Happy #Halloween! #Zombie story and #Miniatures!

 If you missed HALLOWEEN IN MINIATURE - you can still read all the spooky fiction with fellow authors Jean Rabe and Steven D. Sullivan  illustrated with some great eerie miniatures at my other blog.  Read about Girl Z and see some great miniatures today. 

Go back to the beginning - see day 1. (Miniature pumpkin by Linda Cummings - LinsMinis.)

* Read an except of my upcoming story "Puppy Love and #Zombies" on Day 4.

The Survivors Make the Dumbest Choices

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to do my Surviving Zombies workshop at MileHiCon in Denver. I have attended and presented at the con before, and it’s always so much fun.

As part of the workshop, I use examples from TV shows and movies about some of the things the survivors do to survive, and we got into a conversation about how the characters don’t always make the brightest decisions. In particular, we were talking about the morons on The Walking Dead. Many of the participants said they get so frustrated with the characters’ decisions, and I agreed.

But I think there are a couple reasons why the characters in zombie films and TV shows act the way they do. First and foremost, they are supposed to represent the common human. Does this mean that we are all idiots? Of course not, but it’s supposed to reflect how we are all flawed.

If you’ve watched zombie movies and TV shows, you know that science and the military can do nothing to save us when the dead arise. They are worthless and most of the time not even present. The people who rise to the occasion and stand against the undead are normal, everyday people. Sure, a few of them might have some special skills (Rick was a police officer), but for the most part, they are our neighbors down the street.

And this is something that’s done intentionally. It’s to show that the authority figures of society (science, the military, the government) are powerless while the masses aren’t. If science or the military is present in the film, they are often power hungry and corrupt (the Governor in The Walking Dead, Captain Rhodes in Day of the Dead, and pretty much every scientist in any zombie movie).

Sure, the survivors make some questionable decisions and we probably yell at the TV asking them what the hell they are doing, but most of them still survive. And this brings me to the other reason they act like this: watching the characters on the screen act the way they do makes us think about how we would react in the same situation.

How many times have you been watching a zombie movie—or horror movie in general—and roll your eyes at the characters on the screen? How many times have you told them not to go into the basement or venture out into the city alone? How many times have you thought: I would have done that sooooo differently?

And that’s the point. It makes you think. It forces you to put yourself in the characters shoes and figure out how you would handle the situation. You think about it long afterwards, maybe even talk about it with your friends, and talk about how you are so much smarter than those idiots. You could survive any of those scenarios no problem!

Zombie films are actually really clever in how they handle this type of scenario. One of the guest authors I had in the workshop on Saturday commented about how she didn’t really know what to expect from the workshop, but thought it was a lot of fun, and she was amazed at how many people had thought about what they would do to survive zombies.

Personally, I wasn’t surprised at all. As a horror and zombie fan, I’m well aware of how the audience reacts to the films and TV shows—because that’s how we’re supposed to react. Sure, they’re great for a scare, but they’re also fantastic for teaching life lessons.

The best thing about zombie films is that all of the survival plans we come up with can also translate into other natural disasters, from earthquakes to floods to wars. That’s why the CDC used zombies at one point on their blog to talk about disaster preparedness. That’s why I do this workshop. It makes thinking about survival fun because it’s done in a nonthreatening, theoretical fashion, and I tell the audience that what we talk about can be applied to multiple survival situations.

The only difference is that in most cases we won’t have to defend ourselves against the undead. However, should the need arise, my hope is that my workshop will help people prepare.

#Halloween Fiction and #Miniatures

Today begins my annual Halloween in Miniature 2015 posts on my other blog.

This year I decided to do something different and included a couple spooky short stories from fellow authors Jean Rabe and Stephen D. Sullivan. A little spookiness - with miniatures as illustrations. Be sure to check it out!

The first day's post today begins with Sullivan's story, "A Trace of Violet."

Wednesday's post begins with Rabe's two-part story, "The Ascension of Mary Grace."

The week continues with more spooky Halloween miniatures and info on the creators so keep going back through Halloween, Oct. 31 - or turn into a pumpkin!! 


* Stephen D. Sullivan is author of a number of books including some original novelized versions and screenplays of of classic horror films.  His latest is an original comedy take on the classic "bad" horror film, MANOS - The Hands of Fate - see details. A straight horror version is coming soon.

 *   Jean Rabe's latest works include The Love-Haight Casefiles: Seeking Supernatural Justice about lawyers Thomas Brock and Evelyn Love crusading for the rights of OTs—Other-Than-Humans. Their clients include ghosts, gargoyles, vampires, and things that have not yet been given names. The city’s OT element is sometimes malevolent, sometimes misunderstood, and often discriminated against. Brock and Love represent them, whatever the case, whatever the species. 

