books, Beer and BLOGshit], I'm really dreading having to decide how my George Romero style of zombies are going to fare in the part of the country-northwest Utah-that my protagonist, Cade Grayson, currently calls home. So the decision looms: Do I read a half dozen medical books and try to dazzle with brilliance? Or do I wing it and baffle with bullshit? Seeing as how, in my opinion, a whole shitload of belief has to be suspended to fully invest in the idea of the Zompoc, so, put on your hip waders, I'm really starting to lean towards the latter. Moreover, the less crackin of the books I have to do, the better.


The Blogshit:  Do you yourself live in a part of the world that is affected by the cold of winter?
Shawn Chesser:  I live in Portland, Oregon, where precipitation dogs us from Labor Day to damn near Independence Day. However, much to my chagrin, very little of it is of the frozen variety.




The Blogshit:  In the summertime we talk about zombie sandwiches. We think in the winter it’s time to talk about zombie ice cream. What crazy zombie inspired ice cream flavor can you come up with?
Shawn Chesser:  To signify moldering flesh I'd start out with a flavor of ice cream that's green, perhaps pistachio or mint. Embedded Gummy Worms are a must. And to play the part of maggots ... Rice Crispies? Nah, too crunchy to pass off as fly larva. So I'd boil up some orzo pasta to just south of al dente, chill it and mix it in.

And voilà, you've got a flavor resembling weeks-old carrion worthy of a slot In the cooler at your local Baskin - Robbins.

Thanks for letting me ramble on yer blog,[The Guys From Books, Beer and BLOGshit]!! I hope to be back for the summer tour.

You are welcome Shawn Chesser. We'd be happy to have you not answer our questions once again come summer. (We keeed, we keeeed!) Find out more about Shawn Chesser's brand of the undead at the links below.

Shawn Chesser Home Page

Warpath at Amazon.com

Shawn Chesser on Goodreads

Winter of Zombie 2014: Jaime Johnesee

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! It's the only blog that wishes they made zombie underoos. We are your blog hosts, Mr. Frank and Mr. Jeff (of the Books, Beer and Bullshit Podcast.)

Jaime Johnesee is no stranger to the Bogshit. She's a veteran interviewee here and we are frozen in terror to have her back once more for the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour 2014. We fed her our shiver inducing questions and she answered with a chill on Ms. Johnesee is capable of producing.

Bundle up Blogshitters! It's time to talk once again with zombie author, Jaime Johnesee!

The Blogshit:  Welcome to the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour stop at Books, Beer and Blogshit. Do you have new tales to tell in the dead of winter 2014?
Jaime Johnesee:  First off, thanks for having me. I love what you've done with the place. That skull lamp is so... uh, realistic and charming. As far as if I have new tales to tell, I absolutely do. In November my Bob the Zombie series collection will be available and I am hoping to have my novelization of my story Shifters complete.

The Blogshit: Have your zombies had to face a freezing cold winter yet? If so, how do your particular breed of zombies react to cold, harsh winters?
Jaime Johnesee:  Actually, so far they haven't had to deal with anything cold. My books are set in Birmingham, Alabama. I imagine they'd react to a cold harsh winter the way I would, with a lot of warm clothing and some delicious hot cocoa. Well, those that can drink cocoa without spewing.


The Blogshit:  Does or will, Winter figure into your zombie world or do you figure what you will tackle will be unaffected biologically or geographically?
Jaime Johnesee:  Winter really makes no difference in my world. My zombies are regular joes brought back from the dead with magic.


The Blogshit:  Do you yourself live in a part of the world that is affected by the cold of winter?

Jaime Johnesee:  I do, unfortunately. I live in Michigan, *points to a spot on her right palm* right about here.

The Blogshit:   In the summertime we talk about zombie sandwiches. We think in the winter it’s time to talk about zombie ice cream. What crazy zombie inspired ice cream flavor can you come up with?

Jaime Johnesee:  If I had the chance to make up a special ice cream I'd probably call it gravedigger. It would be a chocolate base with crushed Oreos (for grave dirt), walnuts (because they look like brains), a swirl of caramel (for putrefaction) and some marshmallow fluff (just because).

