Saturday, November 26, 2016

Lizzie Borden, #Zombie Hunter Finalist!






If you voted for Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter a couple weeks ago, thank you!

The book made it to the finals for Best Indie Horror Book of 2016 at Read Free.ly.

*** Voting is now on for the top 3 winners. I need your votes!!! ** VOTE HERE  ** - You'll get entered to win a $50 gift card.  Deadline Dec. 16. 
Thanks! 
 (Book now has a new 2nd edition and new cover!) 

Friday, November 25, 2016

Christmas is on the Way

Well, now that Thanksgiving it over, that means the Christmas season is in full swing. Stores will be playing Christmas music nonstop, Santa will soon be making an appearance, and shopping for everyone on your list will commence. In fact, it starts today with Black Friday.

I wish you the best of luck in finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list and hope you have a wonderfully magical holiday. However you celebrate, may it bring you joy and happiness.

If you’re looking for something to read to unwind and relax after shopping or during the holidays that a little less traditional, my ebooks are on sale or free. Who doesn’t want some demons or zombies to keep them company during the holidays?

Undead Obsessed, Life After the Undead, The Appeal of Evil, Dealing with Devils, and Wucaii are 99 cents.

Death to the Undead and Good Intentions are free.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

#1LineWed - #Zombies & Supernatural!

It's another 1 Line Wednesday so I'm sharing some current and coming lines.

** Don't forget my contest - get some braiinsssss!  You can sign up for the newsletter with the details on my website, too!

1 Line Wednesday - 

cverstraete.com

From Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter: 

1 Line:
 It, too, staggered along behind the first, its body a torn, rotted, movable feast for bugs and other horrid creatures.

About the book:

Every family has its secrets…


One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become... zombies? (Also on Kindle Unlimited.) 


And.... if you don't know who this is....

Dr. Seabury Bowen, doctor of the Borden family, was one of the first persons on the murder scene.

I'm working on a supernatural-flavored project involving him as a character, and why he thinks Fall River is cursed, even haunted... Is something from the past haunting the present? Or is the good doctor losing his mind?

Prologue: 
“Why won’t anyone believe me?” He whimpered. “Why, why?”



Monday, November 21, 2016

Contest! #Zombie Book

I don't know about you but I love contests! And that's even when I seldom - hardly ever - win!! But hope springs eternal, so I keep trying.  CLOSED.


Hopefully you are luckier than I am! So I'm giving you a chance to win this cool brain necklace!!! There's a bonus in the newsletter to get entered to win the matching earrings, too.


Here's what to do:


1. Sign up for my newsletter on my website.

2.  Details are in the newsletter, but here's the scoop:


* FYI - The kindle version of Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 

 (New 2nd edition & new cover (shown) is out) See link.

 ** Post a review on Amazon and Goodreads to be entered in the contest. (Note: Reviews are optional as per Amazon rules.)  

See newsletter or website blog for details.  I'll be collecting names from new reviews put up from Nov. 17  through December. Contest runs through Dec. 31, 2016. 


Friday, November 18, 2016

I’m Baaaaaack! #Zombie Films!

Hey, fellow zombie fans!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted on this blog. Life kind of got in the way, but things have changed, so I now have more time on my hands. I apologize for my absence, but we’ll pick up right where we left off.

To start, shall we talk about zombie films? There doesn’t seem to be a lot of them coming out lately. It appears that perhaps the craze has died down. That may very well be, it’s the cycle of monsters, but for us die hards, we’ll always find zombies to watch.

And let’s not forget that zombie TV shows seem to be going incredibly strong. The Walking Dead started their 7th season and announced that they’ll do a season 8. There’s also Fear the Walking Dead and Z Nation. We’re covered for zombies on TV.

However, don’t lose hope just yet. The British film The Girl with All the Gifts is still on the radar.



I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s definitely on my list. Has anyone else seen this film?

What are your thoughts? Do you think zombies are fading from the scene?

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

#1LineWed- 1 Line Wednesday Lizzie Borden & #Zombies?


