Claire C. Riley
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Odium II. The Dead Saga **sneak peak**

28/2/2014

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It's not long until Odium II will be with you, but here's a sneak peak to wet your appetite for now.

So tell me, what are you looking forward to the most from Odium II? I'm having a blast writing it, and I hope that you'll enjoy reading it when its done. It has a tentative release date of May 9th so watch this space...

On Monday, the Let's Scare cancer to Death anthology is released, I'll be posting a link up as soon as it goes live, so be ready for it. Remember, ALL profits for this anthoology will be going directly to the V-Foundation, none of us are making anything at all from it, other than good old fashioned karma. So do your bit for charity, read some gore and support some great writers all in one go!

Now, without further ado...



The empty field and the houses in the distance, spur us both on, and I grab Mikey’s hand as we push harder, willing
our legs to run faster, and our muscles not to cramp up. To cramp up now could mean death for both of us, by
deader or by gun, death would be a long, drawn out painful experience. Fuck that. 

With deaders in the surrounding field getting closer, the scene plays out in slow motion when I trip and fall to
my knees, mud splattering up around me. Mikey turns and grips me under the arms, dragging me back up to
standing.

My eyes bug out when a grey arm reaches up out of the mud and grabs at his ankle.“Mikey!” I scream.

He kicks away from the deaders reach and swings down with his fist, narrowly missing its rotten mouth which is
snapping at his leg, and hitting it hard across its skull with his fist. Its head whips backwards upon impact, but the
deader quickly rights itself and fixes its cloudy gaze back upon me. It stretches a rotten hand across, as it slowly
pulls itself free of the mud and grass, growling and snapping its teeth. Mikey’s booted foot stamps down on its arm,
snapping the bone, however the ligament still hangs by the bloated and stretched skin. The deader pays the broken
limb no attention, but continues to drag is decomposing body towards me. Mikey grabs it from behind and drags it
backwards. It thrashes around growling in anger in an attempt to get to me, until Mikey falls on his ass. I grab the
nearest thing to me: a heavy rock, and with difficulty I launch it at the things face with a guttural cry. 

It crushes into the brittle bones, making an almost concave shape where its features should be and releasing a
toxic stench that I can taste in my mouth. It stops moving instantly, and collapses into the gore soaked earth
around it. I look at Mikey as he holds a hand out to me, his breathe coming in jagged gasps.

“Come on, baby. We need to go.”

My shaky hand takes his, I climb back to my feet, and together we run.

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As always, happy reading.

Claire C Riley



Ps. Don't forget to leave a review for Odium if you can. Good or bad, long or short, every one makes a difference and every one is appreciated.

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Author Spotlight: Mark Cain

23/2/2014

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I'm really pleased to be able to introduce to you a true gentleman today. my good friend Mark Cain. I first met him over two years ago when we were both on Authonomy. We read and critiqued each others stories and kind of fell in love with each others styles.

He loved my first novel Limerence, quoting it as one of the best vampire turnings he's ever read. As for me, I adored his novel Hell's Super. It was quirky and humorous with great prose and a  storyline so imaginative it could rival Terry Pratchet.

So please, give a warm round of applause to Mark Cain...



Mark Cain is a writer and musician living in the Austin, Texas area. His third novel, HELL’S SUPER, a comic fantasy, was published last fall by Taylor Street Books. It is available as a Kindle eBook or paperback. HELL’S SUPER is volume one of a new series, CIRCLES IN HELL. Volume two, A COLD DAY IN HELL, will be published in the Spring of 2014.

HELL’S SUPER has been variously described as satire, comedy and comic fantasy in the spirit of Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt and Douglas Adams. The entire CIRCLES IN HELL series, including A COLD DAY IN HELL, takes the everyday frustrations of modern life and expands them to Hellish proportions. You never know who you will run into in Cain’s cracked Inferno. You might encounter a great inventor, a movie star and, of course, more than the occasional devil and demon.

Amazon Links:

HELL'S SUPER (USA)
HELL'S SUPER (UK)


Mark Cain Interview

So, who the hell are you? Ha, ha, see what I did there?

Yeah, I caught that. I'm Mark Cain, and I'm working on a series of books called CIRCLES IN HELL. (Now your readers also see!)

Stalker links: (website/FB/Twitter/Amazon author page/)

http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Cain/e/B00EBB8PG0

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1064236.Mark_Cain

Genre of writing:

Satire. You could also call it comic fantasy.

Can you name the last three books you read?

ODDS AND GODS, Tom Holt

THE GIRL ON THE RED PILLOW, Angelika Rust

EUREKA! 81 KEY IDEAS EXPLAINED, Michael Macrone
   
Can you name the next three books you will be reading?

GREAT GATSBY, Fitzgerald

CAT'S CRADLE, Vonnegut

LIFE AFTER LIFE, Kate Atkinson

The first two are rereads. I consider GATSBY the greatest American novel. Vonnegut is one of my favourite authors, and I haven't read CAT'S CRADLE in decades.

New author finds of 2013-2014 and those that you look forward to hearing more from?

Well, Claire C Riley of course. I'm still looking forward to the sequel to LIMERENCE. Then there's Angelika Rust. She's Austrian, but she writes in English, and she can tell the most macabre tale in a deadpan manner. Finally, Adam Oster. He and I are both comic book fans, and I had a great deal of fun with his THE LEGEND OF BUDDY HERO.

Other than writing, what do you do?

I play music. Living in Austin, you have to also be a musician. I think its a law here. Still, the rebel at heart, I do NOT play the guitar. I play tuba, in a British brass band, a traditional jazz group (Dixieland band), and a classical brass quintet.

Occasionally, I still do a bit of IT management consulting.

I'm a runner, a reader, and a lover. Beyond those roles, I'm a foodie; I enjoy food, beer, and wine. The Hill Country of Texas is replete with wineries. Touring them is a bunch of fun.

What’s do you think is the hardest thing about writing?

Selling what you've written. But not to dodge the question, I'd have to say sub plotting. I'm a very character-driven writer, and I tend to lock onto my protagonist's story line. To keep things interesting, I have to make a conscious effort to weave complexity into a plot. Otherwise, it becomes too linear a tale.

Tell us about your latest book?

Title: HELL'S SUPER

Brief run down in your own words:

The book is a satire or comic fantasy about Steve Minion, Hell's Super(intendent) of Plant Maintenance. He and his assistant, Orson Welles (yep, that one), have to fix Hell's Escalator. He gets some help from friends like Andrew Carnegie, Allan Pinkerton, and Steve's would-be girlfriend, Florence Nightingale.

Published by:

Taylor Street Books out of San Francisco 

Release date:

Fall 2013
 
Anything in particular that you want to say about it? Where did you get the inspiration from? Favourite characters? Tell us something unusual.

Earlier, I gave you a run down on the story. Now here's the setting: Imagine a Hell that is the worst day you ever spent at work -- you know, screaming bosses, unpleasant customers, bad coffee, too much work and too little time in which to do it. Take that day and put it on a never-ending loop. Mix in some devils and demons, famous historical figures, and the odd assortment of saints, magical creatures, and mythological beings. Take two egg whites...no, I'm confusing this with last night's dinner...instead add slapstick, sight gags, jokes, pop culture, and biting satire, and you have the landscape on which HELL'S SUPER unfolds.


The inspiration for the story came from my own loathing for Mr. Fixit jobs. Have you ever replaced a light rheostat and found that you could now change the volume on a radio you had plugged into a nearby socket? Well, I have. It was Hell. My own version. Now think of your own version of Hell. If you were a character in my book, that's what you'd be doing for eternity.