10 #Halloween #Zombie #Horror Reads

Some new and recently released or upcoming books perfect for some spooky Halloween reading!

Coming in November - new Stephen King short story collection! The Bazaar of Bad Dreams -  (pre-order: The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories)
 

1. Mile 81 – Scribner e. 

2. Premium Harmony – 2009 New Yorker

3. Batman and Robin Have an Altercation – Harpers 2012

4. The Dune – Granta 2011

5. Bad Little Kid – New; Serial

6. A Death

7. The Bone Church – poem

8. Morality – Esquire 2009

9. Afterlife – Tin House 2013

10. Ur – 2009 Amazon e.

11. Herman Wouk is Still Alive – The Atlantic 2011

12. Under the Weather – Mass Market FDNS

13. Blockade Billy – Scribner e.

14. Mister Yummy – New; Serial

15. Tommy – Playboy poetry

16. The Little Green God of Agony – A Book of Horrors 2011

17. That Bus is Another World - Esquire

18. Obits – New; Serial

19. Drunken Fireworks

20. Summer Thunder – Cemetery Dance 2013

Best Horror of the Year: 7 - Editor Ellen Datlow. Includes stories by Neil Gaimanm Kim Robinson, Stephen King, Linda NagataLaird Barron, Margo Lanagan, and many others.

Black Static #48 (September -October 2015): Transmissions From Beyond (Black Static Horror and Dark Fantasy Magazine) -The September-October issue contains new novelettes and short stories by Jeffrey Thomas, Cate Gardner, Steven J. Dines, Andrew Hook, and Stephen Bacon. The cover art is by Martin Hanford, and interior illustrations are by Joachim Luetke, Tara Bush, and Richard Wagner. Features: Coffinmaker's Blues by Stephen Volk (comment); Notes From the Borderland by Lynda E. Rucker (comment); Case Notes by Peter Tennant (book reviews and an interview with Simon Kurt Unsworth); Blood Spectrum by Tony Lee (DVD/Blu-ray reviews).

Devolution Z: The Horror Magazine October 2015 - 13 original stories and poems –

POETRY 
"I Feel" by K. I. Borrowman 
"Robert Browning and the Spider Poet" by Marge Simon 
SHORT STORIES 
"Bug-Eyed Outbreak" by Kip McKnight 
"You Get What You Bleed" by Matt Handle 
"The Forbidden Rite: A Duel" by Bryan Best 
"The House of Wolves" by Craig Steven 
"The Transmogrification of Christopher Edwards" by Chad Lutzke & Ian Bush 
"The Party" by David Smith 
"You Give a Piece of Yourself" by Melanie Dixon 
"Don't Run" by C. C. Adams 
"The Good Mother" by Sheri White 
"Opportunists" by Betty Rocksteady 
SERIAL STORY 
"Z Journal of Ivy Gage" (Part 3) by Alarick Vaughan 

HWA Poetry Showcase Volume II - HWA's second annual Poetry Showcase volume features dark verse from some of the world's most acclaimed poets, as well as memorable new voices. In addition to startling and original work by featured poets Tausha Johnson, Michelle Scalise, Vincent Miskell, and Mark Fuller Dillon, this volume also includes poems by Bruce Boston, Marge Simon, Stephanie M. Wytovich, and dozens more. As an extra added feature, Volume II includes tributes to Rocky Wood and Tom Piccirilli by some of the biggest names in horror and poetry.

The Island - Exploring a remote island can get you into trouble. Especially when you stumble upon a cave and awaken two demons. 

Massacre at Lonesome Ridge: A Zombie Western - Connor McClane is used to hard times. As sheriff of Lonesome Ridge, he’s fought his fair share of bad guys. But when creatures that should be impossible threaten his town, he’ll face the hardest challenge he’s ever known. Charity Banks, the once-debutante from New York City, has a hunger for human flesh and a zombie horde to do her bidding. Can Connor defend Lonesome Ridge from her undead army?

November Night Tales - Towards the end of his life, the eccentric archaeologist, historian, architect, and collector Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930) channeled his antiquarian interests and his love of Gothic literature intoNovember Night Tales (1928), a volume of highly imaginative weird tales in the mode of M.R. James.First-ever republication of Mercer's tales includes all six stories from the scarce first edition, plus an additional rare story, "The Well of Monte Carbo," discovered among Mercer's papers after his death, and a new introduction by Cory M. Amsler of the Mercer Museum.

