Books, Beer and Blogshit: zombie author

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Monday, November 30, 2015

Winter of Zombie 2015: Brice J Chandler

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! Its the only blog on the internet that is ludacris enough to ride this blog tour out for the whole ride! I am your sore fingered host, Mr. Frank!

This, the next-to-last interview for the Winter of Zombie 2015 Blog Tour, features Brice J Chandler. He's quite handsome. Unless he is a she, in which case, she's quite pretty. But if she is a he well I mean he could be pretty too, you know? I've heard men labeled as pretty before. They are the type of men who are extremely secure in their masculinity too. Unless of course their masculinity is a farce and they are totally feminine, in which case it would be wholely appropriate to call them pretty as well.

Wait, what's going on? Oh ya! Interview with Brice J Chandler! Read his/her interview now!

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

Brice J Chandler: I’m promoting alcohol, violence, and tearing shit up… wait, sorry, I thought you meant what kind of writing process do I promote/use. I’m here to promote my novel Whiskey Jack, which has many of the previously mentioned qualities.

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?

Brice J Chandler: The zombies in my story are probably not going to decompose, at least not any time soon. So the outcome doesn’t look good for humanity.

Even with that bleak forecast, there’s always hope. Without hope, there’s no reason to have a story because no one is going to care about the outcome. If the reader doesn’t think that the protagonists have a shot at making it, then they won’t want to keep reading to see what happens in the end. Besides who the hell wants to read a story where the zombies walk around moaning and grunting because there aren’t any humans to eat.

As far as the outcome for humanity in Whiskey Jack, I’ve contemplated a sequel to the book where I would explore the world after the apocalypse (maybe 25-50 years later). I think humans will still be around, but they’ll need new heroes to help reestablish their place in that world. I might have a returning protagonist, but it’s tough to bring back my heavy drinking, main character from the first novel 25 years later. I’m a writer and a factory worker, and I can barely get up some mornings because my knees, back, or some new pain is killing me. Forget going on a drunken zombie killing spree.

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?

Brice J Chandler: I initially started writing Whiskey Jack in 2001, when I was on a deployment with the 15^th Marine Expeditionary Unit. So, the zombie sub-genre is where I started my career and my first love, but I’ve already branched out into other genres.

I don’t think that all of my writing will be in the genre. I really love the zombie genre, but I have a lot of other worlds I’d like to explore. I’ve had a couple literary short stories published in different places, and I’m currently working on a cross genre zombie/literary and also a post-apocalyptic series with a sci-fi/steampunk basis.

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

Brice J Chandler: That’s an interesting question. Normally, I’d say a sympathetic human, because I think readers will better relate to another human.

As a writer, I’m interested in the zombie’s point of view, especially if they have an interesting story. Like, what if the culprit of the zombie apocalypse – the person who started it (assuming that it was some kind of biological weapon… something like that) – thought that they were doing something to better humanity.

What if that that zombie could tell its story? It might not be much as far as dialogue (some moans and clacking of teeth). Unless they could speak. I think that would make for an interesting story.

What would be really interesting is if such a zombie came face to face with a sympathetic human. How could that zombie justify being the catalyst of the apocalypse to a guy or gal who was forced to kill their loved ones because they turned? That would be really interesting. I’m sure it’s been done. I briefly touched on that idea in Whiskey Jack.

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

Brice J Chandler: The political answer would be to say, “all of the authors on the Winter of Zombie blog tour,” or better, “Armand Rosamilla,” but that really isn’t trying to stay on everyone’s good side or kissing ass. It’s the truth. The indie authors are the people out there fighting in the trenches for readers’ attention. They’re out there saying “hey check this book out. Please give it a chance.” That’s really hard to do as a writer in any genre, but the amazing thing about zompoc authors (and a lot of indie authors in general) is that they work together as a group so that everyone benefits. Armand goes out of his way to help promote the genre and indie authors. There’s also a lot of Facebook groups such as All Things Zombie and Band of Dystopian Authors and Fans that are making huge strives for authors. It’s pretty cool to be a part of that. It’s too bad that I’m sort of a social media introvert, but I’m going to try my best to pull my weight.

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

Brice J Chandler: Gotta repopulate the Earth somehow. Look back at human history and you’ll find that even in our darkest points of despair there was room for sex. Wars, disease, depression, famine… doesn’t matter. Somewhere in the midst of it all, people were having consensual sex. Why should the zombie apocalypse be any different?

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

Brice J Chandler: I’ve written zombie stories set in every season, and I make sure to consider the effects of season on the survivors and the zombies. I’ve been that guy out running around in the desert in summer in full gear with weapons and a heavy pack. Even when you’re in pretty good shape, running a hundred yards in the heat isn’t easy. You have to consider how people are going to operate in the different weather extremes. You also have to consider if a zombie’s brain will freeze in below freezing temps.

Although, to be fair, the seasons and weather are not my number one priorities when I write. I’m generally too focused on trying to create a story I think kicks ass and that my small fan base will love. I think that if I can entertain one reader then I’ve succeeded, regardless if something defies logic and science. It’s the zombie apocalypse after all.

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?