Favorite characters? BOOH, the infamous Bat out of Hell; Orson; Satan; and Uphir, who is a creepy little demon who runs Hell's hospital, which I like to call The Toaster. (No, I won't explain. Your readers have to read the book to find out.)

What are you working on next and when can we expect to get our greedy little mitts on it?

Ah, that would be the sequel, A COLD DAY IN HELL, which is about fixing a breakdown in Hell's HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system. This is a bit of a crisis, since there are metaphysical ramifications involved. Have you ever used the expression, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I...?" If you have, you see what's at stake.

When will it be available? That's in the hands of my publisher. I hope this spring, but it might be summer instead.

Hell's Super Excerpt & Cover

The rumble—a constant thrum thrum thrum of many feet pounding against flights of stairs—was not so distant now. The desperate and determined rhythm grew to an ear-splitting cacophony that threatened to overwhelm me.

I swallowed hard. Not long. Soon ten thousand Hellions would surge up the stairwell and trample me, if I couldn’t stop them. And then all Hell would break loose.

I considered my assets: one tool belt, two rolls of duct tape, and a bullhorn. Not much, all told. At least I had a plan, though it seemed pretty lame to me now.

One against an entire horde. Not good. I had never felt so alone, though that would change soon enough.

I could hear the voices of those below, some angry, some jubilant, others merely feral, howls and grunts that sounded as if they came from stampeding animals instead of rampaging humans.

This was not in my job description.

My nerves got the better of me, as the horde reached the landing immediately below. An index finger, slick with my own sweat, curled around the trigger of the bullhorn.

Maybe a bazooka would have been a better choice.
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As always happy reading!

Claire ♥
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Women in Horror Month 2014 ** WiHM2014 **

18/2/2014

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Women in horror recognition month was started five years ago, as a way to gain more recognition, more exposure and more opportunities for blood lusting female genre artists, through writings, artwork and other such exposure.
What began as a simple statement has gradually grown into a movement which is travelling accross the globe. Through the support of both men and women, the movement continues to grow and support great writers and artists of horror work.

It's a sad state that discrimination still runs rampant in places like Hollywood, sad but true, but through the continued work and suppport of WiHM movments across the world, we can put an end to discrimination. WiHM focus's on supporting the achievements of women who utilize the most extreme mirror available in storytelling: horror. It is used to encourage women to explore and represent these horrors constructively, in positive ways. Our thoughts, ideals and actions are our responsibility, use them wisely.

I feel privilaged to have been a part of WiHM this year, through the help of Sirens Call Publications. (Link below) Producing a short story for your reading pleasure **grin** maybe pleasure is the wrong word. 
Featuring 168 pages of Short Stories,  Flash Fiction, Poetry & Photography by Women in Horror.
Feature  interview by Angie Gallow, author of The Coven.
We're also featuring a  400 word Flash Fiction Contest based on a single image. Three authors will be  chosen to win a $10 Gift Certificate to Amazon! (on pg30)

Best of all, it's a free eZine, so there's no excuse to not get the gore flowing in your mind and find and support some new horror authors.


http://www.sirenscallpublications.com/ezine.htm

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I want to take a minute to thank everyone that has supported me and my writing, both male and female. I have thankfully never experienced any discrimination because of being a female horror writer, and I've worked with a lot of male and female writers.
In fact, I have only ever had positive experiences, so far.
Perhaps this is the work of WiHM? Perhaps I've just been lucky enough to meet respectful, intelligent male and females  that see no difference in a
 female writer to a male. Or perhaps I've just been lucky.
I have a feeling that it's both of these things.
Regardless, I'm very grateful to both my fans and fellow horror colleagues for making this a positive experience.



So, head on over to Sirens Call Publication and download the free eZine, get to know some great work, find a new favourite author, and help support this great cause. Together, we're making it happen and stamping out sexual discrimination.

Happy reading

Claire C Riley


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Eat Your Heart Out Author Extravaganza: Meet Some Amazing Authors

13/2/2014

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Welcome to The Eat Your Heart Out event!
Whether you like classic horror, zombies or short stories, there is a great variety of novels to choose from this Valentine’s Day. You can check out the full list below:
  • Aftermath (Invasion of the Dead. Book #1) by Owen Baillie
  • Ghost Hold by Ripley Patton
  • The Last Venture Capitalist by Dan Eagles
  • The Untold Tales Omnibus: Zombie Stories From the As The World Dies Universe by Rhiannon Frater
  • Pulse by Eloise J. Knapp (RELEASE DATE: February 14th)
  • The Retreat #1: Pandemic by Craig DiLouie, Stephen Knight and Joe McKinney
  • Until the End of the World by Sarah Lyons Fleming
  • Fish to Die For (666 Fish) by Keith Milstead
  • I Zombie I by Jack Wallen
  • Zombie Battle: Complete by Jacqueline Druga
  • Designated Infected by Ricky Cooper
  • Game of Straws by SB Knight
  • Z Burbia by Jake Bible
  • The Under-Circus and Other Tales by A. Carina Barry& Robert W. Barry (RELEASE DATE: February 14th)
  • Stamps, Vamps and Tramps by Katie Cord (RELEASE DATE: February 14th)
  • 100 Days in Deadland (Deadland Saga) by Rachel Aukes
  • Emeline and the Mutants by Rachel Tsoumbakos
  • Origins (Game of Straws) by SB Knight
  • Forget the Alamo by R.J. Spears
  • Odium (The Dead Saga) by Claire C Riley
  • Forever, in Pieces by Kurt Fawver
  • Devouring Milo by Tonia Brown
  • When the Dead by Michelle Kilmer
  • The Spread by Michelle Kilmer and Rebecca Hansen
  • Villipede Publications Double Feature: The Black Ziggurat by Damir Salkovic and Cyborg Pajamas by Rob Oxley (RELEASE DATE: February 14th)
  • Dead Trees by Eli Constant
  • The Shores of the Dead Book One: The Rising by Josh Hilden
  • At the Behest of the Dead by Timothy W. Long
The event was put together to bring you, the reader, some great books at great prices for one day only. Over on the event page, there are more interviews, giveaways, competitions, and tons more going on. What better way to spend V-Day than curled up with your loved one and meeting some fantastic horror writers!

Make sure you hold out until February 14 to purchase these books because for Valentine’s Day they will all be reduced to only 99 cents each!

https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/1492330050991663/?fref=ts

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Now lets meet a few of these amazing authors, Starting with the very cool Sarah.

Sarah Lyons Fleming

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Getting to know you & your book.

Name, contact and purchase links.

Sarah Lyons Fleming

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DX73ZPY

http://www.SarahLyonsFleming.com

SarahLyonsFleming@gmail.com    

http://www.facebook.com/SarahLyonsFleming



Tell us the name of the book you have in the Eat your Heart out event and a little bit about it.

Until the End of the World

Here’s my short blurb:

Cassie has lived to regret her broken promise that she’d love Adrian until the end of the world and after. And now that the end of the world has arrived, she must live long enough to make it right. Zombies never die, but what about true love?
It’s a story of true love, friendship, survival, redemption, and humor in the face of the end of the world. Oh, and beer.

Tell us something unusual about it.

Hmm, unusual, huh? I guess that I wrote it as post-apocalyptic zombie chick-lit, but I’ve gotten a lot of great reviews from men. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by that.

Who’s your favourite character? And do you have a worst?


Nelly is my favorite, hands down. But I love them all; I grew to love the ones I hated. The ones I didn’t, I got to kill.