Jaimie Johnesee's zombie character Bob the Zombie is deffinitly something different. We urge you to look into Bob and his amazing adventures for a zombie of a different ilk.

www.JaimeJohnesee.com

The Misadventures of Bob the Zombie

Winter of Zombie: Eric Shelman

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! It's the only blog that's more confused than you are! We are your blog hosts, Mr. Frank and Mr. Jeff (of the Books, Beer and Bullshit Podcast).

This, the third stop of the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour 2014, we have zombie heartthrob writer, Eric A. Shelman. His name often makes us wonder if Eric A. is really Erica, a female zombie writer writing under a nom de plume in a male dominated sub-genre. But we digress, we're sure Eric is all man one way or another.

Eric is also one of the most frustrated interviews we've ever conducted. Usually writers handle our antics with grace and poise. Eric Shelman calls out our whack questions without a trace of guilt. Bravo Mr. Shelman, you're right. We're nutz!

Please welcome Mr. Eric A. Shelman on his inaugural appearance on Books, Beer and Blogshit!

The Blogshit:  Welcome to the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour stop at Books, Beer and Blogshit. Do you have new tales to tell in the dead of winter 2014?Eric Shelman:  I’ll be writing and releasing Dead Hunger VIII: Peace, Love & Zombies in the Winter of 2014. If I begin writing it in October, it should be done by February at the latest, so that still qualifies – ON MY FREAKING CALENDAR! I saw it’s actually the Winter of 2014 / 2015, so don’t get all calendary on me. Yeah, that’s a words. Cal-En-Dar-Y. How do I know? I just added it to my MS Word speller, that’s how. I suggest you do the same before it catches on like wildfire like “efforting” did among the morons. Another option is for me to write the first of a new series I’ll be writing that is going to be so unique that when you read the very first line, your head is likely to topple off of your shoulders. Be afraid. And happy. Be “Afrappy”. Add that, too. Next?

The Blogshit:  Have your zombies had to face a freezing cold winter yet? If so, how do your particular breed of zombies react to cold, harsh winters?Eric Shelman:  What the hell? Are you testing me as an author? I’ve done my damnest to avoid weather situations, but yes, I believe that in Dead Hunger IV: Evolution, the zombies have to deal with Winter in Concord, New Hampshire. Do I have anything else to say on that? Not really. They seemed to do alright. Fuckers could be powderized inside by now (add that to your dictionary, too) because I’m not sure what keeps them moist. (Good word!) So anyway, my zombies move on an individual cellular level. Each cell in their bodies wants meat and protein, and mobilize the limbs to achieve that. Only a little, charcoal-sized lump of brain is necessary to incentivize them to come after your ass.

The Blogshit:  Does or will, Winter figure into your zombie world or do you figure what you will tackle will be unaffected biologically or geographically?Eric Shelman:  Jeez, didn’t I just answer that extensively above? I imagine that even during a zpocalypse, the global warming, climate change, four seasons, Frankie Valli, Mother Nature, God, or some other bastard is going to throw some cold weather at us. Guess I’ll just have to pay attention a bit more when that happens. I’d kinda like to believe they just might slow down a bit more.

The Blogshit:  Do you yourself live in a part of the world that is affected by the cold of winter?

Eric Shelman:  Dude. (Who are you, anyway? Who IS asking these question??) Anyway, I live in south Florida, so no. Maybe two days per year, but that’s it. Maybe I should avoid the entire problem by just setting all of my books in Key West! That way I can research, research, research! Get on a fishing boat and do it from the water while fighting a Dorado.

The Blogshit:   In the summertime we talk about zombie sandwiches. We think in the winter it’s time to talk about zombie ice cream. What crazy zombie inspired ice cream flavor can you come up with?Eric Shelman:  Salty Nut with Skin Flake Sprinkles. I wouldn’t eat that crap, but in a world where zombies rule the streets, we might just have to get used to it. Ice cream is ice cream!

Be sure to check out the world of Eric A. Shelman at the following links:

Eric A. Shelman's Web Site

Eric A. Shelman's Goodreads Profile

Eric A. Shelman's Amazon Author Page

Winter of Zombie 2014: Jay Wilburn

You're reading Books, Beer and Blogshit! It's the only blog that won't smack you twice and call you Sally. We are you're blog hosts, Mr. Frank and Mr. Jeff!

You've just walked in to the dead of Winter. The dead of The Winter of Zombie blog tour that is. Our second chilling zombie author interview is with the one and only Jay Wilburn. We are told he is awesome.

Results may vary. Judge for yourself. 