Brice J Chandler: Brice’s Bloody Burritos and Body Shots. I can make a pretty mean burrito, and I’ve made too many trips to Chipotle or Moe’s where I could barely walk after eating so much. I figure that if I can entice the zombies to eat to the point of being bloated, it’ll make escaping easier after I’ve run out of food. Also every food truck needs to serve alcohol. What zombie wouldn’t love a body shot where they can take a chunk out of a body, just as long as it’s not mine.

Brice J Chandler on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Brice-J-Chandler/e/B00IS8BMHQ

Brice J Chandler on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewritebrice

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Winter of Zombie 2015: P. Mark DeBryan

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! Its the only blog on the internet that believes all the writers on the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour 2015 deserve all the recognition this tour can possibly muster for them. I am your decidedly unsuccessful host, Mr. Frank.

As we wind down here on The BLOGshit on the eve of the final day of the tour I'd like to extend my hope to every writer whose participated in these interview, the very best of luck. The indie zombie market is crowded and its a large crowd in a larger sea of saturated independent authors. Making an name in this world and getting your books out there is a daunting task. We at The BLOGshit sincerely hope we have helped in some small way help put your work in front of a few more eyes that may not have seen you otherwise.

And with that sappy stuff out of the way, we present the Books, Beer and BLOGshit Winter of Zombie interview of P. Mark DeBryan. Happy reading.

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

P. Mark DeBryan: My novel Family Reunion! It has quite the backstory and as a matter of fact it was originally a short story. It started its life as In For A Dollar In For A Dime, a short story that I wrote for John O’Brien’s Untold Stories. John was gracious and allowed me to take the story and expand it to a full length novel. Basically it’s about a large family spread out across the U.S. who are all on their way to the Pacific Northwest to attend a long overdue family reunion when a pandemic breaks out. Then a vaccine causes millions to turn into crazed, blood thirsty creatures that live only to feed on you!

P. Mark DeBryan: Well, there is always hope, or there would be no reason to go on. I think humanity creates these crises in order give us something to fight back against. Of course we will eventually either overcome the crisis or we won’t; by that time I guess we won’t be worried about it. We will all be gone!

P. Mark DeBryan: I love this sub-genre! It give us a great opportunity to create hope, by making us face the overwhelming odds of not making it. It also speaks to the underlying fear that many feel these days of an uncertain future. We all think “Oh crap, at least we aren’t living in a zombie apocalypse… we really don’t have that much to fear!” = Hope

I have read voraciously since learning how in my second time around in the second grade. I was “held back” because I couldn’t read. My mother began reading to me every day, and I became a book junkie. I read in all genre. I would list them but… let’s just say there are not many that I don’t like or haven’t read. I only say this to point out that I do not fear “having to” write outside the genre. I look forward to it daily. I think of about six book ideas in as many genre every day, but right now I am happy that I get to play in this niche’.

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

P. Mark DeBryan: Hmmm… That’s a loaded question. I think the human survivor is key because I believe that most, if not all, good stories revolve around relationships. The human condition is only relatable when there are more than one of us around to relate too. You can have a sole survivor, but he/she is always relating to that one fact; he/she is all alone. What does that one survivor do that makes us want to read about him/her? They survive, but their main goal is to find another human or group of humans. You can insert sentient being in place of human, but the zombie no matter how interesting, by its very definition doesn’t care about anything but its next meal. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the zombie’s storyline can be disregarded, but I feel it is only as important to the story as it relates to the human counterpart(s). Although, I have been wrong about much less complex queries. Like, does this dress make me look fat?

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

P. Mark DeBryan: John O’Brien, Joe Mckinney, Tufo, Chesser, oh crap, this could go on and on… there are just too many to list. I think any of them that put together an entertaining story are important to me as a reader. As a writer I learn something every time I pick up a well written story. Whether it is format, style, creativity, or the business end of being an author. David P. Forsyth has given me award winning advice on “how to” while John O’Brien is the one responsible for unleashing the beast inside me.

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

P. Mark DeBryan: Not for me, I’ve been married for 28 years.

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

P. Mark DeBryan: Well, I have only written my first book, and it only takes place over a couple of weeks. So, no, not yet. I will however (hopefully) be writing for the foreseeable future, and I will take care to make each story follow the laws of physics and the changing of seasons.

P. Mark DeBryan: Oh my! This is actually right up my alley. I love to cook, and every cook I know wants to please those that they are cooking for. That being said, brains will have to play a major part in the name, however, as the genre has evolved the zombies have become much less picky and are into fast food now. Intestines and internal organs are more often the first choice of the zombies as the buffet gets picked over. This is really an important question and I don’t want to give it short shrift, but I procrastinated until 10 pm the night of your deadline for getting this in, so… Brains Intestines Organs NOW! The design of the logo would be key. The acronym would be BIO NOW!

P. Mark DeBryan on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/P.-Mark-DeBryan/e/B014POIOSQ

P. Mark DeBryan on the Web: http://pmarkdebryan.com/

Winter of Zombie 2015: Ted Nulty

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! Its the only blog on the internet that cuts to the chase. I am your host, Mr. Frank!

This afternoon on Books, Beer and BLOGshit, author Ted Nulty. He is awesome. The chase has been cut to. Read the interview now!