What work do you have coming up in the future?

The second book of the Until the End of the World series, AND AFTER, will be out in the spring. I have a novella about one of the characters which will be out shortly. But it’s a “side”-quel and contains major spoilers, so should only be read after the book.

Zombies, books & other things.

What are some zombie books or authors that you would recommend to others and why?


I haven’t read a ton of zombie books--weird, I know. I have a ton on my To Be Read list that I haven’t gotten to yet, but I can recommend a couple that I’ve read that are a bit more character-driven than most:

100 DAYS IN DEADLAND--Rachel Aukes. Rachel gives us real characters who are unsure, conflicted and trying their best to survive a nightmare.

UNTIL THE END and the sequel, AFTER THE END- Tracey Ward. (New Adult) The two main characters are funny and real.

Do you have a Z’ Plan in place? You know if the apocalypse started a plan on what you are going to do and where you will hide out, and if so will you share it with us?

I’ve got a good list of lesser-known stores to loot, if that’s what you mean. Kidding! Sort of. I’ll only loot when most everyone’s dead. Until then, I’ll hunker down with my stored food and weapons. You don’t want to try to come after my supplies--I’m a very good shot. Kidding!

Actually, no, I’m not. :)

What makes you want to write about zombies?

I love (and hate) the way they don’t stop. They’re mindless, but they’re also single-minded. They can ruin any moment of any day, and there’s no rhyme or reason to it. It’s so terrifying, yet fascinating.

How do you like your zombies?

Slow and shambling

or

Fast and clever?


Slow and shambling for me. That’s not to say that I don’t like fast ones, I just don’t write them, maybe because I think all the characters would be dead in ten minutes.

Chapter 1 Excerpt: UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD

Today is the kind of spring day that used to make me feel like anything was possible. That it would all work out in the end. I used to love days like this. Of course, that was before I started avoiding spring altogether.

It isn’t easy to avoid an entire season, especially one this glorious. But for the past three years I’ve managed it. I close the blinds, stay out of the sunshine and keep to myself, so as not to dredge up memories of that first terrible spring.

But this year feels different. I can’t help but enjoy the breeze that promises summer is coming. It’s the kind of day that puts a spring in your step, where you believe hope does spring eternal.

I dreamt about Adrian last night. But it wasn’t the usual dream, the one that wakes me up in tears with that empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. We were sitting on the porch steps of my parents’ cabin. Our legs were stretched out, feet resting on the ground. I was wiggling my toes. There was nothing else. Sure, the bees buzzed among the flowers and the trees whispered in the wind, but that was it. There was just quiet. And peace, the kind of peace that didn’t seem to follow Adrian as much as it was a product of him. When I woke up that feeling stayed with me, and I started thinking that maybe it could be mine again.

My friend Penny’s dark ponytail swings as we pass the brownstones and apartment buildings of our Brooklyn neighborhood on our way to work. I haven’t told her about this feeling, even though I tell her almost everything. I’m like a squirrel with a nut, wanting to hide it away for safekeeping, to turn it over and over and examine it.

Penny glances at my feet. “You wore your new shoes.”

I nod. It’s still too cool, but I wore the delicate straw sandals anyway. I thought they might make me feel feminine and strong. That maybe they would help me to embrace and welcome spring again. Relying on shoes to do all that is pretty dumb, but I need all the help I can get.

Penny raises her face to the sun and sighs with pleasure. She moved here from Puerto Rico when she was ten, after her father died. Even after all these years she still takes winter as a personal affront.

“My mom was called in last night, something to do with the LX virus,” Penny says, and pushes her vintage glasses back up where they belong. “She says there are a lot of cases in New York now.”

Bornavirus LX has spread across the world in the past few days. So far it’s only been found in the Midwest and West. I haven’t been paying much attention because in the spring I never do.

“Did she say how many?”

“No. But she’s pretty certain the quarantine of St. Louis means it’s going to get bad.”

“They quarantined St. Louis?” I’m shocked that it’s come to that.

“Yeah, late last night. Chicago, too. And air traffic is suspended from the West.” We stop at the front door of the Sunset Park Community Center, where we both work. “How do you not know all this? You’re usually the one telling me these things.”

“I’ve been distracted. I didn’t listen to the news this morning.”

I want to tell her more, but I’m not sure what there is to tell. It’s just a mental shift or something, and if it comes to nothing I don’t want to advertise the fact that I’ve failed. Penny glances around and twists her lips.

“James kissed me last night,” she says to the concrete.

“James what?” I yell. She shushes me and I lower my voice. “We just walked all the way to work and you tell me now? At—” I look at the time on my phone, “crap. There’s a meeting. I have to go.”

Penny smiles. She did this on purpose so I wouldn’t bother her about it the whole way to work.

“I knew it!” I say, and narrow my eyes even though I’m grinning. “We’re twenty-eight years old and you still won’t tell me when you like someone! Nelly and I have been waiting for this. You’re gonna tell me later, you know.”

“Gotta go,” she sings out, as I head upstairs.


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Josh Hilden

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Getting to know you & your book.

Name, stalker links and purchase links.

 
Josh Hilden


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/josh-hilden-author/116260821801432

Twitter: http://twitter.com/josh_hilden


Website: www.joshhilden.com


Blog: http://joshhilden.com/universal-josh/


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Josh-Hilden/e/B0094ACFPA/



Tell us the name of the book you have in the Eat your Heart out event and a little bit about it.

“The Shores of the Dead Book 1: The Rising”

The first book of a three book Zombie Apocalypse Series (with a short story anthology thrown in for fun).

Tell us something unusual or interesting about it.

The series has a slight supernatural bent to it. The cause is mystical in nature and there are bits and pieces within the series with mystic overtones. That being said I tried very hard to keep the “Magic” elements small and used more for enhancement as opposed to being the central thrust.

Who’s your favourite character? And do you have a worst?

Benny Millette is my favorite character. He’s not the big hero or the heart throb, he’s a genuinely good human being trying to protect his friends and family in a world gone mad.

Arn Jacobson is my worst … if I told you why it might spoil things.

What work do you have coming up in the future?

I am always working.

At the moment I am working on a novel called “Frankenstein, King of the Dead” which I hope to have available for purchase at Gen Con 2014 in Indianapolis.

Zombies, books & other things.

What are some zombie books or authors that you would recommend to others and why?


In my opinion Rhiannon Frater, Tim Long, and Eloise Knapp are the best Zombie authors working today. Not only do they write excellent horror but all three of them are masters of character creation. They’ve created characters that will always be with me (Cyrus, Kate, and Katie/Jenni).

Do you have a Z’ Plan in place? You know if the apocalypse started a plan on what you are going to do and where you will hide out, and if so will you share it with us?

My plan is to “Bug In” I’ve made plans to fortify my home and hold out until the temperature drops and the dead freeze, then me and my family HUNT!

What makes you want to write about zombies?


No fictional subject has ever scared me more than zombies. The terror turned into fascination which in turn fed the fear.

How do you like your zombies?

Slow and shambling

or

Fast and clever


Slow and shambling but that’s not to say fast isn’t terrifying. I think the Walking Dead (TV Show) has struck a good balance when it comes to zombie speed and mental acuity. 

The Shores Of The Dead Excerpt : Chapter Eight

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Chapter Eight

 Toys “R” US


Miamisburg, Ohio (South of Dayton)

October 19, 2012 AD (Day Two)

2:35am EST

            Bam … bam … bam!

