Bob the Zombie!

Ah, the hectic life a writer has when there is a new release in the pipeline. Before I skitter forth with this week's Short Attention Span Theater, I want to thank you all who made this release of Dead: Confrontation such a wonderful experience for me. It landed on the Amazon Top 100 in horror upon release and has flitted in and out ever since. Even more exciting, the FIRST book in the series, Dead: The Ugly Beginning has seen a sudden rise and for the first time ever book one has hit the Top 100 as well!!! To say that I am excited is putting it mildly. I know it might seem silly, but this is a thrill for me and, I must admit, it is also a bit of validation.

Some exciting news, a small group of us writer types were recently contacted by the amazing Tracy Tufo. And now, I am thrilled to say that we will be part of a horror conglomerate if you will. In the back of each and every one of my titles, you will find the above full page ad featuring John O'Brien, James N. Cook, Armand Rosamilia, Heath Stallcup, Shawn Chesser, and Mark Tufo. Each of us has a version of this page, the only difference is that my DEAD series will be in their ads. 

And now (imagine a heralding fanfare)...Short Attention Span Theater!

This week I am pleased to offer up a title that you can actually read in just about the allotted reading time for Short Attention Span Theater (aka 30 minute reader). Bob the Zombie by Jaime Johnesee.

This was a great break from all of the serious horror-style zombie stuff that I have been immersed in for the past few years. Granted, I read more than just the zombie stuff, but it does consume most of my reading since that is what I write (and love).

Bob is a normal guy with a pretty dismal life. Then he died. His family (is there no greater love than that for a mother towards her son?) brought him back and were less than pleased when he began the slow decomposition. Now, Bob has to find his way in a world that is just not all that excited when a zombie walks past. (A great job is done here of seeing how people react as if Bob is just a Walking Dead fanboy extremist.)

Anyways, this short read is a great tongue-in-cheek introduction into an alternate reality where ghouls and necromancers exist. It is light, funny, and has a very distinct charm. It is not laugh-out-loud funny, but it generates a lot of smiles which are good for your health. 

I can give this a high recommendation, It has a few editing glitches (mostly in dialog punctuation), but nothing that distracts anybody except for grammar geeks. So grab it, read it, review it, and implore Jaime to get busy on the next Bob the Zombie adventure.

Leaving KDP? Oh...and a chance to make a difference.

Bacon Maple Bar from VooDoo Doughnut used solely to lure you here.

While I am not abandoning the KDP program, the time has come to make a few changes. Many articles have been written about the dearth of freebies out there. I DO NOT have a problem with using the KDP program as a tool to market my stuff. I have always felt that was the purpose of the program. I think some authors felt that it was going to translate into big number sales. I saw it as a commercial. And if you lured in some readers who actually read your book, AND THEN they liked it well enough, they would check out your other stuff.

So, if I am weaning myself from the KDP teat (nice visual, eh?), then what could I possibly do instead. The answer? 99 cent sales. Sites like eReader News Today and Pixels of Ink have had to adjust with Amazon's rules regarding portals for freebies. To make that change, they are featuring "bargain eBooks" in greater numbers and freebies in lesser. If somebody is willing to pay something...even 99 cents, then it is less likely that the book will remain unread. And if you have a good product, it will foster that reader's interest and encourage them to read MORE of your work.

Now, a few titles will remain in the program, but it just makes more sense to use the 99 cent tool. I believe that 100 downloads at the bargain price is going to net more readers than giving away 5,000 for free.

To that end, I have a couple of titles that are on the cusp of qualifying for the ENT bargain program. The requisites (besides the 99 cent price point) are a minimum of ten reviews with an average of no less than 4 stars. Eye Witness Zombie needs one review. SO, if you read it and liked it but have never gotten around to that pesky review...it would be GREATLY appreciated. And then there is the Special Edition, Dead: Steve's Story which is the compilation of the 18 chapters of Steve's story from the first three DEAD books (The Ugly Beginning, Revelations, and Fortunes & Failures) which needs two reviews.

To be clear, I do NOT canvass for positive reviews. People are more than welcome to post whatever they like. But for this instance, I am actually appealing to those of you who LIKED the work but have not gotten around to a review yet.

More doughnuts! Keep reading!!!

So, on to my next subject. Some of you may know that MDP produces one anthology a year where 100% of the generated proceeds go to charity. My editing is free, the cover art, all costs involved with production. That includes the authors. The stories that are submitted are done with the author receiving no compensation (not even a physical contributor's copy, although an ecopy is made available). We do not ask for exclusivity, in other words, the author can do whatever they like with their story...we do ask that they give us at least a mention if it goes to pub someplace else, but even that is nothing more than a request.