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

Ted Nulty: My series ‘Gone Feral’ which features zombies that are made by ingesting a chemical. The ‘Ferals’ are psychotically violent and turn cannibal. My book ‘The Other side of me’ is the third installment of the series.
Zombies, I’ve loved them since I saw ‘Night of the Living dead’. The overwhelming sense of dread at facing a swarm of the living dead is a rush. But they really became cool when they got fast, Dawn of the dead, 28 days later fast. Now single zombies were a threat where before it took a whole town to be scary.
I wrote ‘Gone Feral’ as a homage to all the zombie writers before me, but I wanted it to be real, I wanted it to make sense where sometimes some of the other tales left a little too much gap in the realm of plausibility. Watching CNN in a bar one night with some Marines, we saw a naked man going cannibal on another man on a freeway overpass in Florida. The story about bath salts was my inspiration for the series. You see every single aspect of the chemical poisoning of the population was ‘Gamed out’ at the Marine Corps EOC (Emergency Operations Center) at Camp Pendleton. I learned how many airplanes it would take to disperse a water soluble drug to 60% of the population. Throw in a little artistic license, and I was ready to go.
I did want to stay as close to the zombie “rules” as I could. So I made the chemical transferable through a bite. I also made the affected, immune to pain and hard to kill. Add in some rage and you are looking at as close to a zombie as I can realistically get.
The positive response from readers was quite a shock, and I immediately began work on book II at the behest of my small but growing fan base. I wrote ‘Barry’s Walk’ in response to that feedback and it turned out to be wildly popular with folks. Barry was a minor character in the first book that people said they wanted to know more about. I wrote it as a stand-alone novel and therefore had to include some of the story from the first book for continuities sake. I burned that sucker out in 30 days and had a blast doing it. I left a little cliff hanger there at the end just because I had another novel in mind. But I had another flight of fancy first and decided to scratch that itch.
‘The Other Side of Me’ is my homage to Jekyll and Hyde. I wanted to write about a really good person who through no fault of his own becomes a very evil monster, then I want that tortured character to face the challenge of reconciling his acts with the knowledge that it wasn’t his fault. Kind of a PTSD on steroids type of thing. Again the plot twist bug bit me, and I had to throw a few curve balls in there. The story is set in the ‘Gone Feral’ universe, and the drugs the terrorists use are the vehicle used to catapult this whole new cast of characters through a wild journey.
Did I mention I’m a Marine? Well I am, and we like challenges. So not only did I make my zombies hard to kill, and fast. I made sure that all mammals were affected by the drug, making Cats, Rats, Dogs, and Pigs (Especially pigs) susceptible to the effects of the toxin. This made the world exponentially more difficult to survive in. It also gave me more ways to herd, corral, push, or otherwise guide my characters into more trouble.
I can’t get through a day without some form of humor, so I have taken the task very seriously to introduce some form of off color shenanigans into my books. It’s what us Jarheads do to cope with stress, and I know it would happen in the real world. I have to confess that the kid humor is always taken from my devil spawn children. You’ll have to take it with a grain of salt (pun intended).

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?

Ted Nulty: Book IV will cover humanity’s attempt at rebuilding, but I like a challenge, therefore I think that even after the ferals are ‘cured’ I think that there will be a lot of former monsters having psychotic breaks and becoming serial killers.
In the first book, I have 1/3 of the population eat the second 1/3 with the rest of the population surviving. If you think about it, that means 2 out of every three homes empty. Think of all the stuff lying around! People will develop a user mind set instead of being productive (They just lived through the apocalypse remember) so they will be massive consumers. It would take years to get people to go back to being producers of anything but food. I mean there would be five new cars at the dealership for every person left alive! People would become wasteful. There would be a lot of unused but serviceable stuff lying around.

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?

Ted Nulty: I am a science fiction writer at heart, I just haven’t written a book yet! I do very well with my crime fiction, but I need to write a metric shit-ton more books before I can live comfortably.
I am inspired by Keith Laumer and want to write a Bolo themed book. Especially when they first became self aware.
The same goes for Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle…I want to write a WAR World book. The Saurons are so cool to beat up on!

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

Ted Nulty: In ‘The Other side of Me’, the main character is a Pastor who becomes a raging pscho-cannibal, but after he recovers he tries to redeem himself (Kind of a Jekyll/Hyde kind of thing), but my nasty nature intervened and I threw some plot twists in there. It helped develop the story line. My fans have said they like how I have an abundance of characters and they like how they all get developed. They say they get to know them, all the better when I have them eaten, shot, or otherwise torn apart!

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

Ted Nulty: The Indie crowd is it! Eric Shelman, Mark Tufo, WJ Lundy, Shawn Chesser, John O’Brien, Gareth Wood, Z.A. Recht, James Cook and the list goes on! I am humbled when I actually see my name mentioned with these great writers. Three years ago I was reading all of their works and wishing I was that talented.

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

Ted Nulty: There is always room for a good sex scene in a book. I however am a Marine and am woefully unqualified to write such things. I’m more of a bash the girl over the head with my club kind of guy who then drags her back to my cave. Probably why my picture is up at the post office. One of my shortcomings.