The sound had been repeating itself for four hours and Kyle was sure that he was on the verge of madness. He was thankful that the pounding was coming from the far end of the room outside of his makeshift prison. Not the restroom door itself. Beside him on the cold floor, Benny breathed raggedly in and out. The swelling on the side of his head was sickeningly purple.


Kyle looked up from the corner he was sitting in and glanced at the laptop resting on the cracked and dingy pink tile floor off to his right. The mail icon was still reading zero and his instant messenger window was devoid of friends. It’d been almost two hours since he’d heard from anyone else online, and that person had been that asshat Martin. Martin was an old high school friend that Kyle and Benny had lost touch with more and more since graduation. He raved that they were pounding on the front and back doors of his house, and he wasn’t sure how long the doors would hold. He told Kyle he would brb, Be Right Back in computer speak. But he never returned.


He’d never liked Martin as much as Benny did, with his repository of endless blond jokes and the three day old smell of Cheetos and root beer that never seemed to leave him. Kyle hoped that they hadn’t got him, but they probably had.


He reached over and picked up the plastic Coca Cola bottle now filled with water from the restroom sink. He liked that the Coca Cola Company had gone back to the simple red and white label. He thought the metallic bubbles and lines looked like complete shit ever since they appeared on the bottles. He held the bottle to Benny’s lips and tilted it up carefully.


 “Benny, man, you need to wake up, please.” He said as he attempted to hydrate his friend. He jumped a second later.

            Bam … bam … bam!


He wanted to scream at Jackie. Scream that she needed to drag her fat ass over to the other side of the room where the emergency exit door was located, and push on the fucking bar on the door in order for it to open. But the last time he’d succumbed to that impulse she’d slouched her way back to the restrooms moaning and clawing at the walls and doors for over half an hour before she had returned to pounding on the door to the sales floor. The door you needed to pull not push open, of course since he’d locked it after Mel fled that didn’t matter. The moaning and the sound of her fingers scraping on steel and cinder block were worse than the constant banging in its own charming way. The irony was that Kyle found her less irritating and clingy than during the six months that they had dated.


When he admitted to himself that Benny still wasn’t going to drink he tipped back the tepid bottle of tap water himself. Drinking more out of reflex than any real thirst. The water stopped having that faint cola taste after three refills. The problem wasn’t water, the problem was food, and Kyle Jefferson Carson was soon going to be one hungry boy.


Having skipped breakfast following the results of his night’s binge drinking, he figured it’d been almost 30 hours since he’d had anything substantial to eat. He finished the Snickers bar in his backpack in the first hour and there had been nothing to eat since. The really maddening part was the knowledge that right outside the steel door was the Toys “R” Us break-room and the myriad of vending machines and the refrigerator with all of its plastic containers and bags of food. Sure it was food that belonged to other people, but Kyle figured that those poor bastards were either dead or never coming back. And hadn’t he heard Carlos say that he had a slab of lasagne for lunch? It wasn’t like he was going to miss it. The thought made him snort like a five year old. Then his stomach cramped with hunger and the potential humour of his thought bled away. Jackie was still out there, possibly guarding the lasagne because she knew that Kyle was craving it worse than anything he’d ever desired in his life.


Why the fuck hadn’t he eaten before he came to work?

The hell of it was that he was still not sure he would be able to handle her if he grew some balls and went for it. He’d barely been able to handle her when she’d been alive. Like the night that he told her that he was breaking up with her and she started crying. Kyle tried to comfort her but that was a huge mistake. As soon as he put his arm on her shoulder, she whirled around and started screaming at him. He was an asshole, he was a moron, he was a skinny fucking four eyed kid, his dick was small, he was a lousy fuck, and the kicker … she only let him touch her because she felt sorry for him.

Every one of her shrill declarations was punctuated with a jab of her sausage like finger into his sternum. Those jabs were painful and they forced Kyle against the nearest wall. Like every other confrontation he’d had in his life, Kyle just stood there and took it for almost an hour before he’d been able to escape.

“Fuck,” he said as he hoisted himself up to refill the bottle. He looked in the mirror and was dismayed to see how much he’d deteriorated since this nightmare had started. His eyes were heavily shadowed and his sockets looked hollowed out. He also smelled pretty ripe but perhaps he could be forgiven for that.

He pointedly did not look at the drying spot on the front of his pants.

The swelling on his face where he’d been thrown into the wall when Carlos used him as a human shield was beginning to recede. But the bruise was an ugly purple and yellow thing and he was convinced that the cheek bone was busted in at least three spots.

He wanted to cry, but he refused to give into that emotion.


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Eli Constant

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Author Bio:

Eli Constant lives in Virginia with her husband, two daughters and rescue dog. She spends her days mothering, puttering about the house doing this and that and, of course, writing.

Her debut novel, “Dead Trees,” published in the winter of 2012. It is a dystopian thriller focusing on the trials of a mother across a post-apocalyptic, hostile landscape. Eli is obsessed with human nature and the choices people make when faced with insurmountable odds. She hopes to approach this obsession with every piece of writing, examining the nuances of humanity’s many faces.

Her published works, available on Amazon and at various retailers, are “Dead Trees,” “DRAG.N,” & “Mastic.” Her upcoming projects include “Let’s Scare Cancer to Death” (charity anthology out March 1st 2014, headed by TW Brown and May December Publications), “Fading Hope” (a multi-author, progressive anthology, birth child of Jack Wallen), “The Murderous Campbells” (a three-author anthology), “Dead Trees II” & a novel of interconnected zombie stories, tentatively titled “Children of the Z.”
Getting to know you & your book.

Stalker links and purchase links, shoe size… actually, you can leave off the shoe size, that’s not really important…

But what if they want to buy me shoes, Claire? I love shoes…

https://twitter.com/Author_EliC

https://www.facebook.com/authorEliConstant

www.eliconstant.com

http://authoreliconstant.wordpress.com/

Book Purchase links (Amazon)

http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Trees-Eli-Constant-ebook/dp/B00APYKD7G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391886592&sr=8-1&keywords=eli+constant 

http://www.amazon.com/Mastic-Eli-Constant-ebook/dp/B00FMHGX5W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1391886521&sr=8-2&keywords=eli+constant

http://www.amazon.com/DRAG-N-Eli-Constant-ebook/dp/B00C0YRR6Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1391886521&sr=8-3&keywords=eli+constant

Tell us the name of the book you have in the Eat your Heart out event and a little bit about it.

“Dead Trees.” It’s a dystopian thriller focusing on the trials of a mother across a post-apocalypse and hostile landscape. 

  Here’s the blurb:  

Elise Swanson is a widow and mother. She fights with gun and knife against nail and claw, praying she can keep her little, broken family safe. She drives and drives, day after day, trying to escape a threat that seems… inescapable. The Beasties. 

Subterranean humanoids, existing since the dawn of man, have arisen from the belly of the earth. Civilization is a ghost of yesterday. Remaining humans fight for survival. 

Pit stop fights with beasties define survival-road. Against all odds, Elise, her daughters and their new companions reach a safe zone. 

There’s no rest for the weary as Elise is drafted quickly into the heart of human resistance, her knowledge may be the key, the only hope humanity has of reclaiming their home from the Beasties.

What will happen when a Neural Engineer, a medical researcher and a computer wizard are humanity’s best hope? The answer might be surprising

Wrapped up in all the uncertainty, violence, science lingo and beasties, they will find a strange solution to a new Earth. 
 
And her name is Margaret.
I’m really obsessed with human nature and the choices people make when faced with insurmountable odds. That obsession is something I try to approach with every piece of writing. Humanity has many faces and I want to examine each one. 