Another #1LineWed - 1 Line Wednesday 

- This was a scene from the lowest level of hell, right out of Dante's Inferno. - LIZZIE BORDEN, ZOMBIE HUNTER.http://getbook.at/LizzieBordenZombieHunter

 ** Want a signed copy?? See website! **

Every family has its secrets…

One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become... zombies? (also on Kindle Unlimited.)

** Another idea! Ask your library to order it in!

Monday, November 14, 2016

New #Zombie Book: Odium IV Coming!




* Odium IV: The Dead Saga by Claire C. Riley - releases Nov. 30. (See Amazon author page. - Add it on Goodreads.

Post-apocalyptic zompoc with snark! New release in the Odium series from USA Today Bestselling author & #1 British Horror Author!



The dead aren’t the only thing to fear…

A kid, an old lady, and a heartbroken man…what could possibly go wrong?

Mikey is holding true to his promise to Nina, and is doing everything he can to keep the group alive. But when something attacks the threesome in the middle of the night, things begin to take a turn for the worst.

Luckily a new group—the N.E.O.s are on hand to ease Mikey’s burden and help fight alongside him. But first he must prove his worth to the leader Aiken and the people that follow him. Within this new group, Mikey begins to find a form of peace that he didn’t think was possible after losing Nina, and he discovers his place within this new world. A place where killing isn’t for fun, and is only ever committed as a last resort.

His heart is still aching, but at the end of the world there’s no time to stop and mourn, and as he searches out a Circus Freak Show and the horrors begin to stack up around him, Nina slips far from his mind.

It’s probably best, because there are many more terrors in store for him. Because within the folds of a small town, inside an old candy store, he meets a woman named Clare, her two dogs and something that he never saw coming.






Friday, November 11, 2016

New #Horror Novel Release - Manos: Talons of Fate

New Horror Classic!


  * Manos : Talons of Fate by Stephen D. Sullivan.  Pre-Order! Releases Nov. 15.

Sullivan, who wrote the award-winning original film adaptation novel, MANOS: The Hands of Fate (2016 Scribe Award winner - Best Adapted Novel), based on the classic camp horror-comedy movie of the same name, is coming out with the horror novel version of the film called "the worst movie ever made by Entertainment Weekly." 
 (** Read my story on the award and book: "The book is better than the movie.") 

About Manos: Talons of Fate:

A shocking new chiller!

What starts as a much-needed vacation for Mike, Margaret, daughter Debbie, and their dog, Pepe, escalates into a nightmare of fear and madness. Trapped by the wicked Master, his demonic brides, and the half-human Torgo, the family must endure the horrors of the night-dark desert to escape the vile coven. Once the terror starts, it never lets up in this new, deadly serious novel based on the classic cult film.

“In this version of Manos, the characters are revealed to be complex, believable people with reasons (no matter how misguided) for their fateful choices. The dark and twisted methods of the Manos cult are described in gruesome detail. This is a novel that lovers of horror will truly enjoy.” —Jackey Neyman Jones (Debbie from Manos) from her Foreword.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

More Writers on Writing & Not Writing! #Mystery #Horror

I asked some writers their views recently on writing, not writing, quitting, not quitting, and why they keep going. It can be a rough road at times, but everyone agrees that they have to do it. Got some great answers so here's part 2 and more writers' viewpoints on their craft. Don't forget to check out their work!



Jean Rabe, author of the recently released The Dead of Winter says on quitting… “A few times I've thought about it...when I've had trouble selling a book. But then I manage to sell it (I have nothing unsold in my computer), and that puts me in a better mood. Besides, I can't quit. Nothing else I'd rather do than write with dogs at my feet.” (She’s nowhere near quitting, having just published her 36th! book.)



Terrie Farley Moran, author of the Read ‘Em and Eat Mystery Series – the latest is Read to Death, says, “I see writing as my job. While the actual writing is a struggle, I am always pleased with the finished product so I strive to finish another project and then another. I think it helps that I write both novels and short stories so the work varies.



Courtney Mroch, author and editor of Shadow People and Cursed Objects, 13 Tales of Terror based on true stories – or are they? says, “Yep. But quitting is not an option. Writing is what makes my heart beat and my soul soar.




