The women's "voice" of the zombie apocalypse

Emily Dane of Puretalon Productions was the individual that jumped out to me as the best choice for the role of Meredith Gainey. She does not just read the story to you. She becomes Meredith, and she has a chilling world to show you. Emily takes up the story in the first Zomblog and carries it through Zomblog II and Zomblog: The Final Entry (coming soon to Audible!).

You can get it here for tomorrow's drive to work!

She was nice enough to take a few minutes with me.

So, what led you to doing voice work for audio books?

I have a background in acting and I've done a little voice over in the past, so when Erik Bryon suggested that I record some samples, and submit auditions, I did and discovered that I took to it naturally. It just went from there! 

The social media is…

Social media is a necessary evil in today's society. We are glued to our devices that constantly feed us information, often useless dribble, but sometimes quite vital and enriching, such as showing nationwide solidarity in support of gay marriage, or quickly spreading a breaking news story. And yes, it is a perfect format for promotion and advertising, so savvy businesses are able to thrive. With that said, my thumbs hurt. 

Share some information about your individual work on projects besides the ones you are doing for me: 

Though I have nothing to promote at the moment, I've been on a creative streak lately and there are exciting things on the horizon, including a photo series and a children's book! That may sound vague, but I like to keep the mystery alive.

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

Have I seen or worked with any celebrities, and if so, whom? (The answer is yes, but I don't name-drop unless provoked)

So, let’s talk a little about the Zomblog series. What are your thoughts on the project, and do you have an interest in the zombie genre apart from this work, or is it simply part of the job? What (if anything) do you think sets it apart from other stories in the genre.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of zombies. I find them repulsive! With that said, the Zomblog series is very captivating, and in my opinion at least, it makes the zombie genre more palatable for an audience of a fainter heart such as myself. The first-person structure, particularly from a woman's perspective, gives it a softer, more sympathetic side that many zombie tales seem to lack. 

What are some other projects where fans can find your work?

As far as voice over, I have worked with Random Encounters Entertainment, a Youtube channel that specializes in video game-based musicals. They're awesome. Here is a link to their channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/RandomEncountersEnt

You can find my voice in PacMan the Musical and Tetris the Musical, and you can actually see me in some of their live action shorts, but I'm not going to tell you which ones.

How would you describe Zomblog to friends?

I would describe Zomblog as a fun loving romp into the magical world of post-zombie apocalyptic America, the stuff that dreams are made of. And by dreams, I mean nightmares. 

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

I'm princess unicorn! But seriously, Meredith is a total badass. I am not. I do not like blood and gore and dead people. I do not like violence. I don't agree with many of Meredith's decisions, but I have complete respect for her. I question whether I would have survived long in that type of situation!

What do you look for when choosing to narrate an audio book? Or are they simply acting jobs that you simply take as they come along?

I'm still pretty new to the world of audio books, so at this point I take what comes along to build my resume. Unless it is so poorly written that it is unreadable (which did happen to me), I will take what falls into my lap. I love to explore different genres and to challenge myself as a narrator, so I'm open to anything. 

One of the biggest criticisms regarding Zomblog is that it paints humanity in a negative light? Did you get that vibe? How did you see it?

I agree that it is a pessimistic prediction of how humanity would fare in the face of destruction such as this, but unfortunately I also recognize that it is a very real scenario. Humans are animals too, and we are capable of doing extreme things when we go into survival mode. 

How do you see humanity dealing with a scenario such as this? (Removing the idea of how unlikely it is, of course.)

I would like to think that humanity would rise to the occasion. Yes, there would be hysteria and looting, but once things died down a bit, I believe that people would join together and help one another as best they could. There would be rebels and villains like there always has been and will be, but hopefully it would be a small minority. 

Did anything stand out for you?

I would never want to be pregnant and fighting zombies. However, life is beautiful. Even when a zombie plague destroys civilization, life goes on. Nature finds a way to heal. 

My thanks to Erik and Emily (and--coming soon-- Laura), the great people at Puretalon Productions for bringing these stories to life.

A new release...oh...and Vinnie.

Dead: Confrontation-- Book 6 of the DEAD series.

So, the new DEAD book is out and I am already diving in to writing book 7, titled Dead: Reborn. No resting on my laurels...whatever those are. I have some concepts in line for this next arc of the book and am doing some things that have me anxious for reader response. Yep...already consumed by the seventh book and I haven't even been able to really sit back and enjoy the release of book six. Still think being a writer is easy? It is like any other job...only this just happens to be what I LOVE! If you are a skimmer when it comes to reading blogs, don't miss the note at the end on how you can win a free audio version of my latest release: Gruesomely Grimm Zombie Tales, Volume 1.

Also, the fantastic folks with Puretalon Productions are deep in the production stages of the first four Zomblog books for audio! I have to thank Erik Bryan, Emily Dane (as Meredith), and Laura Stahl (as Snoe). While it was actually Erik's Zomblog audition that reeled me in to these exceptional folks, I can not even begin to say how thrilled I am with the ladies and the way they have brought my story to life.

That was why it was so easy to continue with these amazing people for the DEAD books. Dead: The Ugly Beginning is already in production and the rest of the series will be out by summer's end. I am hoping it does well so that Erik will be motivated to stay on board with the entire series. And I am also very excited to be revealing some new cover art for many of the audio editions. More on that coming soon... But I have to step aside for a moment for "you know who".

Yo, Vinnie DeSporto here, so listen up. First off, I don't much care for being shoved down at the end of a bunch of crap dat Brown coulda said earlier in da week. "But, Vinnie", I can hear him sniveling, "I don't do blogs on Tuesday or Thursday." Boo-freakin'-who.

Anyways, today I have chosen the S & M librarian who goes by Suzi M.

Va-va-va-voom. Am I right guys? Somebody tell Barbra Eden we found the model for those cartoon eyes in the credits of I Dream of Jeannie. It is honor of dis babe dat I have officially started my "DeSporto Babes" club. How do you become a member...simple...for starters, you gotta look like dat. (Look up about an inch if you need a reminder...you know what an inch is, dontcha Armand?) So, Suzi...or whatever your name is, I mean seriously, I will probably forget anyway, so just get used to bein' called Dollface, as da charter member of da DeSporto Babes, you need a t-shirt and a pitcher of ice water...and a sponge. "But Vinnie," I hear you ask in what I can only assume is a nagging voice like most broads have, "what do I need a sponge for?"

Hey, my car ain't gonna wash itself.

Next week, I will be turning the heat up on ...am I readin' dis right? "The Summer of Zombie Blog Tour"? What da hell is dat?!

Oh well, Steppin' on toes in da Rose City, I'm Vinnie DeSporto, in yer face.

So, be here on Monday for a shot at a free audible copy of Gruesomely Grimm Zombie Tales Volume 1. Imagine if your grandma told you bedtime stories..but with zombies!