Tell us something unusual or interesting about it.

It’s been described as a zombie novel without the zombies. I guess it just has that feel. There are many elements that are different, however- like the limitations my antagonists have: sensitivity to light, poor vision, anatomical traits that must adapt to surface life- products of evolving underground. And the advantages the Undergrounders are different too- they have the speed, the acute hearing, the clawed hands, so effective at ripping into human flesh.

Who’s your favourite character? And do you have a worst?

My favourite character in “Dead Trees” doesn’t enter the story until well past the halfway point; her name is Margaret and she’s a beastie/human crossbreed with wicked intelligence, accelerated growth and silver-white hair. She doesn’t get as much attention in this instalment, but when “Dead Trees II” releases, readers will find this character at the forefront of the storyline, matured and ready for action.

Hmm. I guess my least favourite character in the book is a secondary character named Allison. She’s a little too weak for my tastes, a little too whiney. I will say, though, that she redeems herself a bit toward the end.

What work do you have coming up in the future?

I’m delighted to say I have lots on the horizon for this year: Next month, the charity anthology headed by TW Brown and published by May December Publications, “Let’s Scare Cancer to Death” comes out. I’m proud to be a part of it, since all the proceeds go to the V Foundation for cancer research.

Also this year, I have a joint anthology with several authors headed up by Jack Wallen; it’s tentatively titled “Fading Hope” and focuses on just that, fading hope in impossible situations. It’s a look at humanity and human reaction.

In a fully cooperative effort, I’m working with Claire C. Riley & Ken Mooney on a 3-novella anthology revolving around a singular, group-decided theme- serial killers, specifically, serial killers inspired by cult classic films and historical figures. It’s going to be amazing.

For my independent work- I have several submissions out to different publishers, short stories mostly. I’m also currently writing “Dead Trees II,” due out early this Fall & a book of interconnected zombie stories inspired by my contribution to “Let’s Scare Cancer to Death.” Lastly, and it’s far in left field, I’ve written a Space Opera. That I’m just sitting on… debating, wondering when the time will be right to enter into that genre’s world. 

Zombies, books & other things.

What are some zombie books or authors that you would recommend to others and why?


Well, I know this is going to sound like ass-kissing, but Claire is my favourite Indie author. I’ve read Odium and Odium Origins twice. I’ve pimped them out to my friends, recommended them on social media. I even check her reviews on Goodreads and Amazon to see if she’s gotten new ones. Yeah… that’s the kind of freaky fangirl stalker I am.

Do you have a Z’ Plan in place? You know if the apocalypse started a plan on what you are going to do and where you will hide out, and if so will you share it with us?

My family and I would hit the pavement and head straight to my dad’s house. He’s a retired Air Force SERE (search, evasion, resistance & escape) instructor. I tell the absolute truth when I say that my dad has a bunker full of equipment, food and go-bags (backpacks with everything you’d possibly need to survive on the road). You want to know where he lives? Right. Like I’m going to tell you.

What makes you want to write about zombies or the apocalypse?

To tell you the truth, it’s not what I had in mind when I started writing. Never once thought about zombies when I was crafting the Undergrounders in “Dead Trees.” My contribution to “Let’s Scare Cancer to Death” was my first attempt at a zombie story. I loved writing it; I’d write it again in a skinny minute. Which makes me think that there are a lot of flesh-eating deadheads in my future.

How do you like your zombies?

Slow and shambling

or

Fast and clever?


I have mixed feelings about this- which translates into my first zombie story “Z Children” in the LSCtD anthology I was talking about. In that story, the children are fast and clever & the adults are slow and shambling. The reasoning behind that is explained in the story.

Dead Trees Excerpt

Dead Trees Excerpt:

We were barely ten feet from the porch when I heard the scratching. Kara was burying her face in my shoulder. Megan was screaming in Jason’s arms.

I knew I was moving fast, but the turning of my head felt like someone had hit the slow motion button. Too many of them. Oh. My. God. There were too many.

Their pale, malformed faces were pressed against the window glass, the large table removed so they could see out. The dim light bothered their eyes. They squinted at us; but even without clear vision, they knew we were there. They could smell our scents lingering in the hotel. They could smell the musk of my daughters’ unwashed, campfire-scented hair.

“Run… Run!”

“I am running!” Jason’s voice was strained, bordering on hoarse.

“Run faster, damn it!” But we couldn’t go any faster and they were too fast. I made the mistake of glancing behind us again.

Undergrounders were pouring out of the hotel door. One after another on all fours, they came barreling towards us.

Since they weren’t feeding on human beings, I could only guess the undergrounder collective had decided on complete human genocide. Why else target two adults and two children minding their own damn business and only taking food that the undergrounders wouldn’t eat anyway?

It was freaking unfair.

The humanoids’ legs pushed backwards in unison like lions sprinting across the African plain. I could pinpoint the more evolved beasties- their joints were less feline, their appendages slightly more human and bipedal, less humanoid. The change did not affect their speed.

They were a mere hundred yards behind us and closing that distance rapidly. This herd didn’t seem to have crude weapons, just claw and teeth and speed.

I focused on running, trying not to keep looking back at the horror. The joint-popping sound was a blessing. At least I could measure the coming of my death by the proximity of the pop, pop, pop.

It was a little blessing in a hot hell.

Jason and I were side by side now. Each of us had one hand supporting a child and the other hand wielding a gun.

We sent bullet after bullet flying over our shoulders towards the approaching undergrounders. They came closer with every moment.

The less evolved ones were able to launch in predatory jumps.

I watched two of the smaller beasties push towards the ground and heave upwards. They sailed towards us, surpassing their brethren with ease, but their bodies flew too far. The jumping-jack humanoids whirled in unison to face us. 

Great. Beasties from all sides now.

We kept shooting, using our precious ammo. By the time they were upon us, their numbers had significantly dwindled.

The woods were even darker now. The van was so close, but seemed unreachable. The screeching of the undergrounders filled the night air. My girls screamed in terror- adding to the wild soundtrack of the chase. I was pushing as hard as I could, but my attention couldn’t be everywhere.

I didn’t see the rock flying towards me until it was too late.

It slammed into my right shoulder, so close to Kara’s little head, and sent me sprawling to the ground. All I could think was do not let go of Kara; but she flew out of my arms anyway and landed several feet away. She seemed unhurt, her eyes focused on me in shock. I could only spare her a falling glance.

© Eli Constant | 2012
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RJ Spears

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Getting to know you & your book.

Name, stalker links and purchase links.


  Name:  R.J. Spears
Website:  http://rjspears.com/
Blog:  http://rjspears.blogspot.com/
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5445765.R_J_Spears

Books: 
Forget the Alamo:  http://www.amazon.com/Forget-Alamo-Zombie-Novella-Zombies-ebook/dp/B00CJHOW9M/ref=la_B00APKD4BC_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391722282&sr=1-5

Forget Texas:  http://www.amazon.com/Forget-Texas-Zombies-R-J-Spears-ebook/dp/B00FK3V678/ref=la_B00APKD4BC_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391722301&sr=1-7

Sanctuary from the Dead:  http://www.amazon.com/Sanctuary-Dead-R-J-Spears-ebook/dp/B00E4DRQM4/ref=la_B00APKD4BC_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391722313&sr=1-4

Tell us the name of the book you have in the Eat your Heart out event and a little bit about it.