The Blogshit:  Welcome to the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour stop at Books, Beer and Blogshit. Do you have new tales to tell in the dead of winter 2014?
Jay Wilburn:  I have a story featured in Zombies: More Recent Dead with Prime Books. I’m currently working on a novelized prequel to that story. Also my zombie novella collection Zombies Believe in You is out.

The Blogshit:   Have your zombies had to face a freezing cold winter yet? If so, how do your particular breed of zombies react to cold, harsh winters?
Jay Wilburn:  I’ve done some icy zombie stories. I like to use human body heat against the characters. The poor survivors in my story had to some frigid extremes to hide themselves and go one surviving.


The Blogshit:  Does or will, Winter figure into your zombie world or do you figure what you will tackle will be unaffected biologically or geographically?
Jay Wilburn:  It should. I’ve seen a lot of stories that try to make it an advantage for people. I think the better story is finding the way a story setting produces new challenges and problems for the living. Winter has historically been a rough time for humans and survival. That is a biological reality for our species.


The Blogshit:   Do you yourself live in a part of the world that is affected by the cold of winter?
Jay Wilburn:  I live the South where our reaction to Winter weather makes us the laughing stock of the world. I think this video I took of a day we had school canceled for oncoming Winter weather will really help you appreciate how difficult our survival really was:

I’m just thankful to still be alive, you know?


The Blogshit:  In the summertime we talk about zombie sandwiches. We think in the winter it’s time to talk about zombie ice cream. What crazy zombie inspired ice cream flavor can you come up with?
Jay Wilburn:  Brainy Splatter Swirl … Lime green, raspberry, and pineapple with chunks … This is basically just rainbow sherbet, I know, but I think it tracks.

There he is. Jay Wilburn is awesome we are told. And we have no reason not to believe. You can go believe for yourselves. Please check out Jay Wilburn in all his glory at:

Jay Wilburn's Home Page

Jay Wilburn on Amazon

Summer of Zombie Blog Tour - Armand Rosamilia

You're reading Books, Beer and Blogshit. It's the only blog that never gets to Joe McKinney during a balls out zombie blog tour! We are your bloggers, Mr. Frank and Mr. Jeff.

The Summer of Zombie Blog Tour is closing out this time with our final tour post. The Headliner. Armand Rosamilia. In the true spirit of Books, Beer and Bullshit Podcast, this will mark Armand's second appearence on the BLOGshit, thus making him the official mayor of the blog as well as the de facto mayor of the Books, Beer and Bullshit Podcast.

Not only is Armand closing out the SoZBT here on the BLOGshit but you will soon be able to listen to the sultry audio styling of Armand Rosamila on his third  Books, Beer and Bullshit podcast appearance in which will will reflect on the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour as well as catch up on the plethora of Rosamilia literary offerings that have popped up like an outbreak in the past few months.

Read the blog interview and keep your ears peeled for the big big podcast interview coming soon!

The Blogshit:  Which of your books do we need to be talking about now and what is inside the pages to get excited about it?

Armand Rosamilia: Dying Days 3 just came out, and I am very happy with the progression of the story. I hope the readers feel the same way.

The Mayor's Latest

The Blogshit:  What is it about zombies that keep you writing in this genre?

Armand Rosamilia: I will keep writing about zombies as long as I have fresh ideas and new angles to attack it. I never want to write a cliché tale about a bunch of stereotypical survivors trapped in a building. At this point I would quit writing them. Unless I sold a ton of them and became rich, then I'd keep pumping them out.


The Blogshit:  With the saturation of zombie fiction in the current market, what do you do to keep your writing fresh and relevant?


Armand Rosamilia: I try to come up with ideas I haven't seen or read, if possible. Even basic ideas can be well-written and twisted to make it unique. I imagine I'm doing it so far.

The Blogshit:  What makes your zombies stand apart from all the others?

Armand Rosamilia: My zombies are horny bastards. They don't just want to bite you, they want to violate you sexually. It's a scary concept.


The Blogshit:  Do you write (or plan to write) outside the zombie genre?

Armand Rosamilia: Of course. I have written thrillers, erotica, and recently began a contemporary fiction bunch of stories called Flagler Beach Fiction Series. I try not to limit myself. I'd rather just write a story and then figure out where it fits.

This series WILL shock you!

The Blogshit:  Do you think the mega hype around the movie adaptation of World War Z will have a positive or negative effect on the zombie fiction scene?