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

Ted Nulty: A little bit. My stories start off in the summer, so the bodies can get ripe and pop from internal gasses. I just wish books had ‘smell-o-vision’ so they smelled like what you are reading. My kids wouldn’t let me back in the house with the number of zombie books I read!

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?

Ted Nulty: You ask this after I get done describing how things should smell! ZOMPIZZA! I love Italian food especially pizza. Gotta have a ‘Brain Pie’! with a nice Corona to wash it down! DEEEE-EEEE-Lish!

THE Ted Nulty

Ted Nulty's Home Page: http://tednultyauthor.com/
Ted Nulty on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ted-Nulty/e/B00MMWZNCY

Winter of Zombie 2015: James Dean

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! Its the only blog on the internet that looks cool as hell in a leather jacket with a cigarette dangling from its mouth! I am you sex symbol host, Mr. Frank!

Author James Dean is on The BLOGshit today. No, not the James Dean of breakfast meats fame. Nope, not that James Dean either, he's been dead a long time. We are talking about the James Dean that is sick and tired of hearing all these James Dean jokes. When you hear James Dean this is the only James Dean you should be thinking about. Have we said James Dean enough to get him far up in the SEO?

James Dean!

No! Not HIm!

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

James Dean: I’d like to promote the fight for equal rights of all undead kind! It’s time for Zombies to stand up…or crawl, or drag themselves along the ground…maybe just sit and rot in the corner…

You know what, screw it. Let’s talk about my book, This Dying World: The End Begins. It’s the story of Dan Foster, who wakes up in the middle of the night to find all these annoying zombie things making a complete mess of his neighborhood and really driving down the property value of his house.

Dan escapes with his wife Abby and daughter Katie and travels across the Midwestern United States during the middle of winter, trying to reach the safety of his brother’s home…which is conveniently placed about 3 miles west of the middle of nowhere.

James Dean: Well, the problem with a zombie apocalypse is that last little word…apocalypse. Now I know there are a few different ideas on how absolute that word is, but generally it means a shitty time will be had by all. The villagers will not rejoice, the local store will run out of good humor bars, and The Walking Dead will probably be cancelled.

With that being said, is there hope? Sure, there’s always hope. But I have a saying I use a lot. Fill one hand with hope, and the other with crap…see which one fills up faster. The world that the Fosters live in is dying, and humanity is going to take a huge hit. Most have already succumbed, and the numbers of the dead grow every day.

As far as the outcome…I’ll let you know. It all depends on when the voices in my head stop arguing with each other long enough to clue me in on what will be happening. The fun part about writing this story is I have no idea what will happen next. In many ways, my characters tell me how their lives are going and what their next moves are. If I try to force it, they don’t like it and they mess up the story for me. I mean really, I created the jerks and they STILL don’t listen to me!

James Dean: I think it’s usually more of a want than a need to write outside the genre. There are always people who want to read zombie fiction, so I would be willing to bet that an author can sustain themselves on zombies alone if they want to. But for me personally, I love horror as a whole. I can easily see myself branching off into other areas of horror fiction. Plus my geek side still loves sci-fi and sword and sorcery genres too, and I may eventually write in those genres as well. I guess it all depends on how I feel when I start typing.

NO! This is the James Dean of Pete The Cat fame.

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

James Dean: What about a sympathetic zombie survivor with a pet human as his storyline?

Honestly, I think you need a little of both. The sympathetic human gives the reader someone to relate with. The more real the character the more your audience can slip in to the role of that person. (sounds dirty doesn’t it?) A real person is a flawed and imperfect creature, and a character should reflect that.

But no matter how realistic your character is, if they don’t have an interesting zombie storyline to live with, the story can get stale really fast. But if your zombie grows with your character, giving your human survivors new challenges to overcome, you end up with a story that stays fresh and interesting.

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

James Dean: I’ll be sappy here and say pretty much the indie community as a whole. If it wasn’t for all these indie authors paving the way for new authors like myself, I would probably have never given writing a serious shot.

Individually (and this should come as no surprise to anyone that knows me) Eric A. Shelman would rank on top. Besides being a big fan of his writing, he’s helped me in so many ways to get my first book out there. Through him I met the person who eventually edited my book, Ramona Martine. He pointed me to Giles Batchelor, who is a top beta reader as far as I’m concerned. He set me up with Jeff Kosh to do my cover art. And indirectly because of Eric I got to meet a great supporter and soon to be author Lana Sibley. (YOU BETTER BE WRITING LANA! DON’T MAKE ME COME OUT THERE!)

Hey Eric, you can mail me my check now!

Now of course there are the ones I enjoy reading. Mark Tufo, of course…Bobby Adair, John O’Brian, Shawn Chesser, Chris Philbrook, Ted Nulty…honestly I could keep going. It will sound cheesy, but if an author can make all the voices in my head shut up long enough to carry me off into their story, I think that is a pretty important author.

No! That's country music's Jimmy Dean.

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

James Dean: Umm, really? Is there room for sex in the ZA? If all you do is run, hide, eat, and sleep…what’s the point? Now, should people get pregnant in the ZA? I would say probably not. But if you have a chance to get laid in the apoc and you turn it down, I’d shoot you out of principle.