Forget the Alamo tells the story of a U.S. Marshall and his protectee being stranded in the Alamo at the start of a zombie outbreak.  He teams up a rag-tag band of survivors to escape the hordes of undead as they face many obstacles to in a perilous ride out of the city.  

Tell us something unusual or interesting about it.

Forget the Alamo was inspired by a trip I made to San Antonio.   My wife and I toured the Alamo and my wife said you ought to write a book about people trapped in the Alamo surrounded by zombies.  It was a lot of fun to write.  I usually work with detailed outlines and this book had one, but it was sketchy at best.  So, I felt I was free to take the story where the events led me.  One fun fact is that a famous zombie author who happens to live and work in San Antonio makes a brief cameo appearance.  The other fun fact is that is has a sequel – Forget Texas. 

Who’s your favourite character? And do you have a worst?

In Forget the Alamo, it is the hero, U.S. Marshall Grant.  He’s a smarter, braver, and more competent version of me.  The only way I’m better than him is that I’m funnier, but he does have his moments.  There are no real villains in this book because it is tale of survival versus the undead. 

What work do you have coming up in the future?

Funny you should ask.  The second book in my Books of the Dead series launches on the same day as the Eat Your Heart Event, February 14.  It is called Lord of the Dead and it is the sequel to Sanctuary from the Dead which was released in 2013.  Lord of the Dead follows the protagonist of Sanctuary from the Dead and the group he works with to survive the zombie apocalypse.  If anyone’s interested in short stories, I just released a collection of my horror short stories called Dark Matters in January.   It is available on Amazon and contains 15 frightening tales – seven of which feature zombies.   

Zombies, books & other things.

What are some zombie books or authors that you would recommend to others and why?


This a tough question.  There are some good ones.

The Walking Dead rates up there.  It’s truly epic now.

Rhiannon Frater’s As the World Dies series is really engaging.  I think she gives some of the most realistic portrayals of people in a zombie apocalypse.

I’m a big fan of Joe McKinney.  His Dead City was the first zombie book I ever read and it as a great intro to zombie fiction. 

World War Z was a real page turner. 

Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hand and Teeth was very inventive.

Dan William’s Mace of the Apocalypse is another book that is close to Rhiannon Frater’s writer in that the characters are easy to relate to.

There are so many more.  Stephen Knight, Catt Dahman, Joe Maberry.  There are some great writers out there writing compelling zombie fiction.

Do you have a Z’ Plan in place? You know if the apocalypse started a plan on what you are going to do and where you will hide out, and if so will you share it with us?

My plan is sketchy at best.  Just as you would plan for any natural or social disaster, you have to consider what might happen and what you would have to do.  First, I live in a fairly large metropolitan area and I’m getting the heck out of there.  More people means more zombies.  We would probably go to my hometown which is much smaller and more manageable.

What makes you want to write about zombies?

I think I can trace my love of zombies back to seeing George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead.  It made an indelible mark on me when I saw it when it was released.  That scenario percolated in my head for years.  Before turning to writing horror, I wrote crime and mystery fiction, but something about zombies just drew me in.  I felt I had a story to tell and just went at it.

 
How do you like your zombies?

Slow and shambling

or

Fast and clever
?

Slow and shambling – please.  Fast and clever and I’m dead. 


Excerpt & Blurb From Forget The Alamo 

EXCERPT FROM FORGET THE ALAMO:

I don’t know why I was laughing, but I was.  For all intents and purposes, our situation was lost and we were most likely going to die, but for some implausible reason at that very moment, I found the whole situation completely absurd.

                Who wouldn’t?

We were at the Alamo, surrounded by, roughly, a thousand flesh eating zombies who wanted nothing more than to devour us whole.  Despite all this, our diligent tour guide couldn’t help but draw parallels between our perilous situation and that of the two hundred or so militiamen who died here nearly two centuries ago.

“Well, I just said at least the zombies don’t have canons like Santa Anna’s men,” said Randell, our effete and only living tour guide left alive.  “I don’t see what’s so funny about that.”  He still wore his official tour guide vest, but it was torn in several places.

None of the others in our dwindling group seemed to share my amusement so I tried my best to shut it down.  It only took two fizzled attempts to stifle my giggles.  

“They don’t need canons,” I said, still with a sense of mirth in my tone.  “They have teeth.” I let that hang there for a moment then added, “And endless patience.”
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BLURB FROM FORGET THE ALAMO

When Grant was forced to land in San Antonio with his protectee, Sam Jenkins, he didn’t expect to be there for more than a day or two. That was until a strange viral outbreak started bringing the dead back to life and those reanimated dead started attacking the living. 

After a few harrowing days, Grant and a handful of other survivors find themselves trapped inside the Alamo, surrounded by a horde of the undead with their options narrowing. If the zombies don’t get them, starvation, or a military strike will. 

With their backs against the wall, they must learn to use their ingenuity to find a way to escape and then to survive.



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COVER FOR FORGET TEXAS

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Kurt Fawver

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Getting to know you & your book.

Name:  Kurt Fawver

www.facebook.com/kfawver

www.twitter.com/banalapocalypse

www.kurtfawver.com

http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Pieces-Kurt-Fawver/dp/0615903967

Name of my book: Forever, in Pieces. It's a collection of eighteen decadent short stories that fall under the aegis of horror, dark fantasy, and weird fiction.

Tell us something unusual or interesting about it.

It's dark, literary, and really spans the gamut of genres. There are stories in here that might be called science fiction and stories that might be called bizarro. I try to never write exactly the same type of story twice, so I'm constantly shifting between genres and tropes and styles. I think the effect on the collection is to make every story unique and vibrant in its own right.

Who’s your favourite character? And do you have a worst?

My favorite character is Derrick McCoy in the story “Bolt” (which, as it happens, is one of the two zombie stories in the collection). I love writing post-apocalyptic survivors because I don't think most of them would be heroes – they'd be insane people with quite a bit of luck and a little bit of ingenuity.

My worst character? I don't have one. They're all spectacular in their own way!

What work do you have coming up in the future?

I have a story forthcoming in Weird Tales, a story in the upcoming Tor anthology Midian Unmade, and a story in the upcoming Dragon's Roost Press anthology Desolation: 21 Tales for Tails.

Zombies, books & other things.

What are some zombie books or authors that you would recommend to others and why? 


Tony Burgess' Pontypool, Max Brooks' World War Z, Brian Keene's Rising series, Stephen King's Pet Sematary.

Do you have a Z’ Plan in place? You know if the apocalypse started a plan on what you are going to do and where you will hide out, and if so will you share it with us? 

Sort of. First off, I'd hit the nearest pharmacy and loot everything in sight. Meds will be worth more than guns or ammo in a post-apocalyptic scenario. Next, it's off to find a weapon. Since ammo will eventually deplete, I'd prefer to stick with bladed weapons. That's a problem, though, considering there aren't sword smiths around every corner. Still, I'd like to find an implement with a sharp edge as my primary weapon. Then it's a matter of getting to a structure near clean, running water and boarding up windows. A couple runs to liquor stores and gas stations later (can't have enough flammable liquids in a zombie apocalypse) and you're on your way to setting up a base camp.

What makes you want to write about zombies?

They're a very multifaceted metaphor. They can work perfectly to act as a symbol of mindlessness, of consumerism, of overpopulation, of avarice, of hopelessness... and the list goes on and on. Because they have so many potential metaphorizations, they can be deployed in practically infinite varieties of narrative.

How do you like your zombies?

Slow and shambling – death is an impediment, not a superpower.