This upcoming New Year's Day, we would like to be able to offer "Scaring up a cure for CANCER" with every penny generated in profit being donated in a quarterly check to the V Foundation which works tirelessly to find a cure for a disease that affects so many.

Okay...but this one is going to be different. So I am canvassing for interest from some of my writer friends. This will be an "invitation only" anthology. The story must be horror, but the writer can choose what SORT...and cancer needs to be involved in some way. So, I am throwing a few writers out onto Front Street...here is the start of my wish list (in NO particular order):

1. Mark Tufo
2. John O'Brien
3. Armand Rosamilia
4. Catie Rhodes
5. Greg Carrico
6. Suzi M.
7. Stephanie Meyers
8. Chantal Boudreau
9. Michael McFarland
10. D.A. Chaney
11. Steen Langstrop
12. Heath Stallcup
13. Dana Fredsti
14. T. Fox Dunham

Now, those listed are free to shoot me an email with a polite (or not) statement declining, OR...feel free to post in the comments saying "HELL YEAH" (or an equivalent) if you are in.

Next week I will share some exciting news about an interview request that I just received. So stay tuned.

A look inside the DEAD world, and peer "pressure".

As I head into the homestretch of book 6 in the DEAD series, I am having the same trepidation that I always have at this point. The funny thing is, when I read it out loud later during the edits, I find so much more to like about it. Things seem to come together in ways that I didn't notice during the actual writing.

One of the issues that I face is the vast cast of characters that populate my DEAD world. Contrary to some people's belief, I don't create people just to kill them off. My theory is that I just will not allow any MacGyver moments. If somebody paints themselves into a corner...then they are stuck. The consequences in a zombie apocalypse are death.

One of the most interesting critiques that I see involving the series has to do with the harsh and evil nature of some of my characters. Most notably, Garrett McCormick. The funny thing about that story line is that it is the only one that I knew the ending of upon its inception. I really did not know how things would go along the way, but for me, the bottom line was that I wanted Kirsten to maintain her sanity and refuse to allow herself to become a "victim" despite the horrors that she is exposed to at the hands of her captor. Even more entertaining, I have actually read where my "use of gratuitous sex and violence is a product of my disturbed mind." I would like to weigh in on that. I never go into detail. I felt that it would be best if left to the imagination of the reader. It would seem that some of my readers have rather dark imaginations. For me, the entire story leads up to Kirsten's final act.

In Dead: Winter, things are not going well for anybody. The reality of a world without electricity is one that I really do not think we would fare well in...especially given what we are seeing on the news as winter storms hammer the nation.  

As things move deep into the heart of the first winter, there is a bleakness and almost a sense of hopelessness that creeps into the story. But think about it. When I wrote this volume, I actually turned off all the heat for a few days during the process. The thing is, I am on the third floor, I get the radiated heat from the residents living below me. Was I cold? Yes. But it is like a video game...the reset button is always right there if things get too nasty.

In Dead: Siege & Survival, I am setting things up for the big wrap up. It is the most open ended of the books in this cycle. (Like Dead: Revelations was in the first three book cycle.) Since the series is slated to go twelve books (four cycles of three books each), there will obviously be stories yet to be told. However, each third book, I try to provide some closure. Some of the stories will actually conclude (in the vignettes). The main stories (Steve and the Geeks) will reach a spot where you can catch your breath. 

So, that is a look inside the DEAD series. And now for the "peer pressure" part. A lot of my friends are writers. Many of you are authors with a zombie series of your own. I have read a lot of you. What I am hoping to hear is some feedback (yes...be honest, I can take it) from my peers. I'm not looking for reviews...just feedback. What worked for you? What didn't.

I can say with total honesty that I am a fan of Armand Rosamilia's Miami Spy Games: Russian Zombie Gun serial. Mark Tufo won me over with his Zombie Fallout series. I wasn't initially won over by Talbot's quips. But the story drew me in and the whole thing with Tommy and the voice of Ryan Seacrest in his head as a "guardian angel" is sheer genius. His success is deserved and I would cherish an autographed Mark Tufo section on my shelf (hint). John O'Brien has created a military entry that is one part Tom Clancy with the feel that I got from 28 Days Later. His A New World series is intelligent and sucks you in to one of the most well thought out worlds I have ever had the pleasure of visiting.