Twisted Magic: The Witching Hour Collection (Raven's Cove Series Book 1) - It’s a darkness that doesn’t want to let go...   After being banished from her coven five years ago, Sarah vowed to stay away from black magic forever and instead tried to embrace the life of a white witch. However, now a family death has brought her back to her hometown of Raven’s Cove, and the good little witch is in line to inherit a powerful gift. 

The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2015 Edition - Editor Paula Guran. Stories include:

The Quiet Room - V.H. Leslie

Emotional Dues - Simon Strantzas
The Scream of Dragons - Kelly Armstrong
Dreamer - Brandon Sanderson
(Little Miss) Queen of Darkness - Laird Barron
The Female Factory - Lisa Hannett & Angela Slatter
The Still Cold Air - Steve Rasnic Tem
The Elvis Room - Stephen Graham Jones
The cats of River Street (1925) .. Catlin R Kiernan
The End of the End of Everything... Dale Bailey
Fragments from the Notes of a Dead Mycologist...Jeff VanderMeer
A Wish from a Bone... Gemma Files
Mothers, Lock Up Your Daughters Because They Are Terrifying... Alice Sola Kim
Children of the Fang... John Langan
Sleep Walking Now and Then... Richard Bowles
Combustion Hour... Yoon Ha Lee
Resurrection Points... Usman T. Malik
The Nursery Corner... Kaaron Warren
Water in Springtime... Kali Wallace
Running Shoes... Ken Liu
And the Carnival Leaves Town... A.C. Wise
Who is Your Executioner? Maria Dahvana Headley
Death and the Girl from Pi Delta Zeta... Helen Marshall
The Floating Girls: A Documentary... Damien Angelica Walters
Mr. Hill's Death... S.L. Gilbow
Madam Damnable's Sewing Circle.... Elizabeth Bear
Only Unity Saves the Damned... Nadia Bulkin
Kur-A-Len... Lavie Tidhar

Cover Reveal

On October 27th, the re-release of Life After the Undead will be out.  I'm super excited.  I've always been really proud of this book.  Not much was changed, but some was, and I'm much happier with the story.  While you're waiting for Tuesday, check out the new cover.  I think it turned out awesome!

And here's what the book is about:  Seventeen-year-old Krista must quickly figure out how she's going to survive in the zombie-destroyed world. The one advantage humans have is that the zombies hate humid environments, so they're migrating west to escape its deteriorating effects. The survivors plan to construct a wall at North Platte to keep the undead out, and Krista has come to Nebraska to start a new life. 

Zombies aren’t the only creatures she has to be cautious of—the other survivors have a dark side. Krista must fight not only to live but also to defend everything she holds dear—her country, her freedom, and ultimately, those she loves. 

Join Krista in her quest to survive in this thrilling apocalyptic novel by Pembroke Sinclair.

In addition, I'm going to be in Denver tomorrow at Mile Hi Con to give my Surviving Zombies workshop.  There will be other amazing authors there, and I'm sure it's going to be an awesome time!

Cool #Zombie #Monster #Coloring Book #Kickstarter

Oh what a neat idea!  You know artist Rob Sacchetto? (He did those cool zombie cards in Jonathan Maberry's Rot & Ruin series??)

**** Well... he's got an original coloring book idea going on Kickstarter! Zombies, and Monsters, oh my!

15 Days to go.... check it out!! Pledges are $8 US and up... 

Here's one of the cool illustrations! 

New #Zombie #Mystery #Short Story coming!

My part-zombie  girl character Becca from my young adult book, GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie has been turning sleuth!  I have two stories coming out:

New: 

In my story “The Nearly Ruined Thanksgiving,”  Becca solves the mystery of the missing cranberries, coming in the November edition of Mystery Weekly (http://www.mysteryweekly.com) and will be in the email version near Thanksgiving (probably Nov. 23). 

And her first short mystery:

Goes on pre-sale Nov. 1: 

  Becca faces her fear of dogs, fights some zombies, and solves the mystery of why many of the dogs are disappearing in “Puppy Love and Zombies,” coming in the anthology, Young Adventurers: Heroes, Explorers and Swashbucklers.

(A  contest will also launch then. See the Facebook page for details: https://www.facebook.com/groups/728914700547208/ or check my website, http://www.cverstraete.com.  The anthology features all kinds of adventures, including a boyhood story with the future Repairman Jack by author F. Paul Wilson.)

#Halloween Reads - Lots of Monsters, #Zombies, #Horror!