Lori R. Lopez, horror and children's novelist, poet and artist, her latest is an intriguingly fun and funny story about an odd creature, The Strange Tail of Oddzilla: Something for Everyone says, “Writing is my strongest creative drive and I couldn't be myself without it. I've been doing it for decades, in my head and then on paper once I learned to form letters and words. I can't imagine not doing it, and I have so many projects to get done that won't get done by themselves, at times it feels like an obsession. Most of the time. The rest of the time I am probably writing in my sleep. Now and then I wake up exhausted and disappointed that nothing actually got done.
    I do feel frustrated about working so hard to release my work, then working at trying to promote the new titles when I can, how I can, and there will be some interest at first, there is interest at events, but it hasn't spread very far yet. I get quite frustrated since I have a number of titles out. That can make me feel like I'm failing in some regards, though I am proud of what I've accomplished up to now as a writer and artist.”

(Note: ooh, a fun illustrated print version is coming… coloring book style perhaps?)



Tuesday, November 8, 2016

VOTE! (Not What You Think!)



Since today is Election Day, what better day to promote voting??

No, not "that" election. I'm seeking your vote in getting my books into these two contests, so please vote!


 Goodreads Best Horror:

Someone said there are supposed to be 20 books showing, so fill in that empty space. ha!
Vote for: Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 
(Here's the book's Goodreads page.)







Read Freely. Best Indie Books: - Deadline Nov. 18

Write in - Pick Horror: 
Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter
by C.A. Verstraete

Vote and you'll be entered to win a $50 gift card!!! 

 **** And if you want to know more: ****


About Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter:  (Get it in Print or Kindle)

Every family has its secrets… 

One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become...zombies? 

Monday, November 7, 2016

To Write or Not to Write



Writing is one of those things that for some of us, is almost like breathing. It's part of our nature. We have to do it.

But sometimes you can hit a brick wall. Writing can have its obstacles to get past, or it's not working out, or...?

Sometimes, as I found with my own fiction writing, it's finding something that you really love writing about - and that others like reading. As writers, we all get attached to our work, it's part of us. Sometimes one project is closer to you than others. Sometimes one doesn't do something for you and you have to set it aside.

Sometimes you even feel like giving up... many writers have hit this point. So why - and how - do they - us -  keep going?

Curious about what goes on in a writer's mind? I asked a few writers why, and how, they keep going? What keeps them writing... 

* I got such great answers that I'm splitting this post into two parts. Check out what writers say about their craft - what inspires them, if they've ever felt like quitting, what they like about writing, etc. ---- and be sure to check out their work, too! 

In no particular order: 


John Linwood Grant, author of  - A Study in Grey: Sherlock Holmes, The Art of Deduction Book 4:
" Short answer - I have an annoyingly over-active imagination. I think of story ideas regularly, and have to do something with them, otherwise they just clog my brain. So quitting would be a bad move for my mental health now." 

Marc Vun Kannon , author of St. Martin's Moon,  has an easy explanation: "The stories won't leave me alone."

Andrea Stafford Hintz : "Talking shop with other writers REALLY keeps me focused." 

C.A. Verstraete, author of Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter:  "I write because I have to. I need to express myself and when I find something I love to write about, it makes it even more satisfying - and fun!"    



Toni L.P. Kelner, author of   A Skeleton Family mysteries by Leigh Perry) says:

"Long before I was published, when I was gathering rejection slips galore, I occasionally would consider giving up writing. In fact, I did give it up once. I said, 'forget this, I'm going to relax after work instead of sweating over a keyboard. Maybe I'll watch TV or read or do jigsaw puzzles. I did that for maybe two nights, then went back the computer.
  " The thing that got me back to writing is the fact that I enjoyed it and gained more satisfaction from writing than from doing anything else.  I still do."