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

James Dean: Seasons are very important in my story. The whole book takes place over the course of a couple weeks in the middle of a Midwestern winter. The cold doesn’t really bother the zombies in my world, but it does pose a significant challenge to the survivors. The roads become impassable, there’s frostbite to worry about, and there’s always that little issue of freezing to death. Even simply walking can lead to serious injury from slipping on ice.

Of course, spring and summer come with their own challenges. There are storms, floods, droughts, and all the other issues that come with changing of the seasons to challenge any survivor. Throw the fact that rotting corpses are now getting warmed up into the mix and the world is going to start smelling worse than an outhouse on an asparagus farm.

Really?

James Dean: Dead Fred’s Meaty Masterpieces

Carol’s Cookies

The Shambling Gore-met

YES! THIS JAMES DEAN!

James Dean on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/James-Dean/e/B00WW7Y6GI/

James Dean on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jdean1975/

Friday, November 27, 2015

Winter of Zombie 2015: Rob E Boley

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! It's the only blog on the internet that's a touch of French with a hint of Italian. I am you continental cusine host, Mr. Frank!

Back in the day, in a little town called Freehold, New Jersey where Bruce Springsteen once got frustrated with suburban life and a grand mall once stood stood a little resturaunt in said mall's food court. It was called Roli Boli. It was delicious.

Rob E Boley is also delicious, in a consumption of words kinda way. I doubt he has any real connection to Freehold, New Jersey or Bruce Springsteen. But that's okay because Roli Boli no longer exists in the mall anyway. Damnit, Rob E Boley, you made me hungry.

I'm going to go brood in the corner while you good fold enjoy the Books, Beer and BLOGshit Winter of Zombie interview with Rob E. Boley.

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

Rob E. Boley: I’m promoting my Scary Tales dark fantasy series of novels, which begins with That Risen Snow: A Scary Tale of Snow White & Zombies. The series is a mash-up of fairy tales and classic horror monsters. It starts where the classic Snow White fairy tale ends—with the Prince kissing Snow to wake her from her zombie curse. Except she wakes up as a deranged zombie and all hell breaks loose. Although Snow White’s zombies remain the primary threat throughout the series, I also introduce other mash-ups, such as Red Riding Hood and werewolves, Beauty & the Beast with Phantom of the Opera, and Goldilocks and The Mummy.

Rob E. Boley: I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I will say this: very few of my characters are likely to live happily ever after. I’m a huge fan of bittersweet endings. It’s far more satisfying—and true to life—when characters win a little but also lose a little. I mean, how many pure victories do we ever really achieve in life? Achieving anything—especially surviving a zombie apocalypse—always comes at a cost.

Rob E. Boley: I never really set out to be a zombie horror writer—or even necessarily a horror writer. I just write the stories that come to my mind, but so far those have mostly tended to be horror or dark fantasy. I grew up reading horror and I love the genre. I have a few more books coming in The Scary Tales series. I’m also working on another book that features zombie-like creatures, but I can’t imagine all of my future books will feature zombies. I have some ideas for non-zombie stories, and it’s just a matter of time before one of those sees print. At some point, I aim to write a werewolf novel. I’ve always loved the man-beast duality of werewolves.

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

Rob E. Boley: It totally depends on the story. But as long as the survivor has some serious flaws and the antagonist has some depth, I think the story will do just fine. That’s the thing with writing zombie fiction—zombies aren’t—as characters—typically that interesting. They’re more like a force of nature, like a hurricane or flood, than most traditional monsters. So, in zombie fiction, it helps to have some regular people to serve as an alternate antagonist. Walking Dead is a great example of that. After the first few trades, the real threat quickly becomes other people—not the shambling ghouls.

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

Rob E. Boley: Honestly, I don’t know if I’m qualified to say. I mean, there’s so much zombie fiction out there, I can’t imagine I’ve read but a small fraction of it. I will say that Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead graphic novel series is brilliant. I love Max Brooks’ work, too. I am a huge fan of David Wellington’s Monster Island trilogy, which was an original spin on the zombie mythos.

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

Rob E. Boley: Sex is like Jell-o. There’s always room for it. I actually get frustrated that there isn’t more sex in zombie apocalypse tales. I mean, death is literally staring these people in the face. Hell, death is trying to eat their faces. Why aren’t they screwing like rabbits, you know? Seriously, though, if you want a great example of sexy zombie apocalyptic hijinks, check out The Resurrected by Megan Hart. She does an amazing job of infusing erotic tension into her zombie epic. Spoiler alert: she also writes a bad-ass zombie sex scene.

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

Rob E. Boley: Seasons are especially important for zombies. If it’s below freezing, those corpses are going to freeze right the hell up. Likewise if it’s summer, those zombies are going to get ripe mighty quick. Autumn is my favorite season, so I tend to set a lot of my stories, including The Scary Tales, in those fall months. Though probably spring is the best weather for zombies. All the rain loosens up the soil so it’s easier to crawl out of the grave. Plus, there’s no dead leaves to crunch underfoot and ruin the element of surprise.

That's a Roli Boli. You know you want one too.