I've read Kirkman, Keene, Wellington, and hundreds of others. I've never made it a secret that I am as much of a fan as anybody else. I actually have "pinch me" moments when I hear from Tufo, Rosamilia, O'Brien and others. 

Yes, I am a writer. Sure, some of you out there are fans of my work. But I am in your shoes. I have people that I am a fan of. Can you imagine what it would be like to hear from somebody that you think is totally awesome? To hear that THEY read YOUR book.

That would be cool...

Every once in a while, I get tagged for those 7/77 things, I always intend to get to them, but by the time I whittle down my daily list, it gets pushed back and I forget.. The Liebster Award (of which I know nothing) was something that my friend Chantal Boudreau tagged me in. I couldn't resist.. Read on to find out what it’s all about.

The rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you. Thanks, Chantal

2. Post eleven random facts about yourself.

3. You answer the eleven questions asked by the person who nominated you.

4. You think of a new set of eleven questions and nominate eleven others to answer them.

—–

To start…eleven random facts about myself:

1. I played and sang in a band called "The KaQlin' Zombies".

2. A car accident at age 17 while riding with my friend Mike in his 280Z erased a part of my memory from my senior year in high school.

3. I have played football at the actual geographic North Pole.

4. If I were a woman, my "type" would be Dave Navarro and Keifer Southerland.

5. I held a 3.96 in college while obtaining my Associates, my only "B" was in calculus (I missed an "A" by 1.04%).

6. I have a son (Cody) and daughter (Ronni--my oldest) born 5 months and 2 weeks apart.

7. My favorite band of all time is KISS.

8. I keep my head shaved as a choice, I can actually grow a very full head of hair.

9. Redheads make me weak in the knees and I believe that the most "homely" of redheads is still a beauty compared to anything else (and yes...Denise knows!).

10. I played "SNoopy" in the musical "The World According to Snoopy"..

11. I have seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show over 500 times..

And now Chantal's questions for me.

1. What was your favourite childhood show? The Bugs Bunny Roadrunner Show.

2. If you could be a bird, what bird would you be and why? An owl. They can turn their heads around backwards.

3. What is the best dessert you’ve ever eaten? Carrot Cake at Claim Jumper.

4. If you could pick band line-up for your ultimate concert, who would you have open, follow and headline?

Open-The Clash; Follow-Cheap Trick; Headline--The ORIGINAL KISS lineup

5. What would you say is your favourite book outside of your preferred genres? Nathaniel Philbrick's "The Last Stand; the Story of Custer and Sitting Bull"

6. If you had to sit through the goriest of horror movies or the sappiest of chick-flicks, which would you pick? Horror.

7. Kirk or Picard? Kirk...there is no other.

8. What is your favourite board game? Risk

9. If you had your choice, quiet night at home or rowdy night out? quiet night at home.

10. What are the top three colours in your wardrobe? Black, Red, and Dark Green

11. Have you ever read anything you were expecting to dislike but to your surprise you loved it?

Yes, "Zombie Wilson Diaries" by Timothy Long

Here are my questions:

1. Favorite sporting event to play?
2. Your least flattering feature?
3. Blondes, Brunettes, or redheads (or shaved heads if I tagged a female)?
4. If you could relive one year (nothing changes, you just get to relive it) which would it be?
5. What hobby would you like to pursue but just have never "gotten around" to it?
6. Strangest dish you've ever eaten?
7. Your personal comfort food?
8. If you could choose an eye color from ALL colors, what would it be?
9. Favorite Doctor from Dr. Who?
10. Fast zombies or slow?
11. Book you wished that you wrote?

My nominees: (I realize that writers are a busy bunch, and I am just as guilty as the next guy when it comes to "getting around to it" when it comes to things like this. I do hope that a few of you will pick up the gauntlet and add to this new-age version of a chain letter.)

Suzi M.

Armand Rosamilia

Catie Rhodes

Rhonda Hopkins

Greg Carrico

S.E. Meyers

Nickie Storey-Bailey

Lori R. Lopez

Janus Gangi

Mark Tufo

John O'Brien

Look forward to all your answers!

A year in review...sort of.

This is the time of year where many people like to create lists. "The Top 10" this and "Best of..." that. But really, do you need somebody else's list to tell you what was good, bad , or otherwise? I doubt it. Plus, you have probably read enough of them in the past few days to the point where you are sick of them.

