Werewolves, Booze, and Zombies Podcast

I stopped by the Books and Booze Podcast and talked about the writing process, werewolves, zombies, and of course, werewolves vs. unicorns.

GIVE IT A LISTEN BY CLICKING THIS!

or:

Here's the URL (just so you know I'm not sending you to Virus Land)

http://www.books-booze.com/e/bb-ep-99-vincenzo-bilof/

You can also check out this interview I did with THE NEXT BIG BOOK CLUB, in which I talked about the types of alcoholic beverages my characters would 

favor...

http://thenextbestbookblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/vincenzo-bilofs-guide-to-books-booze.html

I'm finishing up the Zombie Ascension trilogy right now. I just discovered SKYRIM, so you have to give me a break... I know the game is old, but I couldn't get into the hype when it was popular. So yeah...

The third book in the trilogy is called SAINT PAIN.  I expect to have this monster of a book done this summer, with a release in August/September. The third book will discuss the effects of PTSD and survivor's guilt on those who have been left behind. Of course, there will be zombies...

I also have another poetry narrative coming out soon called, VISIONS OF A TREMULOUS MAN. In January, Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing will be releasing VAMPIRE STRIPPERS FROM SATURN, a sort of horror-satire. 

Zombie Horror: Reflections on a Genre

I still envision zombie fiction as a horror sub-genre, but it has evolved into its own genre. I don’t think that’s a bad thing; less than a decade ago, it was a challenge to find any zombie fiction at all. People like myself who grew up with zombie movies were teased by the possibilities; Romero and the other zombie-film directors were never given huge budgets to work with, so it seemed as if they spent more of their budget on the things that mattered most: makeup, gore, and securing a vivid location. I know Romero’s original Day of the Dead script was hacked to pieces, but I still love the film. 

Brian Keene, Joe McKinney, David Moody, Jonathan Maberry, Mark Tufo; these authors helped pioneer the emergence of zombie fiction as its own genre, almost separate from horror. Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead comic series bridged the gap between niche-horror and mainstream entertainment. There are so many possibilities now for people who have an imagination; there are now thematic variations of zombie fiction. Survivalist, Dystopian, military adventure; these seem to be the popular incarnations. 

A lot of zombie fiction seems to be fit more into an action/adventure mold than horror; the survivalist books can still be frightening, because we have the anxiety that comes with surviving a natural disaster, the psychological damage, the fear of other survivors in a post-apocalyptic setting, etc. Then we have the Call of Duty video game zombie novels, in which we have a bunch of soldiers at war with zombies. We still have books where swords can magically decapitate zombies (if you know me, you know this is a HUGE pet-peeve of mine), and that’s cool. That’s what people want to read. I think there is a lot of potential in this particular fiction market, but…

What happened to zombie horror?

Zombies just aren’t very scary in most books. 

I’m not attempting to deviate into what is scary about the books, but rather, I would like to find out where the zombie fiction books that portrayed the undead as terrifying WITHOUT the emphasis on post-apocalyptic-survivalist-military action. Yes; the living are often more terrible than the zombies. WE GET THAT. There is so much potential in the zombie idea, but we are seemingly stuck. There are some original stories out there, but they’re harder and harder to find. I’m bored with zombie fiction. Very, very bored. I don’t like most of it. In fact, I dislike the vast majority of it. About 99.9%. 

So I decided to write the zombie books that I would want to read. I could still incorporate plenty of action, but I wanted the zombies to become menacing again. I wanted to read beautiful prose, so I made an attempt. My zombie books have a lot of detail; according to reviewers and blog reviews. A lot of my characters aren’t good people (I wrote a blog post once about my belief that “good” people wouldn’t survive  very long in a zombie-apocalypse scenario), but they are still not as bad as the zombies… so there is still a contrast. The zombies are always more terrifying. 

The Zombie Acension trilogy is nearing its end. The final book in the trilogy involves a heavy look at PTSD and survivor’s guilt as it would relate to a post-apocalyptic scenario. The book, titled Saint Pain, is about the never-ending horror that has become a sort of disease; the horror of survival. Robert Kirkman briefly writes about the subject in the Walking Dead comic, but I wanted to take it a step further.

