Winter of Zombie 2015: Steven Pajak

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Another day, another spotlight on a talented zombie author. This time we put Steven Pajak to the BB&BS interview. Steven Pajak is published by the prolific Permuted Press, a name synonimous with quality zombie fiction.

It is important to note before we begin that Steven Pajak is in no way connected with Pat Sajak, the handsome, debonair and extremely rich host of a popular game show featuring a large wheel. Nor should you think that Steven Pajak is any way affiliated with said wheel or any wheels of toruture. At least, none that this blog is aware of. Before we get Mr. Pajak arrested, lets get this Winter of Zombie interview underway!

The Blogshit: Let’s cut to the chase, what are you promoting for the Winter of Zombie?

Steven Pajak: I am promoting my Mad Swine trilogy, published by Permuted Press.

The Blogshit: It’s rarely ever talked about, but how do you envision the outcome of the zombie world you have created? Is there hope? Will humanity succumb to the new world order? What is the outcome of all this horrible zombie business?

Steven Pajak: I am an optimist. There is hope. There is always hope. If you’re read the Mad Swine series, you understand what I mean. I think humans are resilient, adaptive, and always evolving. We’ve proven that fact over the last tens of thousands of years. Whether it be by finding a cure, or stopping the zombies by ingenuity or force, humans will eventually overcome the undead. Now, what they may do to each other in the process, well, that’s a whole other story. Perhaps one I might like to tell one day.

The Blogshit: As a writer of zombie fiction, do you feel you can sustain your career writing about zombies only or do you feel you will need to write outside the sub-genre to continue? What avenues will you branch out to if you do feel a need to expand?

Steven Pajak: I started my writing career outside the genre. My first two novels were suspense/thrillers, along the lines of Dean Koontz’ cross genres of the early to mid-90’s. Since completing the Mad Swine series, I’ve returned to the suspense/thriller genre. I have a new series I’m working on that will follow the career of Jack Monroe, Deputy U.S. Marshal, which I plan to be at least 5 or more novels. That said, I still feel I have some good zombie tales yet to spin.

In fact, I have started a novella titled Dead in the City, set in the Mad Swine world and I’ve also been outlining a full-length zombie novel set in the past (I don’t want to reveal much about it just yet, other than it is set in 1945) and have written some 20,000 words. I sincerely think that as long as the fans want to read zombie fiction, there is certainly enough material to sustain not only my own career, but of the many other wonderful authors in the zombie genre.

The Blogshit: What is more important to the story: A sympathetic human survivor or a zombie with an interesting storyline?

Steven Pajak: In my opinion, a sympathetic human survivor. Anyone who has ready the Mad Swine series will tell you that for me, it’s really about the people, the survivors, and how they interact with each other. I hope I don’t piss off too many people by saying this, but the zombies aren’t really so important. Yes, we all come to the genre because we love the goo and the gore, we love to read or watch as the survivors hack, shoot and bludgeon their way through the Z on the road to survival. But the real story is the survivors and whether or not they will make it. And more importantly, what they are willing to do, to what lengths will they go, to survive.

The Blogshit: For you, who are the most important writers in zombie fiction at this moment?

For me, some of the most important writers in zombie fiction at the moment are Joe McKinney, Timothy Long, Peter Clines, and Jonathan Maberry to name a few. And not only are these some of the most important writers in the genre, they’re good people who are down to earth and love what they do.

The Blogshit: Is there room for sex in the zombie apocalypse?

Steven Pajak: Where isn’t there room for sex? Yes, there is room for sex in the zombie apocalypse, as long as it is done tastefully. As I mentioned, for me, the story is all about the survivors, what they’re going through and how they cope with their lives being turned upside down. Sex it part of the human nature, and nothing, not even hordes of the living dead, are going to stop us from making the beast with two backs.

The Blogshit: How much consideration do you give to the seasons in your zombie stories?

Steven Pajak: Seasons have played a considerable role in the Mad Swine series. In fact, the second book in the series, Dead Winter, relies heavily on the horrible winter to help drive the story. Although we’re writing zombie fiction, and the reader has to suspend belief to a certain point, I think the more realistic your story is, the more you’re going to draw in your reader. If the zombie apocalypse were real, the seasons would definitely be something the survivors would need to consider seriously, and could be just as dangerous as any of the living dead.

The Blogshit: Our final question always revolves around zombie themed food. This Winter of Zombie, Books, Beer and BLOGshit wants you to consider setting up a food truck to cater to a zombie clientele. What would you name your Zombie Food Truck?

Steven Pajak: Wow, great question. I guess if I had a zombie themed food truck, I would name it DINER OF THE DEAD. Yeah, that’s probably cheesy and clichéd, but I like it. I’d eat there. So would zombies.

This handsome young lad is Steven Pajak

Steven Pajak on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Steven-Pajak/e/B002BM1LLC

Steven Pajak on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadSwine

Winter of Zombie 2014: Mark Tufo

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We are unloading the big guns on the Blogshit for this stop on the Winter of Zombie 2014 Blog Tour. Mark Tufo, author of the breakout Zombie Fallout series, joins us on The Blogshit fresh off his triumphant appearance on Book s, Beer and Bullshit Podcast (Episode 31 featuring Mark Tufo). 

It's a little known fact that Mark "Marky Mark" Tufo was the original Marky Mark. He came up with the signature tighty whitey look and the baseball cap and he even wrote that "Good Vibrations" song. He was poised to become a superstar until he stumbled on this poor fellow Bostonian kid, Mark Wahlberg was was crying in the gutter. He told Marky Mark Tufo that he was depressed because his brother had become a famous performer in a boy band. Marky Mark Tufo felt awful for the kid so he handed over his white underpants, slapped the baseball cap on his head and gave him the lyrics to a song called "Good Vibrations". He told the kid to work out a lot and got hot six packs or as he called them "The Tufo Washboard"

Marky Mark Tufo did this because he knew in his heart that no matter what he did he would rise to the top. So he gave up his career as a world wide pop phenomenon so he didn't have to watch a little boy cry. He started his career as a writer soon after and well.... the rest is history.

Or maybe we were too drunk and got that story all wrong. Either way it's time to talk to Marky Mark Tufo once again!

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?

Mark Tufo:  Thank you for the invite, hey I heard there was going to be sandwiches. Well for this Winter I have Zombie Fallout 8, which technically came out this fall. Lycan Fallout 2 will be out the Winter and I’m currently working on Indian Hill 5 and most likely Tim 3 after that, if I can get over my coulrophobia!

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?
Mark Tufo:  My zombies are generally pretty hardy because technically they have not died and been reanimated so much as they have been taken over by a virus and now crave human flesh. Elements don’t seem to bother them nearly as much as the people they hunt.

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?
Mark Tufo:  I already answered this question. Is this one of those government tests where they ask you the same question repeatedly looking for discrepancies? I've heard about these things, great...now I have to sweep my office for listening devices.

The Blogshit:  Do you yourself live in a part of the world that is affected by the cold of winter?
Mark Tufo:  Luckily I live in Maine so we’re relatively unaffected by Winter. :)

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?
Mark Tufo:  I think when we talk about a zombie inspired frozen treat we need to start with a gelato base, just because that sounds so much squishier. So I guess I’ll go with Blood Fruit Gelato with raisins. Fuck that sounds horrible. Thanks again for having me.

Mark Tufo Central Command

Zombie Fallout 8 on Amazon.com

Mark Tufo on Goodreads