If you're in the mood for some creepy, scary Halloween reads, then this Monsters StoryBundle is perfect! (Deal ends in 18 days.)

Lots of monsters! How about werewolves, prehistoric monsters, zombies, ghosts and more?

Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson has put together a monstrous collection of for this bundle.  Includes - werewolves, Julie Frost's Pack Dynamics; Prehistoric monsters - Jurassic Dead by David A. Sakmyster;  Occult forces and investigations - The Love-Haight Case Files by Jean Rabe and Don Bingle, Working Stiff: The Cases of Dan Shamble, Zombie, P.I. by Kevin J. Anderson; Horrific killers - Empty Rooms by Jeffrey J. Mariotte;   and  Weirdness - Keith R.A. deCandido's Cayo Hueso. Plus you can choose to donate to The Challenger Learning Center when you grab a bundle!

Donate what you want from $5. Donate higher and get five more bonus books. See page for the additional book covers and details. Great October Reading!! 

New #Halloween #Horror Read: Manos, The Hands of Fate

 Author Stephen D. Sullivan  has a knack for writing novelizations of classic and macabre horror films. In 2013, he novelized and did a revised, original script based on the 1930s Bela Lugosi film, White Zombie.

 His latest offering is a new look at the classic, low-budget horror - comedy film, Manos, The Hands of Fate.  (The film is supposedly being re-released soon on DVD).

NOW OUT! And on sale this weekend.... yes it's a fascinatingly odd, strange little story based on the odd, strange little film... 

“The worst movie ever made.” - Entertainment Weekly

http://www.drivethrufiction.com/…/…/MANOS--The-Hands-of-Fate

New Adaptation of the Cult Horror-Comedy Classic!

Mike, Margaret, their young daughter Debbie, and toy poodle Pepe drive into the West Texas countryside looking forward to a relaxing family vacation.  Instead, they discover an evil cult of undead polygamists led by The Master and his half-human servant, Torgo.  Can the family make it out of the desert alive with both the cultists and the Hands of Fate against them?

Based on the “so-bad-it’s-good” cult horror classic, Manos: The Hands of Fate is the first of two novelizations by award-winning author Stephen D. Sullivan.  In this laugh-a-minute edition, Sullivan has captured all the zaniness of the “classic” low-budget feature -- including all of the original dialog.  Fans of MST3K, RiffTrax, or bad movies in general are in for a real treat!

(Sullivan swears that the second book -- due for fall 2015 release -- will be a “serious horror” novel.)

Zombies in the Snow

Normally, this is not something you would see happen.  I mean, come on, they would freeze.  It doesn't matter that they're dead, they are still flesh, and the freezing temperatures would wreak havoc.

But that's not what I'm talking about.  I'm referring to the amazing snowmobile graphics that were designed for my sled by ArticFX.  I can't wait for it to snow to get this baby out!

We got new sleds this year, and it was awesome to be able to customize them. I'm sure none of you are surprised by my choice.  I'm so happy with how it turned out.  I think it looks amazing!

Come on snow!

My Book is Here!

Yes, it's finally here! The book is live on Audible. Check it out!

This has been a crazy launch. First, my wonderful narrator, Becky Parker was actively involved. She even made a theme song and some cute zombie quiz videos based on the Neeta Lyffe Universe.

Then, we planned a rocking online book tour with 33 stops, including podcasts! (The last podcast is Sunday at 7 ET, incidentally. Join me and Becky.)  That was the fun stuff. Then the crazy happened.

First, Damnation Books changed ownership. I can't go into the details, but it was sudden, unexpected and for good reasons. Kim, the owner, has made sacrifices on multiple levels to care for people she loves and did her best to make sure her authors were cared for, too. However, as I said, it was sudden, and just before Damnation Book's October titles, so the new owner, Alan Leddon has had his hands full.

Then, Audible dragged its feet on putting the book live. It was planned for October 1, and Becky got everything submitted a week ahead of time. We don't know why there was a delay. There wasn't anything our poor beleaguered publisher could do about it. So for 13 days and 28 stops, we didn't have a book to lead people to.

Becky and I decided to make lemonade out the lemon and give away the first three chapters. Becky has a wonderful site with a shopping cart, so she tried to set up the freebie. Her cart didn't work. I don't know why, and she didn't know, either. Rather than add to everyone's stress, we went Old School. I made a sign-up page on my website and emailed a link to the first chapters. If you want to hear the first chapters of I Left My Brains in San Francisco, go register.