Armand Rosamilia: I hope it will be positive. Between the movie and TWD I hope more and more viewers become readers, and some of them stay around after the hype has died down.

The Blogshit:  Is there a need for attrition in the zombie fiction market? 

Armand Rosamilia: In any market, I think. But the cream of the crop always rises. Or some cliché like that. There are too many great books being buried under the pile, but I think that is always the case. Readers will find the better ones and word of mouth will help propel them to the top. In the perfect world, anyway.


The Blogshit: What do you see in the future of zombies, both on the page and off?

Armand Rosamilia: It will have another lull, and the casual fans will go look for the next big thing, but the small group of rabid fans will keep the subgenre alive. As long as you are a good writer, they will come.


The Blogshit:  We are building a menu for a fictional sandwich shop. Typically we ask what to put on the namesake of you sandwich. For the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour we are going to set aside a special menu sub-section so: What do we put on your zombiefied sandwich?

Armand Rosamilia: The Mando is a pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich on a cinnamon raisin bagel… but then we add two cheeseburgers to either end, and three slices of bacon. MMMM…

When Will This Guy Write A Food Book? 

There he is! Again! Once more! Armand Rosamilia, the mayor of all things Books, Beer and Bullshit. The mayor of all things zombie. The mayor, period!

Once again, be sure to keep riding along on The Dying Days storyline as the plot thickens. In addition take a look at his Flager Beach contemporary fiction series. They are a great demonstration of the versatility that is Armand Rosamilia. There are a billion and a half ways to check out Armand Rosamilia and the tons of words he has to read.  Here are just a few:

Armand Rosamilia's Blog

Armand Rosamilia on Amazon

Armand Rosamilia on Smashwords

Armand Rosamilia on FaceBook

Armand Rosamilia on Twitter

Summer of Zombie Blog Tour - Bryan Smith

You're reading Books, Beer and Blogshit! Its the only blog that doesn't suck donkey bezels. We are you blogger hosts, Mr. Frank and Mr. Jeff.

We are getting down to the nitty gritty here. This is the next to last week of the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour so it's time to whip out some big guns. A veteran not only of zombie fiction but a muscle in horror as well, Mr. Bryan Smith.

Anybody that knows anything about the genre knows that Bryan Smith is a name that brings quality in writing. He survived the debacle at Leisure/Dorchester and has come out the other side with titles at Deadite Press and Samhain Publishing as well as ventures into self publishing. He has found new life in the digital age and proves he has lasting power.

So here he is, a man who needs no introduction but we gave him one anyway. For your enjoyment, the very talented: Bryan Smith...

The Blogshit:  Which of your books do we need to be talking about now and what is inside the pages to get excited about it?

Bryan Smith: The Late Night Horror Show from Samhain Publishing, which was released in March.  It features three parallel plotlines set in alternate realities where the worlds of movies are real.  One of these plotlines involves the immediate aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, while the other two involve vampires and backwoods maniacs.

The Blogshit:  What is it about zombies that keep you writing in this genre?

Bryan Smith: I've enjoyed zombie films going back to the original theatrical release of Romero's Dawn of the Dead.  My occasional forays into zombie fiction undoubtedly stem from that initial seed of fandom planted way back in my youth.

The Blogshit: With the saturation of zombie fiction in the current market, what do you do to keep your writing fresh and relevant?

Bryan Smith: I agree there has been a saturation of the market, but this hasn't been a particular concern of mine.  The reason is that while I do write about zombies from time to time, my subject matter mostly involves other horror tropes.

The Blogshit:  What makes your zombies stand apart from all the others?

Bryan Smith: I haven't written much in the way of what's considered the traditional Romero model for shambling, mindless zombies.  Most of the zombie fiction I've written has been more in a comedic or satirical vein, similar to things like Return of the Living Dead.  Although I do plan to eventually write a more straightforward Romero-esque zombie novel.

The Blogshit:  Do you write (or plan to write) outside the zombie genre?

Bryan Smith: Most of my writing is outside the zombie genre.  Of my 15 or so published books, maybe three of them feature zombies.

The Blogshit:   Do you think the mega hype around the movie adaptation of World War Z will have a positive or negative effect on the zombie fiction scene?

Bryan Smith: I believe the effect will be neutral.  The movie will have a successful opening weekend and people will talk about it for a while, but then the hype will fade, as happens with all big Hollywood films these days.  It can't have the same impact of an ongoing cultural phenomenon like The Walking Dead.