What I want to share are just some of my highlights. I figure it would be nice to open the doors to my world for a few minutes and let you see a slice of what made 2012 a pretty good year for me. Of course, topping the list is my reunion with my daughter Ronni after 16 years. I can not begin to describe that event. I can't share what it meant every night that she was here to be able to tuck her in and kiss her forehead and hear her say, "Night, Dad." To take her out and teach her to drive, and to hear how excited she was to tell everybody about how she drove on the freeway.

In my professional life, I am now the editor for two writers that I respect a great deal. I was recently hired by Mark Tufo (author of the incredible Zombie Fallout series) and John O'Brien (author of the thrilling military-minded zombie series- A New World) to edit their work. This might not seem very exciting to many, but for me, it was a validation of all the hard work that I have put in learning the craft. Simply put, the written word is a tricky monster. I continue to learn more each day as I am not ever satisfied that I "have it down" to the point of perfection.

This past summer, I was invited to participate in "The Summer of Zombie" blog tour by another of my compatriots, Armand Rosamilia. I didn't really know him that well when it began, but I can say that I have met somebody that I call friend in the real sense of the word. Very few individuals have his heart...and I hope that he will extend the invitation this coming summer.

Did I mention that I saw my daughter?

On other fronts, I put out a few books this past year. One of them I owe entirely to my friend, Vix Kirkpatrick. She refused to accept that the Zomblog series was over. Because of that, I wrote the fourth book in that series, Zomblog: Snoe.

It is set almost 20 years after the first book and paints a picture of a world that is searching for direction. This is the first time that I consciously set out to put an underlying theme to my work. How much of who we are is predicated on our biology, and how much is our environment? I will write two more books, and then that series is OFFICIALLY complete.

The highlight for me as a writer was the release of Dead: Winter. At the time, it was the best sales numbers on a new release to date. It flirted with the Amazon Top 100 in horror, but did not quite make it. Still, it was (and remains) a consistent seller. And to be honest, that is why I am able to do what I love for a living. To write is a dream, and I will never quit. However, to write for a living is more than I could have ever hoped for.

Then, just a few days ago, on December 15th, (the same day that I would pick up my daughter at the airport) I released Dead: Siege & Survival. It has blown everything else out of the water as far as release numbers. I realize that there are lots of people who sell far more books than I, but I measure myself against MY goals...not other people's. The release of the 5th book in the DEAD series has had the added benefit of pushing my Amazon Horror Author Ranking up to the top 100 where I usually bounce around between 75-100. Again, I know it might not seem like much to some, but considering where I have been...this is a personal victory that holds meaning for me.

Oh...and I saw my daughter after 16 years...did I mention that?

What did not happen this year was any sort of apocalypse. Mayan or otherwise. December 21st was another Y2K...or Capone's Vault. A lot of hype...and no substance. That's okay. Honestly, things were just starting to look up for me...so an apocalypse would have really screwed things up. Denise is back to work (AND working on a second Master's), my writing is starting to generate a modest income...and I got to see my daughter.

So, since you've read this far, I will put in a tiny list of highlights in the horror genre. Here were some books that I REALLY liked...IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER!!!

1. Chocolate Covered Eyes by Lori Lopez
2. The Book of Riley (Part 1 & 2) by Mark Tufo
3. Wormwood by Michael James McFarland
4. Miami Spy Games by Armand Rosamilia
5. Tales From the Mist (Anthology) by various talented authors

There were lots of others...but I promised myself a limit of five. So if I left you out, don't feel slighted, chances are, I left you a review that told you what I thought...good, bad, or otherwise.

In closing, I want to mention a few people. The names will mean little to many, but these people each have a special place in my heart. So, if you want to skip the gushy stuff and are fairly certain you are not going to be mentioned, then just accept my gratitude for reading my work and allowing me to pursue my dream. Stay safe and make 2013 the best year possible.

Catie Rhodes, thank you for being a friend. This year had ups and downs, and you stepped in not giving a whit about the past to be my friend. For that reason alone, you will always be just exactly that to me...a friend.

Armand Rosamilia, you brought me in on my first blog tour. You turned a deaf ear to a few haters and extended a hand in friendship. I hope that we get the chance to sit down to dinner some day.

Mark Tufo, not only did you hire me as your editor, but you have sent others my way with recommendations that almost make me blush. You didn't even know it, but you play a huge part in my being able to do what I love for a living. I hope we get the chance to sit down and maybe play poker and tell stories some day.

Valarie Griffiths Brown, Woodstock, what can I say? You are just as sweet as ever and seeing you on stage this year was a treat. I wish we could get together more often.