Mark Cusco Ailes, author of Zombie World  (Z-Day Trilogy Book 4) says, “I've never thought about quitting writing. I've never done it for the money. I write for myself. I write to make myself happy. I've never cared if people liked what I wrote because I wasn't trying to please them.
   “Writing is an addiction that somehow worked for me. I make enough money though I don't have to get up and punch a time clock. I guess it's a bonus for my writing career. My zombie books have caught on and kept me in the game. I'm writing my last zombie book in my series right now and will switch back to alien invasion novels for my next projects. I have written 22 books so far and have no plans of slowing down.

** Come back Wednesday for some more writers' comments!













Sunday, November 6, 2016

Wonder Woman Trailer!



(I just adore this poster!)

I know there are Marvel and DC camps.... 

I was always a big Superman fan growing up (why didn't I save those comics?!). I liked Supergirl and also liked Wonder Woman. I loved Smallville on TV and love the new Supergirl series  on the CW now.  

Lynda Carter was, of course, always Wonder Woman. She epitomized the role. (And how cool to see her on the recent Supergirl. That was fantastic!)

Now a new Wonder Woman film is coming out and the images and trailer are Wow. Just. Wow.  ** Check out the recent "official" trailer. It really is breathtaking and the actress, Gal Gadot, (from The Fast and the Furious) is "super" in the role. This really is breathtaking.  The bad news? It doesn't come out until June, 2017. (But get some cool art at the official site.




Friday, November 4, 2016

#WinterZombie #Zombie Books!






 It's that time of year! Not winter, (so far not even quite Fall, which is fine with me!) but it's still called Winter of Zombie!

The annual, month-long event on Jay Wilburn's blog features a great line-up of zombie books and authors.  

** Check the blog list here and the full tour schedule here

**  You can also just go on the main site page  for any of the links and posts. 

* I'll be up on Nov. 30 as part of the Summer of Zombie Alumni - Where are they Now? post.

Happy Reading!! 

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Another #Zombie #Horror Lizzie Borden #1LineWed

It's that time again!

Figured I'd share another 1 Line for 1LineWed - 1 Line Wednesday



I picked this line as it's a lead-in to one of my favorite sections during the murder trial  in

 She grimaced and felt the blood rush from her face as Mr. Moody set the cast skull on the rail in front of the stenographer's table with a clunk.

And what happens next, well...  You gotta read it to see!! 

** FYI: If you didn't know, the book follows the actual events, from the real-life murders to the actual trial and uses real newspaper headlines and inquest transcripts - but with an added twist in the story, of course.


** Got a couple great new reviews on it.... "Well-written, well-edited, well-researched, and well-constructed. " (Thanks Don) and "Inspired, moving, creative read." (Thanks Steve R).  
Be sure to check it out. Click the title link above. 


Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Get Set, Go, NaNoWriMo

  
Today's guest post is from fellow author Jean Rabe whose new book, The Dead of Winter, A Piper Blackwell Mystery, releases today!!! (Click the title to get your copy in print and Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited!!)

If you're interested in writing, today is also the start of NaNoWriMo. Me? Um, well, no. I signed up one year. I can use the push, but I'm a firm believer in putting in quality, not quantity. It's useless to fill up pages just to fill them and then have to do it over and heavily re-edit. If you're a tight and fast writer then it works. It's a way to get the words down.  I have a novella I'm working on and plan to push myself to get in the words but not in a contest-kind of way. I keep track. Daily word counts are good. Writing is not a race. Just. Keep. Writing.

That said, Jean's a fan - she's also a fast, and prolific, writer. Here's her take on it. She actually makes it sound fun. I went to the NaNo group with her one year. It was good to mingle. That can be fun, too. 


NaNo NaNo NaNo

By Jean Rabe

November is National Novel Writing Month - NaNoWriMo

You’ve probably seen it mentioned in writer-threads, Facebook, Twitter, bandied about as a topic in local writing groups. Only once through the years was I successful in talking a member of my writing group into NaNoing with me. And that person was a published author—short stories, newspaper articles, magazine features, and novels. She’s participated in multiple NaNos. The other writers in that group, some of whom have sold short stories, all of whom are working on novels but have never sold one, would not participate.

They said they didn’t have time.

They said the rigors of writing 50,000 words in one month were too demanding.

That’s probably why they don’t have finished novels.