Forever In Pieces Cover & Blurb

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In this debut collection of short fiction from Kurt Fawver, one of the horror world’s rising stars, you will find a melange of lost souls, cosmic terrors, wondrous abysses, and even some good old-fashioned murder.

You will be taken to the end of humanity, to dystopian futures and personal hells. You’ll meet conquering gods and unholy messiahs, invisible babies and talking chairs, interdimensional monsters and the monsters we sometimes see all too clearly in the mirrors before our own faces.

The stories in Forever, in Pieces will immerse you in loneliness and loss, life and death, love and obsession, and, above all, the shadowed—and often terrible—veil of eternity.


Forever, In Pieces Excerpt

Book excerpt (a full story from the collection):

For the Unhaunted

Some people swore that the house was haunted. It had to be haunted. After all, every other house on the block was haunted. In fact, every other house in the Dixon's entire neighborhood had at least one apparitional resident. Some were even blessed with two or three or more. There was no reason to assume that the Dixon's house should be so different, so bereft of undead energy. When friends and family came to visit, they all claimed to hear a shuffling of disembodied feet in the attic or insisted that they'd seen the hazy form of a torso squirming about in the bathroom. They all wanted to believe that Kat and Ryan weren't unable to call forth a being from the Other Side. But Kat and Ryan knew the truth: the house wasn't haunted. It was just a series of well-polished rooms and elaborately furnished dreams.

Try as they might, in eight years of marriage the Dixons hadn't been able to channel a single specter. At first, they did what everyone else did: they burned incense and lit candles, chanted archaic incantations and hung crystals. They welcomed the past into their lives and opened themselves to a future set in nostalgia. But no spirits came.  While their friends threw seance parties and compared the static burble of one another's EVP recordings with delight, Kat and Ryan sat at home, staring into empty corners and darkened hallways.

The couple began to consult psychic professionals and make appointments with the best mediums in the state; they sacrificed chickens and goats and prayed to skeletal gods.  Still no spirits came. Still no howls of joyful madness echoed through their living room. Days grew longer; nights grew calmer. Ghosts were everywhere but in their home. So, Kat and Ryan decided to take more extreme measures. If they wanted a spirit of their own, they were going to have to force it inside.

They robbed an unmarked grave and reburied the brittle corpse in their backyard; they invited an elderly homeless man to their house for dinner, then beat him to death and smeared his blood across their walls; they tried violent orgies and sex magics.  Nothing worked.  A spirit would not come to them. They were barren. Then Kat became pregnant.

While her stomach swelled, the Dixons considered the possibilities before them.  To be sure, raising a child would be wonderful, but having a ghost was what made life worth living.  The tingling excitement of revelation that arose from finding out who your spirit really was and the comfort of knowing that your spirit would never fully abandon you, that it would float by the side of your deathbed and would continue on indefinitely, carrying with it a memory of its time as your special ghost: these were the things that gave meaning to existence. Everyone said as much, and Kat and Ryan believed. They wanted a specter desperately. They wanted to be haunted.  And so, when the time came, they both gripped the handle of the butcher knife as it slid across their son's soft, fatty, freshly-powdered throat. They watched, together, while bubbles and blood commingled on a sky-blue onesie. A tear rolled down Kat's cheek. Ryan's unused hand trembled.

Surely, this would work. If a ghost would not come to them, they would make a ghost.

As the spark in the baby's eyes sputtered out, something in another room fell to the floor and shattered.

Nothing was ever the same again after that.

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How cool was that, right! I love getting to know new authors and their work, so I hope that you've found someone new to stalk. Don't forget to head on over to the event tomorrow and make sure you get to know some of the other authors involved--including myself. theer's a great selection of work up on sale, so pick up a bargain, have some fun with us authors and get your gore on!
Who needs flowers and chocolates for Valentines anyway?

Happy reading!

Claire ♥
0 Comments

Author Spotlight: Daryl Banner

8/2/2014

2 Comments

 
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Today I'm introducing to you a bit of a hidden gem as far as books are concerned. This was a book which was recently recommended to me by another author, and I was totally blown away by it.

So, now I'm doing my bit to 'pass it On' and I just know that you'll love it--and him--too
.

Read on, get to know a little about the author, read an excerpt, my review and then get the hell over to Amazon and buy this beautifully crafted zombie book. It will be the best decision you've made this week. (Unless you purchased a winning lottery ticket, and then really...what the hell are you doing reading my blog?)


Getting to know you & your book.

Name, stalker links and purchase links, shoe size… actually, you can leave off the shoe size, that’s not really important…

Daryl Banner

www.facebook.com/DarylBannerWriter

www.darylbanner.com

The Beautiful Dead purchase link on Amazon.com: 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Beautiful-Dead-Daryl-Banner/dp/1491234067

Whilst I know that you have a couple of novels out at the moment, I’d like to take a minute to talk about The Beautiful Dead.



Blurb:

The Beautiful Dead is about a young undead woman in a post-post apocalyptic world who desperately wants to be alive again. After finally accepting her “eternal sentence” and settling in Trenton, a quaint city of other happily living-dead, everything is turned upside-down when a rugged man appears in her house begging for help … a man with a heartbeat.


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Tell us something unusual or interesting about it.

The first chapter of The Beautiful Dead was written during a “light-hearted emotional break” from the heavy novel I was working on at the time (Super Psycho Future Killers). I never intended that first chapter to become a full-length novel, and now I'm even considering a couple sequels. I do have a trilogy-length arc in mind, should I get around to writing it. Fun fact: In my word processor, I wrote nearly the whole book with bright green letters on a black background to “set the undead mood” for my eyes.

Who’s your favourite character? And do you have a worst?

My favourite character would have to be the human (the man with a heartbeat) that comes into the main character’s life. His journey, his secrets, and the relationship that builds between them was what kept my heart uplifted throughout the story, especially in the dark moments. If I had to pick a “worst” character, it’d have to be the mayor; even he admits he isn't a very good one.

Do you remember what inspired you to write it?

I love the “magical” kind of living dead, like necromancy and warlocks and dark sorcerers, but always felt uncomfortable with how quickly zombies (or even the dark-magic-wielding sorcerers) were shrugged off as monsters and bad guys and villains. So I have instant sympathy for them right away. At the time I was also playing a lot of World Of Warcraft, so the Undead race in that game (and the humour!) inspired me a lot. As the writing of The Beautiful Dead progressed further, three major themes started to recur: imprisonment, regret, and second chances—particularly for a person feeling themselves utterly lost and beyond hope. This story suggests no one is beyond hope, depending how you look on it. Coupling that heaviness with my natural dark-humour and recklessness kept the story close to heart and inspired for me.

Tell us a little about your other books. What are you currently working on?

I'm currently working on my first series: an epic urban fantasy set in an unknown future where people no longer sleep and each person has a unique special ability. The story centres around *several* main characters who struggle to live under/hide from/rebel against/support/overthrow the ruling power—depending on whose perspective you look at—all the while making friends, losing them, battling personal demons, growing into adulthood, finding love …

I could seriously go on for hours, as I'm so inspired and “on fire” with this new novel, so I’d better leave it at that until it’s ready for the world to see! And believe me: I'm so, so excited to share it. And hopefully soon!

Zombies, books & other things.

Other than your writing, what else do you do? You know, boring day job or secret superhero?