Rob E. Boley: I think it’d have to be called Whole Brain Foods. We’d only serve human brains and meat that were raised free-range style—with a minimum of two hours of outdoor time each day—without the use of genetic modification, antibiotics, or tranquilizers. Don’t you just hate biting into a good hunk of human flesh and tasting a mouthful of chemicals? I sure do! Of course, we wouldn’t use preservatives for our products, so that food truck is going to stink something fierce. Fortunately, our zombie clientele aren’t likely to care. Unfortunately, our zombie clientele doesn’t have a lot of cash on hand—and they always forget to bring their credit cards. But that’s life—er, afterlife—in the food truck business.

Rob E. Boley Online: http://www.robboley.com/

Rob E. Boley on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rob-E.-Boley/e/B00FSM1AD6

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Winter of Zombie 2015: Rhonda Hopkins

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! Its the only blog that goes the distance with dominant female MMA fighters. I am your blog host, Mr. "Glass Jaw" Frank

When I think I Rhonda Rousey, I think of zombies. Except that Rhonda Rousey doesn't whip ass nearly ass hard as today's spotlight interview, Rhonda Hopkins. And, she's got more staying power too!

Today's Rhonda can take part in the Books, Beer and BLOGshit interview because she didn't get her shit pushed in.

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

Rhonda Hopkins: SURVIVAL is the first in my zombie apocalypse series. It’s a short story I originally wrote it for a charity anthology, Let’s Scare Cancer to Death, and later published as a single. However, I enjoyed the characters and writing about zombies so much I decided to make it into a series. The next novel-length book should be out soon. Here’s the blurb for Survival:

When Sarah escapes from her brutal abductors, she promises to return to rescue her twin sister, but with the walking dead invading Fort Worth, TX, she is forced to rely on a competitive coworker who made her work life hell for years. With her coworker weakened by cancer treatments, her sister still imprisoned, and zombies looking for an easy meal, Sarah’s only plan, if she can pull it off, is Survival.

Rhonda Hopkins: Even though I write dark fiction, I always like to add in a little optimism and shine a little light into the dark. So I don’t think you’ll ever see me write anything that is just full-on-dark and devoid of hope. While I don’t envision my apocalyptic world going back to the way it was pre-apocalypse, I do like to think that eventually, humans will win out. It may take years, decades even, but I see the end. Zombies have to decompose at some point, right? Technology, well obviously that’s gone for the foreseeable future. I think people will learn to be self-sustaining if they’re going to survive and use a bartering system for trade. Unfortunately, there will always be those who only want to create chaos and make others miserable. So among the good, there will always be bad. I think that makes us appreciate the good even more.

Rhonda Hopkins: I love writing about zombies and the human elements of the story. But I would get really bored only writing one thing. I write paranormal and I also have a young adult urban fantasy series (GEMINI SERIES) I’m currently writing and a suspense waiting in the wings to be written. I also plan to try my hand at horror for the children’s market aimed at the middle grade level.>

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

Rhonda Hopkins: I have to go with the human survivor. A zombie backstory is just that. A story. Humans have the past and how it affects their present, and their future. You can get lost in their emotions and in their relationships. A human will always have more depth to explore than a zombie in the traditional sense. Of course, if an author is writing about a zombie who is aware and from that point of view, then they might have a pretty interesting character study.>

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

Rhonda Hopkins: Oh wow. There are so many I enjoy! Here are just a few in no particular order:

TW Brown
Armand Rosamilia
Mark Tufo
Bobby Adair
Kate L. Mary
Eric A. Shelman

They all offer a unique take in zombie fiction.

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

Rhonda Hopkins: There better be! What would be the point of living otherwise? Seriously though, mankind has always found a way to procreate and I don’t see that changing in a zombie world. Sex is basic. The need to feel close to another person, especially in times of crisis or joy, is so ingrained, I don’t think it’s in danger of ever going away. Sex can make you feel alive when there is nothing but death and despair around you. So I think it’s vital for mankind’s survival and not just because it leads to creating new humans, but because of the hope it instills.

Of course, in fiction, if there’s going to be sex or a relationship, it needs to be believable and not just thrown in wherever. I can’t imagine lust taking over while running away from a zombie hoard.>

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

Rhonda Hopkins: A lot. My books are set in Texas which makes for a very hot summer and oh those ghastly corpse smells. All the things you’d typically do in the summer, but without air conditioning would be a huge challenge. And in winter, a different set of challenges would exist. Weather can become a major character when dealing with extremes of any kind.>

Rhonda Hopkins: Taco del Brains – A Tex-Mex Variety of Spicy Human Served With a Fresh Bloody Margarita>

Amazon Worldwide: http://bookShow.me/B00KZT1WE4

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/15186

KOBO: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/survival-episode-one

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id889658597

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/survival-rhonda-hopkins/1119842425>

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Winter of Zombie 2015: Steven Pajak

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! Its the only blog the rhymes with FLOGshit! I am your blog host, Mr. Frank!

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.

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.

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.

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

Monday, June 22, 2015

Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2015: Mark Tufo

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! Its the only blog that has big guns! I am your high caliber blog host, Mr. Frank!