Can’t find enough time to write that much, they said, too demanding to finish. Not up to the challenge of crossing the finish line and sticking -30- on the last page, I say.

Writing is never about finding the time.

Writing is about making the time. Taking the time. Stealing the time away from other things to write.

It’s about looking in the mirror and asking: How bad do I want it?

Supposedly NaNoWriMo was started to help newbie authors get that jump-start on their novel. But I know a lot of veteran oft-published authors who participate every year. Actually, I know far more veterans who sign on than aspiring novelists. I’m one of the veterans. I have 36 published novels, about 100 published short stories (maybe more, but I haven’t bothered to count), edited a couple dozen anthologies, and edited more than 100 issues of various magazines.

So, yeah, I’m a veteran. My friends tell me I don’t need NaNoWriMo.

Yeah, I do need NaNoWriMo.

Its things like NaNoWriMo that make me a veteran.

It serves as my I-want-to-write-this-book-but-don’t-have-a-contract-or-deadline-for-it churning blast. NaNo is my contract with myself, and my deadline for 50,000 words. It’s my nudge. It is my put-the-butt-in-the-chair, put-the-fingers-on-the-keyboard, until I finish 50,000 words. Or more. It is my whoooo-hooooo-let’s-do-this Fall event.

This November I will use NaNo to get a jump on The Dead of Night, the sequel to The Dead of Winter, releasing Nov. 1 by Imajin. I’m working on the outline for the book now. It’s fair game in NaNo to outline your novel ahead of time. You just can’t start writing chapter one until Nov. 1.

 It’s perfect for me, The Dead of Winter releasing on the day I start The Dead of Night. Something appropriately poetic about that, dontcha think? I used a previous NaNo to start The Dead of Winter—which was runner up in Killer Nashville’s prestigious Claymore Awards. Hmmm…guess I better come up with another “Dead” book for NaNo 2017, eh?

Need or Want?

So, yeah, I need NaNoWriMo. Or at least I think I do. And that’s basically the same thing.

I’m suggesting to any aspiring novelist reading this to give NaNo a try.

There are a bunch of great perks.

·         You can meet locally with other writers taking the plunge, usually in coffee shops and restaurants; nice chance to socialize and chat about writing and books. You might make some new friends or find (or create) a regular writing group.

·         Your email box will fill with inspiring essays by top-notch pros discussing writing. Many of the essays are by bestselling authors. And NaNo alone is worth it to get this inspiration and advice.

·         It serves as an opportunity to lock yourself away, ignoring family and friends for 30 days, telling them you’ve made a commitment to this contest. And it is a contest…can you write 50,000 words in one month (that’s less than 1,700 words a day)? Can you win? You still win if you don’t hit the word mark, ‘cause you’ve gotten something down on your manuscript.

·         It is a chance to kick the excuses of why you can’t do it to that proverbial curb.

·         It will turn you into a sorcerer…you will have ‘made’ time, ‘created’ time, rather than to have simply found it.

INFO:

Here's the NaNo page with lots of great articles to help with writing in general: http://nanowrimo.org/nano-prep#resources

And here is one of those articles, this one about handling the 30-day keyboard binge:

Now, I gotta close out this little blog because I need to finish my outline for The Dead of Night…because NaNoWriMo, like Winter, is coming.

If you’re interested in checking out a novel that I started on NaNoWriMo and sold during the summer, here you go….


You can find my blog at: http://jeanerlenerabe.blogspot.com/


I have a newsletter filled with tidbits about my upcoming books, reviews of things I’m reading, and writing advice. You can subscribe here: http://jeanrabe.us14.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=89364515308e8b5e7ffdf6892&id=9404531a4b


   USA Today Bestselling author Jean Rabe has written 35 fantasy, urban fantasy, and science fiction novels. The Dead of Winter, her 36th, is her first mystery. She has roughly 100 short stories in print, has edited a couple dozen anthologies, and has edited more magazines than she cares to tally. When she isn’t writing or editing, she tosses tennis balls to her cadre of dogs, visits museums, and tries to find gamers who will play Axis & Allies with her.