I'm also a composer and avid gamer! I play piano (self-taught since I was five) and write music for games, short films, and iPhone apps, as well as music & sound for the Vamplets, Inc. website (www.vamplets.com). All the while working 40+ hours at a movie theatre and performing a trilogy of musicals called “Country Gravy”. I wrote plays in college and studied under the great (and late) Lanford Wilson for three years where he gave me some seriously amazing advice that I still rely on heavily. I sometimes hallucinate that he’s talking to me as I write (true story) and brainstorming with me when ideas run dry. In fact, I dedicated my book The Beautiful Dead to him, as well as other friends (and my grandfather) I've lost over the past year.

hat are some zombie books or authors that you would recommend to others and why?

To be perfectly honest, I don’t like to read books that could influence the genre I'm currently set in. So … not many zombie books to name. (I KNOW, BLASPHEMY) But! Back in college I read a fantasy book called Zombie Lover by Piers Anthony. As most of his books do, it made me smile J Also, I totes dig Walking Dead, especially the badass named DARYL

Do you have a Z’ Plan in place? You know if the apocalypse started a plan on what you are going to do and where you will hide out, and if so will you share it with us?


I’d learn the dark magic's of necromancy and bend the zombies to my will, ruling them upon a throne of bones, crowning myself the Zombie King. Wouldn't you?

What makes you want to write about zombies? 

I felt compelled in my heart and gut to give the zombie genre a different voice. I wanted to pull away from the popular virus-style zombies, and the night-of-the-living-dead-Halloween-style zombies… I've always had a thing for fantasy and shadows. 

How do you like your zombies? 

Slow and shambling

or

Fast and clever?


I like them brooding and feely. I like them grappling with the life they used to have, some of them learning to let go, some of them never letting go. I like us seeing through their eyes for once, and through their hearts … no matter how unbeating they may be

My Review Of The Beautiful Dead...for what it's worth anyway.

Five big fat, zombie shaped awesome, toe curling, mouth gaping stars!


I was recommended this book by another author-- Madeline Sheehan. She warned me that it was a great book and had a great twist on zombies, but I'll be honest, I let it sit on my kindle for a good couple of weeks before I dived in because I hate new takes on zombies! I'm an old school zombie writer, slow and shambling, brainless and violent.

This is NOT like that and yet it actually IS on so many levels. It's a new twist with a twist of the old finely threaded through. 
It was both beautifully poetic and skillfully written, yet dark and full of the most gruesome horror imaginable. 

The main character, I couldn't help but get irritated by and yet loved also. It was bizarre.
Daryl Banner took my emotions and squeezed them through a meat grinder, until I came out of the other side all messed up not knowing who to hate and who to love.

This has to be one of my FAVOURITE reads so far this year, and definitely in my top ten for last year too. 
Read this. You won't be disappointed, and if you are then you must have picked upa different book to me, because was a fabulous, heart stopping, crazy, intelligent, well written book.


As always...

Happy reading!

Claire ♥
2 Comments

Author Spotlight: Todd (TW) Brown

2/2/2014

2 Comments

 

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Todays author spotlight doesn't really need any introduction, he's a big name in zombie horror, and all round nice guy - though don't tell anyone I said that, I don't want to ruin his reputation as zombie horror king
 .
Todd Brown (aka TW.Brown) his the author of many a penned tale, from zombies to ghouls, horror to humour, he's a great editor and from the looks of some of the photos he posts up on Facebook, a brilliant chef. Get to know him and his new book. I promise that you won't be dissapointed in getting hooked on this series.

TW Brown is the author of the Zomblog series, DEAD series, and That Ghoul Ava series. He is deeply immersed in pursuing his dream of being a “full-time” writer while trying to balance the duties of husband, father, friend, and Border Collie owner. He keeps busy reading and editing the numerous submissions for a variety of upcoming anthologies and full-length titles for May December Publications. He has had short stories published by Pill Hill Press, Living Dead Press, and others.

Name: Todd (TW) Brown

Stalker links: There is my blog, where you will find all matter of musings and interviews.


twbrown.maydecpub@gmail.com 
http://twbrown.blogspot.com

My Amazon Author page where you can find just about anything I am involved in and even click on a button so that Amazon will email when my newest release comes out.
http://www.amazon.com/TW-Brown/e/B00363NQI6/

And then there is my Facebook author page where I give away free stuff. 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-TW-Brown/290031277678618?ref=hl

and Finally Twitter
@maydecpub 

Genre of writing: Mostly the zombie thing, but I do have a few other projects to my name like my horror/comedy series :That Ghoul Ava.
 
Can you list a couple of your books?

There is the DEAD series: 
Book 1: DEAD: The Ugly Beginning
Book 2: DEAD: Revelations
Book 3: DEAD: Fortunes & Failures
Book 4: DEAD: Winter
Book 5: DEAD: Siege & Survival
Book 6: DEAD: Confrontation
Book 7: DEAD: Reborn
   
The Zomblog Series:

1. Zomblog
2. Zomblog II
3. Zomblog: The Final Entry
4. Zomblog: Snoe
5. Zomblog: Snoe's War 
6. Zomblog: Snoe's Journey 

And my That Ghoul Ava series:

That Ghoul Ava: Her first adventures (a pair of shorts that sort of launched the series)

That Ghoul Ava and The Queen of the Zombies
That Ghoul Ava Kicks Some Faerie A**


Can you name the last five books you read?

The first two books of the White Trash Zombie series, Homeland (Book one of the Legend of Drizzt series), Coalition of the Damned (the third book in the Monster Squad series), and A New World: Conspiracy (book eight of the A New World series).

Can you name the next five books you will be reading?

Odium, Dead Trees, Exile (book two of the Legend of Drizzt series), and a couple of cook books

New author finds of 2013 and those that you look forward to hearing more from.

Eli Constant. I read a short that is part of a charity anthology I am involved in and got swept up. Also, Heath Stallcup. When he came to me to help with edits for his Monster Squad series, I had to read the story, THEN go back and do the edits. It really blew me away. Great action and some very fun characters.

Other than writing, what do you do?

Currently I am training for the upcoming Spartan Run, but for fun I like to play my guitar, slip in to the role of Pirate on Assassin’s Creed IV or hone my skills as a wanna-be Poker player where I hope to enter in a tournament in about five or so years.

Tell us about your latest book?

This is the 8th book of the DEAD series, and had the working title of DEAD: Spring…until I got into the writing. I soon realized that it was far too dark for such a “happy” title so full of optimism and life. About a year has passed since the events of book one and most of the characters are trying desperately to carve out some sort of life in a world overrun by the undead. Zombies have long since taken a back seat to the living in the realm of monster to be feared.

Title: DEAD: Darkness Before Dawn

Blurb: 

Winter has gone, but the world is no less inhospitable. The survivors of the first winter now face some of the darkest and most soul-wrenching choices so far. From the outskirts of London to an island refuge in Oregon, small groups seek to build a new life.

Kevin recovers to a realization that shatters his dreams, yet he must stand up and take the role of leader…or die trying. His followers, now largely consisting of juvenile delinquents and society cast offs need him. Can he shake loose from his own misery to be their salvation?

Billy must decide what sort of life he wants to forge. Has he been following blindly and gone down the wrong path? And has Dr. Zahn finally discovered the mystery of the zombie children?
Published by:

May December Publications LLC

Release date:

January 31st 2014

Anything in particular that you want to say about it?

I am just thrilled to see this story come alive with so many twists and turns, and I am grateful to all the readers who have come along for the ride. 

What are you working on next and when can we expect to get our greedy little mitts on it?

I am getting the next full-length That Ghoul Ava piece done as a bit of a brain cleanse, and then it is on to book 9 in the DEAD series which will be out in July of 2014.
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As always...

Happy reading!

Claire ♥
2 Comments

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