Winter of Zombie 2015: Thad David

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! It's the only blog on the internet that is posting the last Books, Beer and BLOGshit interview of the Winter of Zombie 2015 Blog Tour. I am you exhaused host, Mr. Frank.

This is it! This last and final interview this season. And who else do we end this whole shit and shebang with? That's right! Your pal and mine, Thad David. He is co-author of a zombie book talked about earlier this season with his partner in crime, J.L. Koszarek. Together they wrote DIVIDE THEN CONQUOR. But tonight, the last night we all spend together until the summer, I say we all Unite and Multiply!

Feel the love and read the interview!

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

Thad David:  We are promoting Divide Then Conquer – Book 1 of the Zombie Company Crusade Series.  The ZCC series is a collaboration between Jodi and myself that sparked from the creation of the Zombie Company Crusade video game that launched Sept 1^st.  I’m always fascinated with politics and the lengths that people go to “protect the party” as well as how much people think their one side can save the country.  I wanted to use Zombies as a catalyst to divide the United States and bring these political cleavages to light.  Jodi and I talked about this for over an hour and she asked me to send her what I had.  The next day I received an e-mail that blew me away.  She had taken what little I had down on paper and added a ton of info and turned it into an amazing story.  Since then that’s been our whole process, a constant back and forth collaboration on this really cool idea.

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?

Thad David:  Before we both answered these questions, Jodi and I agreed to not read each-others until after we wrote it.  I’m dying to hear what she put down for this one because its something we haven’t discussed yet in full detail.

As far as my answer, I see the outcome of the story to be a pretty messed up place.  We are basically taking 3 trains, putting them at full speed ahead, and blasting them into a head on collision.  We have a lot of action happening all at once coming from several different places.  I know this doesn’t fully answer your question so in short I do believe mankind will prevail here as long as they can get over their petty differences and beliefs.  The real question now is which faction of mankind will survive, good, evil… it’s a bloody political battle inside of this war.  Even if mankind wins the fight against zombies, they may still lose.

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?

Thad David:  Ill be as honest as I can here.  Divide Then Conquer is my first attempt with writing anything.  I have some outlines for several books but putting pen to paper is another story.  My strengths as a writer is the story creation and I focus on creating suspense.  J.L. Koszarek is the mastermind behind the writing in our story.  We get a ton of complements on the writing style and character development and that is all thanks to Jodi.  She is a true author and artist.  I have another Thriller storyline I would like to pursue in the future but for now I am trying to learn as much as I can from Jodi.  We are planning to make the ZCC series at least an 8 to 9 book series so we have a ways to go and I have a lot to learn. 

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

Thad David:  I personally enjoy the human perspective, especially in survival situations.  In ZCC we have a TON of characters.  They range in a wide scope of human personalities.  I believe we have at least one character that a reader can relate to and enjoy following.  I started out the series as a huge fan of Jack Mason and I’ve really fallen in love with some of the other characters.  I would really hate to see some of them succumb to the virus that’s running wild across the country.  While I have others that I truly hate and would love for them to fall face first into a pit of crawlers.  A soft-landing though so they remain alive and can watch as they are eaten from the inside out.

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

Thad David:  I am very new to Zombie fiction as a fan and a writer.  For me personally I would say the most important writers are Shawn Chesser and Armand Rosamilia.  These two writers have been a huge help to me personally in so many ways.  They both care deeply for the Zombie culture and it shows in their actions and work.  I really enjoy their stories.  I’m jumping into some other stories as well and I can’t leave out Mark Tufo.  I am very excited for this blog tour.  I have met so many wonderful authors so far and I am really excited to read their stories.  To many books is a good problem to have right now.

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

Thad David:  I hope so.  I wouldn’t want to live in a world without meaningful relationships.  Love and sex are at the forefront of most of these stronger connections that we as humans thrive on.  Besides how will mankind truly survive if we aren’t reproducing?  If everyone around you is falling it doesn’t mean we have to stop having a little fun.  Obviously it may be tough to find the right time, place, or mate but I don’t see how we as humans would go without sex for too long.

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

Seasons have not played a large role in DIVIDE yet, but they will in Book Two. Surviving the zombie apocalypse in warm weather is difficult, but winter is coming and with it will come challenges specific to freezing temperatures and precipitation. The cold and snow will affect the zombies, too. In the apocalyptic world, the weather has a direct influence on our chances of survival.

The change of seasons is also a great literary tool to convey the passage of time. The ZCC series will span months, and possibly even years. It is my feeling that the change of seasons will come into play in this way going forward.

Thad and I are gearing up for our first Winter of Zombies in the ZCC series. As I sit here today, I wonder which character(s) aren’t ready. I wonder who will be alive in the springtime. 

Thad David:  A lot actually, as Book 1 ends winter is just around the corner in the story.  We are preparing and have discussed the different possibilities and ways that zombies will be affected by the colder climates.  It’s going to be interesting to see how everyone attempts to survive the cold in some of our mountain regions of the story.

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?

Thad David:  Small Bites – A Little Something To Gnaw On

Thad David on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Thad-David/e/B00QFMMV2C/

Thad David on Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10068886.Thad_David