Jamie Smith, what can I say? You and I have known each other for DECADES. You know exactly how I feel. And perhaps we will someday "Do the TIME WARP AGAIN!!!"

Last, but not least...Vix Kirkpatrick. My dear friend...even though we can not talk as often as we like, your friendship means the world to me. While some writers may have more fans...I got them beat by a mile because YOU are my friend.

To all, have a safe and happy 2013.

The gruff (but still cuddly) Armand Rosamilia

I "met" Armand Rosamilia a while ago. He was kind enough to include a then relative stranger on his Summer of Zombie Blog Tour. A Jersey boy living in the retirement Mecca that is Florida, he spins a wicked zombie yarn and only looks scary. I give you Armand Rosamilia...no seriously, he's yours...take him....

Your Summer of Zombie Blog Tour seemed to be a real success. Any plans on doing that sort of thing again…or did it just eat too much of your time? Lessons learned?

It definitely ate away my time, but I chalk that up to time spent promoting. Instead of wasting time flailing away in random directions promoting my own work, I got to get focused and help all six of us. I'm hoping to do another one in the near future, maybe a Winter of Zombie for three weeks, and definitely another Summer of Zombie blog tour next year. Ideally, keep about three of us in it and add three new zombie authors to keep it fresh. Something like that.

What are some of the lessons you have learned as a writer that caught you off guard?

That my discipline needs constant work. On paper, 2,000 words a day is no big deal, especially when the ideas are flowing. Yet, I will struggle to meet that goal and sometimes have to force myself to stay in the chair and not watch a movie or go swimming or take a nap. Then, I get days where I get up, and don't get distracted until 5,000 words is done in a couple of hours.

The “contributor’s copy” anthology has been taking a beating in some of the social media circles lately. Where do you stand on the subject?

I don't think every publisher can offer pro rates, but they should offer something, even if it is a token payment. Heck, I only offer $3.00 plus royalty share for Rymfire Books anthologies. I know it is nothing, and I know some people won't work with me because of it. I'm fine with that because everyone has their own career path to follow. But there comes a point when you have to figure out if this is a hobby or a career, and you can't build a career with free.

You have A LOT of followers on Twitter and Facebook…explain. You aren’t a warm and fuzzy kind of guy. So what is the secret?

Some might call me gruff… like you, Todd. I have an obsessive personality, so when I put my mind to something I run it to the max. As an example, as a kid I loved collecting Boston Red Sox baseball cards. I'm a huge fan. A normal kid would try to get one of each card from each year. Not me. I amassed over 1 million Red Sox cards by my mid-twenties and was featured in a hobby magazine about it. Obsession. I'm currently over 14,000 Twitter followers, and I got them one at a time. No gimmicks, no paying for them. I've devised my own formula for getting followers into horror, zombies, heavy metal, steampunk and me.

What could traditional publishing learn from the Indies? And how about the other way around?

Traditional publishing needs to learn to adapt quicker and bend their own rules. Most traditional publishers are still putting out the same formulaic book, one we've been reading forever. That being said, the indies need to stop dumping a ton of books into the system before their time. Quantity over quality is not a long-term way to grow. People always bitch about indie books being unedited and badly formatted. While I hate blanket statements, we still need to do our part to make sure our books aren't that way and stop giving people something to complain about.

The writing community can be its own worst enemy at times. What are some of the issues you see cropping up in the Indie world? Solutions?

I told this to another writer on the phone last night (Vincent Hobbes, a great author): It's like the comic book boom of the eighties. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon, buying hundreds of copies of limited edition covers and special issues, thinking they'd get rich quickly. It never happened. I see this mentality in writing: everyone trying to put out their book and expecting the money to flow in. When it doesn't they attack reviewers, Amazon, other writers, and blog crazy things, thinking if they shout loud enough people will read their book. It always backfires. And we all know someone like that, which is sad.

The social media is…

Orange. How's that for abstract? Overwhelming at times. It is a time crusher, an ego booster, and we no longer write alone in the corner of the living room with no interaction. When I started seriously writing in the 1990s, you wrote and then crossed your fingers you could find a market for the story. Now, with the internet, you have a dozen choices to write to. If your story doesn't sell, you publish it yourself. There's no risk of wasting your time, because there is this huge audience waiting to read you. You hope.

Share some information about your work with us:

I guess my 'bigger' books are the Dying Days series of zombie novellas. I didn't start out to be a zombie guy, but I seem to get the most response from my character-driven zombie stories. The next book, Still Dying: Select Scenes From Dying Days, will be out in the next few weeks, and then I have three more books planned.