The Blogshit:  Is there a need for attrition in the zombie fiction market? 

Bryan Smith: I would never tell anyone not to write something they truly feel motivated to write.  And obviously there are many people who want to read zombie stories.  As long as the public hunger for this type of fiction is there, people will keep producing them.  The sheer amount of zombie fiction out there is kind of overwhelming, though, and attrition will likely occur at some point as a natural consequence of that.

The Blogshit:  What do you see in the future of zombies, both on the page and off?

Bryan Smith: With The Walking Dead continuing to set new ratings highs, I think interest will remain high for both cinematic and literary zombies for a some time to come.

The Blogshit:  We are building a menu for a fictional sandwich shop. Typically we ask what to put on the namesake of you sandwich. For the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour we are going to set aside a special menu sub-section so: What do we put on your zombiefied sandwich? 

Bryan Smith:  Turkey, pepperjack cheese, onions, jalapeno peppers, spicy mustard.  Pretty basic, but that's what I order every time I go to a sub shop.

Ladies and Gentleman that was Bryan Smith. He may have been short on words here but rest assured that is not the case with his fiction. Mr. Smith is a bit more elusive than many of the other zombie authors on the tour. With good reason as a heightened level of fame most surely requires a greater level of privacy. Fret not, he is still readily available to follow. Check out his bio and points of interest below.

Bryan Smith is the author of several mass market horror novels from Leisure Books, including House of Blood, Deathbringer, The Freakshow, Queen of Blood, Soultaker, Depraved, The Killing Kind, and The Dark Ones. Samhain Publishing and Deadite Press are now my primary publishers. My first release from Samhain is due in 2013, while Deadite is reissuing my old Leisure titles. I like beer, loud rock and roll, horror movies, Britcoms, a bunch of the usual stuff.




Bryan Smith on Facebook
Bryan Smith on Twitter
Bryan Smith's "The Blog That Dripped Blood"
Bryan Smith on GoodReads

Summer of Zombie Blog Tour - Julianne Snow

You're reading Books, Beer and Blogshit! It's the only blog that has satanic messages in it when read backwards!  We are your bloggers, Mr. Frank and Mr. Jeff.

We are one third of the way through our Summer of Zombie Blog Tour interviews. Since three times is a charm we figured we'd bring on a sparkling bauble of an author, Ms. Julianne Snow. That's right, this zombie fictions stuff isn't just for the fellas. Julianne Snow is showing the ladies can get it done with grit and gore as well. And maybe, just maybe be more bad ass then the boys in the process.

She's fairly new on the scene but she is one to keep an eye on. Let's tear into her brain and see what's inside. Good Readers, we present to you without any commercial interruption The Books, Beer and Blogshit interview with Julianne Snow.

The Blogshit:  Which of your books do we need to be talking about now and what is inside the pages to get excited about it?

Julianne Snow: You absolutely need to be talking about Days with the Undead: Book One. It’s the first in a series and it follows the journey of group of (semi)prepared individuals as they move away from the point of outbreak. There are tonnes of things inside the pages to get excited about. There are zombies, though admittedly they are never referred to as such; death; mayhem; perfectly flawed characters’ moments of hope’ moments of despair; and undead chipmunks. Yes, you heard me correctly. Undead chipmunks. I dare you to look at a chipmunk without shuddering after reading my book.

High Five, Bro!

The Blogshit: What is it about zombies that keep you writing in this genre?

Julianne Snow: I love the genre. I have since I was a young girl and caught a showing of Romero’s Night of the Living Dead at the age of six. Since that moment, I’ve sought out as much of the Zombie related media that I could – books, movies, video games. I consider all of it research because you never know when you’re going to need to think fast.As for what keeps me writing in the genre – that’s simple. I have a number of stories in my head that need to be written down. I don’t choose them, they choose me. Could I set these tales against a less apocalyptic backdrop – more than likely, but it certainly wouldn’t be as much fun!

The Blogshit: With the saturation of zombie fiction in the current market, what do you do to keep your writing fresh and relevant?

Julianne Snow: I read a lot of Zombie fiction, but I know there’s no way I could read it all. That being said, my stories aren’t just about the zombie and the apocalypse. I write about flawed people and how they would react. I write about ordinary circumstances made extraordinary by the situations that unfold as they arise.