A zombie apocalypse should be brutal, terrifying, awful. We’re talking about a world that has become lawless…

I suppose I wrote this blog because now I'm being labeled as a poet, bizarro writer, editor... and I used to avoid being called a "zombie author." 

My work is zombie horror. Maybe a bit of survival horror (I hear that’s a sub-genre, too), with some explosions and bullets and sex sprinkled in. I take that back. A lot of bullets, a lot of sex, and a lot of blood. 
My civil war book, Nightmare of the Dead, is almost entirely a horror novel that features zombie-like creatures as monsters, but in the end, it’s horror. 

The horror, the horror…

I want zombie horror, so I wrote it. My vision of the apocalypse is a dark one… there is no cure for death, there isn’t a knight in shining armor coming to save the human race…

COVER REVEAL! QUEEN OF THE DEAD

And here it is, ladies and gentlemen! Brought to you by Russell Dickerson at Darkstorm Creative! 



Blood runs through the streets of Detroit and into the gutters of nearby cities. Monsters, both human and zombie alike, have brought civil order to its knees. The haunted mercenary, Vega, must confront this apocalypse head-on with survivors who have their own versions of morality; she’s joined by Father Joe, a pious man who will do everything in his power to save a single life, no matter how many others have to die…
Jim Traverse, the sociopath who has decided the apocalypse will be “beautiful,” has nearly completed his genocidal masterpiece. Jim races against Vega’s company to reach Selfridge Air Base, where they’ll fight for control of the woman who has ascended over life and death, a woman whose relationship with an infernal intelligence gives her power over the walking dead. 

One woman can save the world, or destroy it: The Queen of the Dead. 

The back cover...

New Characters Appearing in Zombie Ascension Two (Dream Cast)

Queen of the Dead (Zombie Ascension 2)

Release Date: August 2013 

Although the characters in the first novel were thematically... "corrupt," for a lack of a better word, it was my intention to go a different route with the redemption concept in the second book. The fans have asked for "good" characters, and here are a few of them:

Father Joe Martinez

A former boxer who killed a man in his last fight, Father Joe's faith is absolute, and so is his belief that he must always redeem himself for the mistake he made. His personal championship fight with his past turns him into a selfish man who never breaks a promise. Benicio Del Toro would bring the priest's charm and strength to the screen that would make this hero stand out above the rest of the cast.

Jack Mender

Jack is a drummer for a heavy metal band that his brother, Jerry, has engineered; Jack has no sense of self-worth because he's been Jerry's punching bag. Jack wants to feel like he can be of worth to somebody; he lived in his mother's basement while taking care of her as a debilitating mental condition wore her down. It would be nice to see Seth Rogen in a more humbling role where he can use a more diverse emotional range, which he's capable of doing.

Agent Rose

A seductive assassin who was "built" and trained for more personal encounters with men and women, Rose is the former pupil of Jim Traverse, the madman who's still running lose in Michigan. Their relationship went beyond the student-mentor realm, and since he left her for his last mission in Egypt, she's done everything she can to put him out of her mind. At last, she's been called in to apprehend Jim, though she fears he's become a dreadful monster that she won't recognize. Emile Clarke could play the love struck assassin convincingly enough to make her a sympathetic character the audience might want to cheer one… whether they want her to reunite with her serial-killer lover or not.

Sergeant John Charles

A man dedicated to do whatever it takes to serve his country; the sole survivor of Crater's team, John is a soldier to the bone, whose willingness to sacrifice for his country caused him to lose his family early in his career. His country is all he has left. Sam Worthington would play the dedicated patriot with the steely-eyed determination that makes John an endearing character.

General Masters

This homeless man is convinced he's an ex-soldier who was once a key player in the Vietnam conflict, until he decided that the only way to win was to train soldiers Colonel Kurtz style. He's been hanging around a liquor store in Detroit to make sure the family that runs it is always "safe," and we learn this crooked-tooth mystery man isn't very squeamish, nor has his dedication to America wavered. He seems to know more than the others about what might be behind the zombie epidemic. It would be nice to see Carl Weathers return in an action role… because it's Carl Weathers!