 What is one question you are sick of being asked—not in interviews, but by individuals who know you write?

I've gotten several people who, when I say I'm a writer, will tell me they'll be going to WalMart in a few hours and will look for my book. When I tell them I'm not in WalMart they ask a hundred questions, but it's really one question: why the hell aren't you in WalMart? I never knew for some people that meant you'd made it.

How do you deal with negative reviews?

I find out where they live, their children go to school, and map the routes to all their relative's houses… heck, what can you do? You suck it up. If a review is critical I want to know why. I'll take a one star review as long as you tell me what you hated about it. To me, any review helps. You might only like fast zombies and hate my slow, shambling ones and say it in the review. The next person might read that and think it would be a perfect fit. I never respond to them. Everyone has their own opinion and even 'classic' books have tons of bad reviews.

How much reading do you get in, and can a writer excel at his or her craft if they do not read?

Didn't Stephen King say over and over you have to read in order to be a good writer? I agree. I spend at least an hour every night before I fall asleep reading something on my Kindle. Anything. I might read a thriller today and a biography tomorrow, followed by a horror short and then a how-to book on pinterest.

When does self-promotion cross the line and become a nuisance?

When that's all you do. How many commercials do you really watch? After awhile you automatically tune them out. Same with constant barrages of promotion. I find that if I post constant links to my work I sell a book a day. If I re-tweet great author's tweets and blog posts I want to be associated with, I sell ten a day. If I am just myself, interact with followers and people and be myself (even though some say I'm gruff) I sell fifty books a day.

What projects are you currently working on?

I'm always working on three projects at a time. I can't help it. Right now I'm writing the first draft to my Death Metal sequel, Death Cult: Death Metal 2. I'm also working on Dying Days: Origins, a prequel tale for one of the DyingDays characters. And a zombie novella that doesn't fit into the DyingDays world that I plan to shop to a certain publisher I really admire and want to work with.

What is one thing about you that would surprise the readers who do not know you personally?

I'm not that gruff. So stop saying it. Now. I am actually quite humorous and have a sarcastic, dry humor. I am definitely a Jersey boy and it shows. But one thing that might surprise you is that I might look like a biker, a pro wrestler or Kerry King from Slayer, but I am actually a quiet teddy bear in person.

Tell us a secret.

I cry watching chick flicks. Even sappy moments gets me teary-eyed. I watched Contagion last week and cried at the end, with the U2 song playing. I cried watching the Billy Joel/Shea Stadium documentary. I cried watching ET as a kid in the theatre when he died.

Is there anyone you’d like to give a mention?

There are a few writers out there that I love reading. I have no stake in their sales, no pat on the back for being my buddy, they just rock as horror authors. Mark Tufo is a zombie genius with a rabid fan base, Bryan Hall is an up and coming horror author and his Southern Hauntings series is going to be huge, Tim Baker writes incredible thriller books set in the town I'm living in and we're working on a book together, and Billie Sue Mosiman is a prolific author who's been in the game a long time and offers help and advice, besides great stories. I'd also mention Todd Brown (editor's note...the five bucks is in the mail) as a favorite zombie author as well.

What is in your “to be read” pile right now?

Let me grab my Kindle… the order I will be reading the next few eBooks: Mark Edward Hall Library Vol. 1, Cutlass: Ten Tales of Pirates anthology, Epitaphs: The Journal of the NEHW anthology, 450 Things You Didn't Know About the Boston Celtics, and Skin Trade by Tonia Brown. And the other 457 books in there. 

Thanks to Armand for not only taking a time out to share some time, but also for being an increasingly good sport as he gets flooded with stuffed grouchy teddy bears once his fans get a hold of this interview.

A new bad "guy" for Dead: Siege & Survival

Tomorrow I will be handing the reins over to my favorite curmudgeon...Armand Rosamilia, This guy is a straight shooter and definitely somebody you can hang out with over a cup of coffee (or a beer for the consumers of alcoholic libation). However, today it is my pleasure to introduce you to the newest villain in the DEAD series. So, settle in and meet Major Wanda Beers...

Hanover, Ohio—Major Wanda Beers looked back at the column marching alongside the few vehicles that they were still able to maintain. The fuel tanker would need to be topped off again very soon, she thought, if the gas was still even any good.