Today is a super special day on the BLOGshit. We have a Mark Tufo EXCLUSIVE! That's right, you're only going to be able to read this right here on Books, Beer and BLOGshit! One of the options we gave to the blog tour participants was to write a short piece about, "What I Did On My Zombie Summer Vacation." This was the option we were most hoping the writers would go with. Not many did but the ones we got are magnificent!

So here and here only, I present to you, Mark Tufo's What I Did On My Zombie Summer Vacation as told by Mark's nefarious zombie clown, Timmy!

Let 'er rip!

Timmy’s Summer Apocalypse

“Timmy? Timmy? Wake up! This is class not your tomb where only hell knows what you do!”
Mrs. Grimestein shrieked, shredding through her taut vocal chords. Timmy’s classmates giggled in a
deep groaning manner befitting of the newly teenaged dead. “It is your turn to speak.” Her tongue
peeked and poked out through the hole in the side of her cheek sometimes she would bite down on it
hard enough to draw blood and would pause as her eyes rolled up and she drank deeply of the brackish fluid. Timmy stood, he was enormous for thirteen, already well over six feet tall and two hundred pounds, he’d used his size advantage to his benefit for as long as he could remember, intimidating his classmates and sometimes his teachers.

Of them all it was Mrs. Grimestein with her gray rotting flesh that had never been able to see his
vastly superior size as scary. She would mock him at every turn, he would later learn that this was her way of keeping him ‘small’ but for now he went to the head of the class to deliver his Summer
Apocalypse report. He was all too aware of the condition his umm rigor mortis was causing, the front of his pants stuck out like he had a narwhal tucked down there. His classmates moaned in derision as his member preceded him. Timmy turned and faced the room, his face twisted up in strain as he let loose the build of up of gaseous pressure within his colon, ribbons of Bob the janitor’s undigested lower intestines fell from Timmy’s rectum pooling up in the seat of his pants, making the tight clothes that much more uncomfortable. Wendy Walker wrinkled up her nose from the offending smell then began to lick at the air like a snake sampling a scent. Timmy cleared his throat, a wet bloody ball of phlegm and fibrous material shot out from his mouth and fell with a squishing sound to the floor. Don Deader and Sara Shambler fought for the food ort.

“What I did for my summer apocalypse.” He started, his voice sounding like he had tiny bits of razor sharp coral shoved down his throat causing the vocalized air to be thick and coated in fluid. “Her name was Vivian.” There was a sneering snicker rippling throughout the class until he gazed at each and every one of his classmates threatening to stuff their heads into long unflushed toilets. “Vivian
Deneaux.” He continued. “She tried to kill me, had a gun pressed to my forehead. The joke was on her though it was empty. I bit her outstretched hand so hard I ripped her thumb clean off!” The front of Timmy’s pants which had been deflating, once again began to inflate with the thought. “The crunch of her brittle bones was heavenly the burst of marrow like a cream filled snack.” His eyes took on a dreamy expression. “I stripped her thumb of meat like a chicken bone, her screams of pain and shock like a deep am...am (he struggled with the unfamiliar word) am...”

“Ambrosia.” Mrs. Grimestein said leaning around his side to look at his paper.

“Yeah ambrosia. I moved up the length of her arm, the loose flesh from her upper arm pulled away with only some slight tugging I knew it was going to be tender.” He was drooling slightly now. “I
held her up as I chewed through the fatty wriggly meat. I slurped every delicious morsel. She was still screaming which I found amazing for someone so old. Usually they die pretty quickly, not this one though she was a tough old bird, I mean in the head not in the body that was as tender as fine
steakhouse aged steak. When I was done on her arm there wasn’t meat enough for a maggot and still the bitch wouldn’t die. Then I got an idea.” He pointed to his head like he was amazed something other than ‘eat...shit’ passed through there.

“Really?” Mrs. Grimestein also seemed surprised.

“She wouldn’t die so I saved her.”

There was an audible gasp from his classmates who were now rapt with his report.

“Yeah I saved her for later!” And then he laughed a wild maniacal thing. “She tasted so good I didn’t want to eat her in just one sitting, so I would bring another meal home and eat in front of her. She
would look at me sometimes wondering why I was doing that but I didn’t care. I like my food to be
aware of what is going to happen to them. When I was done with the little girl, I grabbed the old biddy’s lower calf, she struggled pretty hard for someone with one arm and about three thousand years behind her. Didn’t matter I bit through the bottom of her heel and ripped a chunk of flesh easily an inch...”

“Timmy!” Mrs. Grimestein started.

“Sorry, two point five three centimeters thick.’

“That’s better.”

“She had fat callouses and a few plantars warts that...I mean I just can’t describe how good it was. I mean even better than the first eyeball I ever ate.”

The class sighed thinking of their first times.

“Oh and the screams, it was an added am...am...”

“Ambience.” Mrs. Grimestein prodded. “Go on.” Seemed she was interested as well.

“I thought for sure she’d die but I think maybe she’s too mean for that. So on and on it went the entire summer, I would kill and eat someone and then take a portion of Deneaux as an after dinner mint, her calves, the sallow flesh of her thighs, just last week I ate her sex, have to admit that wasn’t the best part, sort of moldy but still better than most.”

“Is that it?” Mrs. Grimestein asked.