Synopsis:

Blood runs through the streets of Detroit and into the gutters of nearby cities. Monsters, both human and zombie alike, have brought civil order to its knees. The haunted mercenary, Vega, must confront this apocalypse head-on with survivors who have their own versions of morality; she’s joined by Father Joe, a pious man who will do everything in his power to save a single life, no matter how many others have to die…
Jim Traverse, the sociopath who has decided the apocalypse will be “beautiful,” has nearly completed his genocidal masterpiece. Jim races against Vega’s company to reach Selfridge Air Base, where they’ll fight for control of the woman who has ascended over life and death, a woman whose relationship with an infernal intelligence gives her power over the walking dead. 


One woman can save the world, or destroy it: The Queen of the Dead

Author Spotlight: Armand Rosamilia

Writer, publisher, and heavy metal guru; Armand Rosamilia is an author who explores the dynamics of people who're forced to survive harrowing scenarios—Armand is not afraid to push his characters over the edge, especially in his zombie novels. To celebrate the latest episode in his popular Dying Days series, Armand stopped by the blog to share his thoughts about zombies and his beloved protagonist, Darlene Bobich, while showing us a glimpse of his maniacal imagination…  

Synopsis for Dying Days 3: 

Flagler Beach Florida is a wasteland of ruin and gore, looted and picked clean of supplies… and now, Darlene Bobich and the other survivors have an even bigger problem…

What could be worse than a mindless zombie horde? They are about to find out. 

Continuing the zombie series, "Dying Days"… extreme situations, extreme violence, extreme undead

CLICK HERE TO BUY DYING DAYS 3

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE DYING DAYS SERIES!


INTERVIEW:

VINCENZO: The fans love Darlene Bobich from your Dying Days books; what makes her stand out from other zombie fiction protagonists? What makes her interesting to you? Was there a specific character or person who helped inspire Darlene's creation?

ARMAND: I love writing about Darlene Bobich because she isn't superhuman. She is just a normal woman, late twenties, pretty but not a model, a little overweight and a bit emotional at times. She is pretty cool. After writing the first stories with her I realized she'd be pretty cool to hang out with, with or without the zombie apocalypse. She wasn't based on anyone I know but I guess as she progressed in later stories she became a woman I would like to be friends with, if that makes sense… and isn't too creepy…

The Dying Days series offers readers a chance to see the long-term effects of characters who survive for an extended period of time. What kind of role does the setting play in the stories development? 

Darlene is from Maine, so this is a totally different place for her. Even the characters native to Florida are not used to living like this, and some of them clearly handle it better than others. I enjoyed keeping each character's motivations intact even as the world changed around them, some adapting and some keeping focus (right or wrong). Just because the world goes to hell doesn't mean bad people suddenly become good. Or good people don't suddenly breakdown and act like selfish jerks. 

How often do you think about your characters? 

I am constantly 'writing' in my head, every time I meet a new person. I am at the point where something will hit me and I can see Darlene or John or Tosha doing that or saying that, and I make a mental note for later. A writer never stops writing, even when they aren't in front of a computer screen. 

Why won't you tone down the gore of your Dying Days series? There seems to be a lot of it…


I'm not interested in writing a happy or toned-down zombie story unless it's organic when I write it. I don't actually have too much gore and craziness, but I imply it quite a bit. I can only think of once or twice where I actually mention the zombies sexually violating someone, and it happened in the beginning of the Highway To Hell novella, the story that Dying Days really evolved from. 

How do you envision the evolution of your series? 

I have no reason to believe Dying Days will end anytime soon, because I have so many major and minor characters to tell their story about. For instance, the next release will be Dying Days: Origins, which tells the prequel tale of Tosha Shorb and then David Monsour (both featured in Dying Days 2). There are plenty of stories still left to tell. 

What was the most memorable moment you have, as a writer, while working on Dying Days Three? 

I remember about halfway through it I was stuck on a part during a beach scene and knew I had to move the story along and give the reader something interesting and move the story forward another notch. I took a break and when I checked my e-mail I saw the cover art Ash Areceneaux had put together and I loved it. A female zombie underwater, with one arm and her nose missing. I immediately knew it had to be incorporated into the story, and it's one of my favorite scenes. 




What's the craziest experience you've had with a fan? 