She turned her attention back to the front. The blue piece of cloth fluttered from the street sign indicating that they were still on the right track. That idiot Paul James better not screw this up; she grimaced at the idea that her entire outfit was at the mercy of possible one of the stupidest men she had ever met in her life.

He had been one of the first to sell out his group during their last stop. He had been under some delusional state of mind that the military could help his wife. The only help for that snarling, drooling, walking sack of guts was a bullet in the head.

Once the appropriate arrangements were made for all the supplies to be loaded up and all the willing recruits had been conscripted, the rest of the citizens were forced outside of the walls of their little barricaded outpost.

Wanda had taken great pleasure in throwing this particular group out into the wild. This was one of those gated communities full of people who bitch and moan about the military, protest their actions, and elect politicians who don’t have a problem cutting defense spending so that little Johnny can go to school and be a juvenile delinquent. They all drove around in their Hybrid cars and chanted things like “No blood for oil!” What did they care? It wasn’t like those rich pricks or any of their children would ever serve. None of them would ever hold a dying friend in their arms that had just had his lower half blown off by an insurgent’s IED.

The day before they were set to leave she had informed Paul James that his daughter would not be joining them on the journey. The girl was positively useless. She had failed in every task assigned and done nothing by cry and complain when they had placed her on kitchen duty. The only other choice was to put her with the whores who serviced the soldiers. He had absolutely refused.

Wanda had created the “Brothel Brigade” early on. As a student of history, she knew that it had been common in the ancient times for armies to have useable whores travel with them—usually in the rear, and they normally performed other menial tasks like laundry and such to earn their place. Apparently what was good enough for the father was too good for the daughter—Paul had been put in rotation with the men and women in the brothel tent after he had proven to be loyal but useless. Sadly, he wasn’t much better as a whore.

Paul had come to her tent the night before they were prepared to roll out. He said that he knew of another outpost. He admitted that his group was just getting ready to approach them with an offer of joining forces. Ironically, they were concerned with the possibilities of raiders coming along and trying to take over their happy little homes.

He went on to say that this other group had even fewer people, but that they seemed exceptionally well organized and supplied. He didn’t want to reveal the location unless he had assurances that his daughter would be allowed to remain with the group. He said that he would even take a second job to pick up her slack. She could have brought his useless daughter Mary in right then and held a knife to her throat to convince him to talk, but she was feeling generous that day.

“You and your daughter will go with you,” Wanda decided. “A group might be hesitant to take in a lone man. She will help soften them up. You will leave blue strips of cloth as markers and an indicator that you have made contact.”

She could roll with the direct frontal assault, but she didn’t want to waste precious manpower if it was not necessary. Having a man on the inside was the perfect Trojan horse scenario. He would gain this new group’s trust, and then open the gates to allow their access.

Yesterday, one of her scouts returned and reported that blue banners had been spotted. She had slapped herself in the forehead with her palm when she looked on a map and determined the direction led straight to the Longaberger Golf Course. This little tidbit of information had put her on a higher state of alert. There was the possibility that this group might be better prepared and actually led by somebody who knew what they were doing.

When the next round of scouts returned to report that a military vehicle had been spotted, Major Wanda Beers actually considered cancelling the run. She decided to risk one scout who would attempt to get inside the wall and observe.

Four agonizing days passed and her people were starting to run low on supplies—keeping a hundred and thirty-five people fed was no easy task these days—when the scout returned. Yes, they were very well fortified against the walking dead, but there were no signs of soldiers anywhere. In two days of observation, the only people seen coming and going besides Paul James and his useless daughter were a couple of young females and one male who was often seen using a set of crutches.

The sun was just coming up…somewhere. Here, it was a solid blanket of dark clouds that threatened snow. They stopped at the front entrance to the country club. There were several vehicles in place as a barricade. No sense adding to the chaos by allowing the possibility of zombies to come in during their assault.

Major Beers sent her men and women over the wall. Like any commander worth a damn, she climbed over with the first wave. All the concern turned out to be for nothing. Besides her Trojan horse, all they discovered were three young females between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five, one male with a severe leg injury that looked to have received expert attention, and a severely disturbed black girl with Down’s syndrome. 

Reviews, supporting my fellow Indies, and drawing lines in the sand...

Writers are a peculiar bunch. If you are one, you may not realize it...except for all those other weird writers you talk with throughout the day. And if you are married or in any sort of relation with one...I am preaching to the choir. It is the ability to suspend reality that allows many of them to ply their craft. It is also that same ability that can lead to problems. Writers can be whining, bitching, self-absorbed, and completely out of touch with reality.