The Days with the Undead series is written as a first person narrative mainly comprised of journal entries. There is no dialogue and the format truly reads as a non-fictional account. I have received compliments and criticisms for the style I chose, but in the end it’s the way the story comes to me. I take you inside the main characters head and show you the world through her eyes. It’s intense and gritty and by the end, you’d swear you were there with her through it all.

The Blogshit: What makes your zombies stand apart from all the others?

Julianne Snow: That’s an interesting question – my zombies don’t stand out when compared to others. They’re just zombies. But my story does stand out from others. It’s not told in the typical style. Days with the Undead gets into your head and messes with it. It’s super intense and delivers moments of epic savagery right alongside distraught hopefulness.

The Blogshit: Do you write (or plan to write) outside the zombie genre?
Julianne Snow: I do write outside the genre and have had pieces of short fiction published in anthologies and online magazines. I also have plans for longer works too. Now to find the time to write them all…

The Blogshit: Do you think the mega hype around the movie adaptation of World War Z will have a positive or negative effect on the zombie fiction scene?

Julianne Snow: I believe the effect will be a positive one. I loved Brooks’ World War Z and I cannot wait to see it on the big screen. I’m very interested to see how they’re going to fill in the blanks that Brooks left and if they’ll leave it open for a sequel.

The Blogshit: Is there a need for attrition in the zombie fiction market?

Julianne Snow: As long as there are readers hungry for the stories, I see no reason to limit what they have access to. There are a lot of talented writers creating within the genre and voracious readers will eventually weed out what they won’t give a second chance to without needing our help. That’s the beauty of the written word – we can write it, but we need the readers to read it.The Blogshit: What do you see in the future of zombies, both on the page and off?

Julianne Snow:  I see dead people…Fictional dead people. The genre is going to follow the typical cyclical trend of popularity to obscurity to popularity again. There will be the mainstays that never change and many of the addicts (myself included) will worship greats like Romero forever.
Oh and unfortunately, I see the Zombie Apocalypse as inevitable. One day, a few cells will align and the world will never be the same.
The Blogshit: We are building a menu for a fictional sandwich shop. Typically we ask what to put on the namesake of you sandwich. For the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour we are going to set aside a special menu sub-section so: What do we put on your zombiefied sandwich?
Julianne Snow: Brain, Lung and Tomato on toasted marble rye with a side of intestines covered in a head cheese and liver gravy. Mmmm delicious!

What a woman! We suggest you check in on Julianne's work and see what it's all about. We are sure you won't be disappointed. We've added a brief bio on Julianne and a set of links to various ways and means to get your eyes on her work:

It was while watching Romero's Night of the Living Dead at the tender age of 6 which solidified Julianne’s respect for the Undead. Since that day, she has been preparing herself for the (inevitable) Zombie Apocalypse. While classically trained in all of the ways to defend herself, she took up writing in order to process the desire she now covets; to bestow a second and final death upon the Undead. As the only girl growing up in a family with four children in the Canadian countryside, Julianne needed some form of escape. Her choice was the imaginations of others which only fostered the vibrancy of her own.

Days with the Undead: Book One is her first full-length book, the basis of which can be found in her popular web serial of the same name. Along with many zombie shorts published on her blog, she has a story in Women of the Living Dead as well as two zombie pieces; a standalone short and a collection releasing the summer of 2013. Julianne’s second novel in her Days with the Undead series will also be released in 2013. Stay tuned!

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @CdnZmbiRytr

Facebook: Julianne Snow

FB Fan Page: Days with the Undead

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cdnzmbirytr/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110149434437717424445/posts

Goodreads: Julianne Snow

Amazon Author Page: Julianne Snow

Blogs: Days with the Undead & The FlipSide of Julianne & The Randomness of Julianne

Days with the Undead: Book One

Synopsis:

It’s a journal of survival.

Five people set out to escape the Undead who have risen too close to home. Join the emotional and physical struggle as they began on the third day after the awakening of Brooks VanReit, as they are recorded from the point of view of Julie, a former pathologist and part-time survivalist.

Each entry is geared toward helping those who want to help themselves and maybe give a few that don’t a swift kick in the ass. Join our group of survivors on their journey through these Days with the Undead.

Links for Purchase:

Amazon: US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Brazil

CreateSpace (Print)

Smashwords (Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Sony)

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Apple