I had a fan send me a vodka skull, big boxes of M&Ms and TicTacs, and a bunch of other cool stuff. I became great online friends with her and help her with her own writing career. I've also had a couple of propositions for them to fly to Florida and get a room overlooking the beach and… yeah, I have had a few wild and crazy events because of this career. 

Are you reading any independent authors? If so, who? 

I mostly read independents. Bryan Hall, Tim Baker, Robert Chazz Chute, Mark Tufo… I could list another dozen. I am constantly finding new authors to read and getting recommendations from friends I trust. 

Which zombie movie is your favorite? Why?

My absolute favorite is the Dawn of the Dead remake. The fast zombies don't bother me. I love Ving Rhames in this, and anytime I see it on TV I will watch no matter what part it is on. I'm also a big fan of Shaun of the Dead and 28 Days Later. 

What's the biggest difference/challenge between writing a series and a standalone story?

With a series you have the freedom to really dive fully into the background of the character(s), and take your time telling their story. You can ease into what makes them do the things they do, and not have to worry about cutting scenes and quirks because you have to neatly fit it into one story. I have several characters in Dying Days that drop in and out like in real life. Some of these character threads might never be closed. And I'm OK with it. 


Describe the moment you discovered you enjoyed writing.

I knew at 12 I wanted to write, and write horror. It sounds cliché but it was always my career choice and nothing else. I just had no idea how to go about doing it, and 30 years ago the rules were so different. It was just a pipe dream of a pre-teen. Even in my twenties it was very hard to get published and get help. But I've always wanted to be a horror author. You can thank Dean Koontz for that. 

In your opinion, why is zombie literature a relevant genre?

The fan base gives it relevancy. There is a solid, small rabid fan base for zombie literature. After The Walking Dead and World War Z has come and gone, there will still be fans of zombies out there, and they will keep finding the better releases and word of mouth will keep certain authors writing and selling their work. 

As an editor at Rymfire Books, what has been the most rewarding part of the experience?

Meeting so many great writers and getting to publish some of their first stories, and then months and years later seeing them move up and get noticed and grow into an even more amazing writer. Mark Tufo comes to mind. To be able to publish his short, "My Name Is Riley," in Undead Tales and then see his career explode soon after was great. 

The world is ending, and the pantheon of music gods have sent three bands down from the heavens to Earth to put on one last concert the human race. Who're the bands?

Original lineup of Slayer, "Kill 'Em All" version of Metallica, and Steel Panther (as long as the chicks are with them).

You're standing on top of a hill and you're surrounded by zombies. You're the last person alive, and you have a weapon in your hands and a pair of headphones in your ears. What's your weapon? What're you listening to?

I have a five-pound bag of M&M's and I hope eating it will induce a heart attack, while listening to "I Hate, Therefore I Am" by Cyclone Temple (one of the greatest Thrash Metal albums of all time to me)



I have a feeling you'll survive… 


Your non-fiction projects are interesting; why is the "Metal Queens Monthly" series such an interesting project for you?  

I like writing not only horror, but expand my writing as much as possible. I'm a Metalhead and I've always been fascinated to find and hear new bands, and talk with fellow Metal fans. And I'm a guy, so I've always been attracted to women who also like Metal. I decided to combine my love of Metal, writing, and women into one neat package. I interview each female about their love of Metal, and there are plenty of pictures. 

Armand, you've got thirty seconds to tell us anything else about Dying Days we might have missed… 

I was getting tired of reading about stereotypical characters trapped in a building together fighting a zombie horde. I decided to write my own, and to set it in an odd place for zombie fiction: the beach. Plenty of sunshine, lots of sand and cool breezes and gore. After over two years of the Dying Days series being out, I think I'm still doing it right. Readers seem to think so. I hope you'll take a second to read the sample of one of my books on Amazon or Smashwords or Nook or Kobo, and decide to read the rest. And then get in contact and let me know what you loved and/or hated about it, because I love meeting new people. And eventually killing them in a future story. 

Bio:

Armand Rosamilia is a New Jersey boy currently living in sunny Florida, where he writes when he's not watching zombie movies, the Boston Red Sox and listening to Heavy Metal music...