Many of the problems as of late are centered around reviews. Now, if you have read my posts on the subject of negative reviews, you know where I stand. To refresh your memory, it goes something like this: Not everybody will love your stuff, GET OVER IT! So what else could possibly be stuck in my craw when it comes to reviews? In a word: reciprocity. I may not be the "be all/beat all" when it comes to reviews...I only get three or four a month on average, however, I do them. I do them with the understanding that I refuse to write fluff pieces and if I didn't like the work...I will say so. What I won't do is plaster a negative (2 star or less--I will get to people crying about three star reviews later) review on every page and group. A negative review will go on Amazon, Shelfari, Goodreads, Brutally Honest Reviews (my review page on Facebook), and this blog. That might seem like a lot, but I left out about a half dozen other sites that I regularly share my reviews with; a couple with over 2,000 followers or members. Still, I am not one of those people who will NOT write a review "just because the book was lousy." I put that in quotes because I have actually seen people use that as a reason. That is WTF issue number one...

The Indie community has got to stop stressing over reviews. I have (on many occasions) invited anybody who reads my stuff to post reviews. Good. Bad. Meh. Do I like negative reviews? Of course not, but I accept them as OPINION. Do you read editorials and classify them as "News"? Even the Greats suffer the slings and arrows of people not liking them. "This has to be one of the most overrated books of all time. There was absolutely no suspense, it was filled with mostly forgettable characters, and it was way too long. I found myself rooting for no one and wishing the book would just end. And end it did, with a big thud." That comes from a review of one of my all-time favorites: The Stand  by Stephen King. Do you think King read that and ran to everybody in his circle with a sob story about how the reader "just didn't get it." All so that a group of sycophants could stroke his ego and tell him how awesome he is? Yet every day, drop in to one of the social media groups and watch that scene get played out time and again. So, I've said it before and I will say it again, if I review your book, I will say what I think. You will NEVER see me post for pity, nor will I argue against somebody who writes a negative review about my work. In fact, I do my best to glean information from negative reviews to be a better writer. I don't change what I do, but sometimes I see comments with validity. This statement made by The Aussie Zombie is a case in point: "I also found the seemingly pointless wandering around the country, in search of nothing, more than a little disjointing. Sure, if the world was taken over by the living dead, you'd move around some - but it seemed like there was no destination or goal in mind." Guess what? She made a good point. When I wrote that book, I never intended it for publication. I created an ending that allowed me to take the story in a specific direction with an end game in mind in the second book in the series. Hey...at least she read and reviewed my book. Of course I would like a better review, but what she said was put appropriately and constructively. Negative does not have to mean NASTY, RUDE, or PERSONAL. 

I want to support my fellow authors. I believe that we are all in this together. Yes, I openly admit to taking advantage of the freebies made available to a reviewer. Still, those lead to sales when I like what I see. Also, I bang the drum loudly when I read something I like..not just in reviews, but to people I know who read. So here is a challenge...on Friday, July 27th, everybody pick out an "Indie" writer you have always considered reading and get their book. Then come by and comment who you got on this blog. When you finish, please return and share if it inspired you to purchase another by that author. I am getting Mark Tufo's book one of his Zombie Fallout series. Step up to the plate, folks. For the price of a morning latte, you might just find your newest addiction. And of course I hope somebody picks one of mine...but I am more interested in the variety of names that show up. One of you may turn me on to something new.

Right now, I have about fifty books in queue, and at the top of the list are titles by the likes of Armand Rosamilia, Billie Sue Mosiman, and Mark Tufo. Sure, there are a few others, but those are people who I admire and respect. However, they each know that I will say what I think. However, I want to come out with this...it would be nice if some of my peers gave me some feedback. Same thing with my little blog...I don't have a lot of followers...YET. But when I put the word out...asking for guests...I got over fifty responses. I was honored. So the other day, I put out the word that I am available for guest posts or interviews. Guess how many responses I got? {crickets chirping}. Yep. Not one. NOW THAT STUNG way more than any negative review. So there you have it. I am openly admitting to having feelings. That may not be a popular thing to do...but I have made it a point of being straight up and honest. Some might say "Brutally Honest"...

I have some more to share when I return. I will be talking about anthologies...ours (MDP's) and some others. I will share a little about what I look for...and what will make me hit delete. However, tomorrow I am pleased to announce that Sean Sweeney will be a guest right here. Please come check it out and leave a witty or quasi-snarky comment in the "Comments" section.