Of course, that also meant hours of making new posts, letting our hosts know about the issue, and going and commenting again on every stop to let people know about the lack of book and the offer.
BTW, we tossed in a raffle for a free copy of the first audiobook for those who registered. Congrats to Meredith.

Each day, I went to Audible, searching my title, searching my name, hoping that this time, I'd get lucky. Then, on lucky 13, it happened! My beautiful book cover with my beautiful sister (the model) was there!

We have 4 more days on the book tour. It's been a roller coaster of a month so far, but then again, it's nothing compared to the kind of crazy situations Neeta gets into. If you like zombie fiction with a huge helping of humor, go check it out.

#Halloween Skeleton Dog!

The fun part of Halloween is seeing all the new products they come out with. Now you know you need this - a Halloween Dachshund Dog Skeleton dog!

(Amazon.com photo)

Apparently, real-life Doxie owners are having a blast with these as shown in this post and pix.

I'll share some other unusual Halloween items as I find them.

New #Halloween #Horror Story coming!

(Click Kickstarter link below)

Author Lester Smith from Popcorn Press has a cool project! Zen of the Dead is the title of this year's annual Halloween release with horror poetry and short fiction. 

And I've got a revamped version of my story, "Today's Special" coming out in it for Halloween!

Check out the Kickstarter  - closing in 17 days. Submissions are open to Oct. 23.

Blog Tour: Zia Teenage #Zombie Book

Today I welcome fellow zombie girl author Angela Scott who has just released her new book, Zia, The Teenage Zombie & The Undead Diaries.  Keep reading to learn more and.... don't forget the cool giveaway!
   

 **  As I'm still reading the book, my thoughts, having written my own teen zombie book, are that I like Zia's character and especially enjoy her sense of humor. That's important when you're coping with the worst thing that could happen in a teen's life!  I also thought Scott  had some interesting twists, like adding in the arm and neck bands as a potential control for the  "Living Impaireds." It's a light, fun read! I especially love the cover and the colors (my two favorites!).


A short Q&A with the author:

Who is ZIA? 
Zia is your typical teenage girl... except for the fact that she's dead and has a craving for brains. She wants what everyone else wants, even though she knows nothing about her "life" will ever be the same. She's a girl that simply wants to fit in and find love, all while trying to keep her limbs from falling off and bugs from eating her dead flesh. Just like everyone else, right? 

What Inspired the Book? 
My kids were my inspiration. Seriously. When I had started writing about zombies in my Zombie West Series, my kids were young and I didn't feel it appropriate for them to read those books (those zombies are little scary), so I decided to write a zombie book that would work for them. That's when Zia, The Teenage Zombie was born. Actually, to make it more fun for them, I gave them each their own characters in the book - Caden, Alynn, and Lewis. They think that's pretty cool... which is what a mom can only hope for :)

Favorite Excerpt: (One of my favorite diary entries)

Dear Diary,

You’d think dating would be a whole lot easier when you’re dead.

But as it turns out, it’s not.

It’s way, WAY more complicated than I could have ever imagined.

This diary entry is one of my favorites because it kind of encompasses the entire story in just a few sentences. Zia might be dead, but she longs to be loved and feel somewhat normal again. And to make matters worse, she's stuck right in the middle of a love triangle and her unbeating heart is pulled in two different directions.

Why write this kind of book and what makes it unique?
I loved the idea of writing a zombie book from the zombie's perspective. I fell in love with that concept and in turn fell in love with ZIA and her humorous undead nature. I wanted to write a zombie book that encompassed all the things you wouldn't normally find in a zombie book - love, romance, humor, and finding your place in a society that deplores you. I wanted to write a happy zombie book, and I think I accomplished that. 

  ** Check out the cool giveaway and prizes including this cute zombie doll (I have to find one of these!!)  (See  all the prizes at Angela's blog. See other links: Twitter . Facebook . Barnes&Noble ) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ZOctober #Zombie Post!

*** The Zoctober event is past BUT see info on my latest books, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter and Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall. - Visit my website. 

What if Lizzie Borden killed her parents for a different reason? What if they'd become... zombies? Borden was jailed August 12, 1892 for the brutal hatchet murders of her father, Andrew Borden and stepmother, Abby Durfee Borden. 

*************

Check out the authors and their contests on the Facebook event page. See the individual author posts at MyBookAddiction.com   - ** Read my post - here.

Today I share a little about Spence, (the cousin who infects Becca with the Z virus in my book,  Girl Z: My Life As A Teenage Zombie) .

I included an excerpt from my ebook telling Spence's side of the story - CHANGES: A GIRL Z Prequel, A Zombie Story.