Besides the "Miami Spy Games" zombie spy thriller series, he has the "Keyport Cthulhu" horror series, several horror novellas and shorts to date, as well as the "Dying Days" series:
Highway To Hell... Darlene Bobich: Zombie Killer... Dying Days... Dying Days 2... Still Dying: Select Scenes From Dying Days... Dying Days: The Siege of European Village... and many more coming in 2013.

He is also an editor for Rymfire Books, helping with several horror anthologies, including "Vermin" and the "State of Horror" series, as well as the creator and energy behind Carnifex Metal Books, putting out the "Metal Queens Monthly" series of non-fiction books about females into Metal...

You can find him at http://armandrosamilia.com
and e-mail him to talk about zombies, baseball and Metal: armandrosamilia@gmail.com

Links:

http://armandrosamilia.com 

The Next Big Thing-Necropolis Now: Zombie Ascension Book One

What is the title of your latest book? 

My latest novel is called Necropolis Now: Zombie Ascension. The book is available from Severed Press. 

Where did the idea come from for the book?

For this particular novel, I concentrated on the concept of redemption. Most of the characters and images that comprise the novel are heavily inspired by dream-sequences and music. For this book, the musical artists Deadmau5, Frou Frou, Drake, Deftones, and Sigur Ros heavily inspired large portions of the plot.

What genre does your book fall under?

Necropolis Now: Zombie Ascension is a horror novel.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?    

Amparo Vega- This haunted mercenary would be played by Michelle Rodriguez, who would capture Vega's badass demeanor while her desperation would be simmering on the surface.

 James Traverse-The villain of this novel is a professional mercenary and madman who refers to himself as a "homicidal artist" and "the patron saint of pain." A former super-soldier, he has been tormented by an experience in Egypt, in which he learned that he might be able to acquire demonic powers in the midst of an undead apocalypse. Daniel Craig would be perfect, and nobody would ever expect him to take on such a role.

Vincent Hamilton-A famous arms dealer in Detroit, Vincent is a former soldier who has become unhinged by the zombie apocalypse, though he learns how to cope with it and become the man he never thought he could be. Mekhi Phifer would be ideal.

Bob Fields-A professional soldier, he has been hunting Traverse for a long time. A grizzled veteran who loves combat, an bearded Robert Deniro would be perfect for the character who assumes a fatherly role over Amparo Vega.

Mina Neely-Lindsay Lohan would need green contacts and would have to have almost porcelain skin for the role, but she could play the deranged cannibal. Whenever Mina dreams, zombies devour her flesh, and the only way to stop these nightmares is for her to eat the flesh of the living. Her mind serves as a temporal gateway for the dead, and she is horrified to learn that the zombie menace is indeed real.

Patrick Griggs-Griggs is a former homicide detective whose obsession with adult films led him into a relationship with Mina Neely, who coincidentally ate another actor while Patrick tried to film them together. Even though Mina has been institutionalized, she's all he has left, and if he finds her, he hopes to restore his film studio to prominence. Patrick just happens to love using a Desert Eagle magnum, something Mel Gibson could pull off very well.

Desmond Hunter-He grew up in poverty and watched his mother succumb to crack addiction while he raised his brother, Jerome, who ended up becoming a junkie. Desmond became a lawyer; he's a crusader who will stop at nothing to succeed, and he feels extremely responsible for Jerome. Desmond has just opened up his own law practice, and his first client is one Patrick Griggs, who wishes to sue the state of Michigan because they've barred him from selling videos that depict his former actress-turned-cannibal, Mina Neely. Desmond is given a video of Mina to help create a psychological profile, but he hardly knows what this video really is…

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

While the undead menace threatens to destroy the city of Detroit, an elite cadre of mercenaries is dropped in to find a deranged killer who might be the key to stopping the zombie outbreak.  

Is your book self-published or represented by an agency?

I am working with Severed Press.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

Three months. The first draft was complete at the end of August, 2012.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

The only books that come close are Epidemic of the Dead by P.A. Douglas, and Dead of Night by Jonathan Maberry. Any other zombie books that have military action might be close, too, although I haven't read too many of them. 