“Not quite I wanted to finish with a show and tell.” Timmy shuffled out of the room, he came back in pulling a chain. A furious old woman whose eyes blazed red was being dragged behind him, the chain wrapped tightly around her neck. Her arms and legs reduced to yellow bone as they scraped against the flooring. The class eyed her hungrily as she left a slimy trail of pus behind her.

“She is not one of us yet she is still alive?” Mrs. Grimestein had come closer. “I thought perhaps your story a fabricated tale Timmy, then I remembered you lacked the imagination.”

Timmy hadn’t heard a word his teacher said. “I present to you class, a gift. You can eat what remains though it will spoil it for every other meal you will ever have.” Chairs started moving backwards as his classmates arose. “First though! First Grimestein must die.”

There had never been a zombie on zombie killing before that day but never had something as special as that old crone ever been offered up as a motive. The rest of the day the class lazily ripped meat from Deneaux’s torso all the while she cursed and spat at them and finally begged for a cigarette before her eyes dimmed and closed.

“I cannot wait for school tomorrow. I have another surprise.” Timmy said as he walked out of the room. “I wonder what table wine goes with a Tal...” The door closed behind him and the rest was lost to the wind.

Thank you for having me on your blog and I hope you guys enjoy the short! -Mark Tufo

Zombie Author Mark Tufo

Woo! I think we all need a cigarette after that bit of juicy Tufo! While you're inhaling carcinogens, why not take a look at the links to all things Mark Tufo. Its equally orgasmic we assure you!

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mark+tufo

email
mark@marktufo.com

website
www.marktufo.com

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Tufo/133954330009843?ref=hl

Twitter
@zombiefallout

Here's a shameless promotion for no particular reason

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2015: Luke Ahearn

You're reading Books, Beer and BLOGshit! It's the only blog on the internet that insists on starting out with the same opening phrases time after time. I am your repetitive host, Mr. Frank!

Luke Ahearn on the BLOGshit today for the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour. You're not going to believe this, Luke writes books! Zombie books no less! Don't that beat all? Luke Ahearn was indisposed however so we sat down with a zombie that came shambling along after him.

It will have to do.

The BLOGshit: How’d you become a zombie?

Ahearn's Zombie: I’m a zombie? Well, what ever happened it must have been gradual. I do remember the whole world was freaking out scared but I was all like, “take a chill pill man.” You see I was part of the initial wave of awesomeness that took hold of mankind. There is no way to describe it but I was part of the solution and all I had to do was smile and hug people. It worked too because soon we were all in the streets partying naked. Nothing was off limits, I mean nothing.
So there I was spreading the love man! I started hugging people and soon everyone was totally chill. Not just chill but the whole world was like the Gathering of the Juggalos or Burning Man. I’m what you might call an ugly son of a bitch, but when I was feeling confident I started hugging everyone and anyone I wanted to. It was awesome. One minute I’m feeling good, then great, then I’m dancing naked in the front lawn and then…No way in a million years would I thought this possible… my fine ass neighbor appears naked and starts dancing with me. Then we are doing it like dogs in the front lawn. Then it all gets a little fuzzy. I do remember shit after that but I can’t repeat it here.

The BLOGshit: Would you rather be alive again?

Ahearn's Zombie: I’ve never felt more alive! I can go all day and all night. No more sleep or hygiene for me. It’s all shuffling and eating, eating and shuffling.

The BLOGshit: What do the brains taste like anyway?

Ahearn's Zombie: Don’t really know. They’re always inside the skull and not worth the effort. I’m a simple man, meat and more meat for me; no skin, no fancy organs, no gnawing bones like a dog. I like the prime cuts; mid-bicep, flank, rump, quadraseeps—okay now I’m just making things up trying to sound fancy. I just rip into a living walker and enjoy. Like I said, I’m a simple man.

The BLOGshit: Does everything stiffen up from the Rigor Mortis?

Ahearn's Zombie: Rigor Mortis? I wish. It’s like zombie Viagra. But fortunately I’ve been swinging in the breeze and swinging past my knees, everything is loose as a goose. My intenseness are what’s
swinging so low as I lost my penis some time ago. I can’t tell you where it is but probably not too far from my scrots.

The BLOGshit: If you could eat anyone, who would it be?

Ahearn's Zombie: Hell I don’t care who I eat. When you are hungry you take the closest thing reaming and have at it. I guess if I were to be picky it would be just your average Joe or Josephine. Someone in average health before middle age but after puberty. Fat people are a lot of work, lots of digging to get to the meat. Youngsters are tasteless although some claim it’s like eating veal. The old
people are stringy and tough. And clowns taste funny—I love that one! It’s hard to find that perfect meal so I just bite in, grateful this slow walking son of a gun managed to get his hands on a fresh screamer.

Zombie Author Luke Ahearn

Another successful interview with a zombie with nary a bite. Damn, we're getting good at this! To celebrate check out these links for Luke Ahearn below. Don't pick up too many at once or you'll give yourself Ahearn-ia! HAHAHAHA! Get it? Ahearn-ia! A. Hern. E. UH!

Okay, I'll stop now.

Luke Ahearn on GoodReads

Luke Ahearn on Amazon

Luke Ahearn on WordPress