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The inspiration for this book came from dreams and music.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Mercenaries, sex, violence… there are a lot of bullets, and there are a lot of zombies. Most of my characters are "damned" people who must find some way to understand themselves better in order to survive the cataclysm. This story involves an ensemble cast, as the book uses character perspectives for chapters while the stories finally collide in the emotional climax. Vega, the protagonist, is a Shakespearean character, whose flaws lead her into an abyss of war and terror. 

Full Synopsis:

Detroit has become a war zone. Slow, shambling corpses feast upon the living while fire consumes the city. 

Amparo Vega, a haunted mercenary, fights through streets that are choked with the dead. Her mission: extract the legendary soldier, Jim Traverse, who holds the terrifying secret behind the zombie epidemic.

While the bullets fly, Traverse befriends a group of survivors whose fates are forever linked to his: an infamous gangster, a young lawyer, and a former detective struggle against the zombies together.

Can Vega's elite cadre of mercenaries find Traverse before the epidemic becomes global? 

THE RELEVANCE OF ZOMBIE FICTION (A Brief Summary)

            

            The majority of authors who write zombie fiction adequately explore the idea that the living are far more dangerous to the survival of the species than walking corpses. If we consider the zombie phenomenon as a "plague" then Stephen King himself described how the center of civilization would collapse upon itself in his iconic novel, The Stand. The military is well-equipped and there are plenty of emergency plans in place in the event of an outbreak, however, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

            Any zombie-virus outbreak that has been imagined in popular fiction is an extension of a severe natural disaster—on a much larger scale. The tragedies of Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy have devastated families and have altered lives forever; there has been much criticism levied at the procedures that were implemented to protect and preserve. But there are tales of heroism and sacrifice, of people coming together for a common good, but in the media, we often read the stories about long lines for gasoline amid fights and looting.

            The events of 9/11 were generation-defining, etched forever into the memories of a country that will forever grieve. While my own recollection of the event remains vivid, fear touched every corner of our country and challenged our way of life.

            It's not my intention to summarize these disasters and the ripple-effect upon society; however, we should observe these disasters, and popular fiction, as factors that demonstrate the relevance of zombie fiction as a genre.

            We understand that George Romero's films display a microcosm for many problems we face in a self-serving world. Indeed, we can analyze all of his zombie films and pick them apart for the sake of critical analysis for years, but essentially, Romero didn't need a big budget or explosions to provide apocalyptic stories that demonstrate our failures—and why such an event would be possible. In comparison, The Walking Dead comic book series by Robert Kirkman analyzes the social and psychological impact of a cataclysmic disaster. While characters attempt to define morality, city-state structures rise and fall as the result of fledgling social experiments. I'm reminded of Ancient Greece, and from a historical perspective, I have to consider what it took to finally unify those cities into one nation.

            There are many authors who offer their own unique perspective regarding the reaction and the fallout from a zombie apocalypse, and many of these concepts explore the definition of humanity in the face of a crisis. Zombie behaviors also allow us a glimpse into the hive-mind mentality of a consumer-culture.

            I believe that showcasing an apocalyptic scenario in the city of Detroit would provide the backdrop for many of these themes. Necropolis Now utilizes characters who are damned by their own flaws, though what makes them weak in a civilized world may help them in a crumbling city.

            The zombie genre is significantly relevant. While I don't dare compare myself to Romero or King, I believe there is plenty of room to explore important themes with a disaster-scenario that uses zombies, while still being able to entertain. Zombies are certainly an extension of the contagion-outbreak scenario; but as King and Romero masterfully explained, our human failings—our paranoia, greed, and self-loathing—are the greater catalysts for the unraveling center. In a fictional apocalypse where suffering and violence are rampant, there emerges a human spirit capable of love and virtue; our search for these heroes within the pages of a zombie novel where norms have dissolved in the wake of terror mirrors our need for more heroes to emerge out of the muck and negativity of the real world. 

REVIEW: META-HORDE by Sean T. Page and John McQuaig

Brought to you by the Ministry of Zombies!

Synopsis:

The year 2020 was a good one for the walking dead. The initial reports of a mysterious plague reanimating corpses caused unbridled chaos and as the world descended into hell, nations turned on each other in the battle to survive. Europe is devastated. The remnants of NATO managed to create safe zones within their cities that still had the protection of medieval built stone walls. Once again, these ancient bastions were a sanctuary from invaders, keeping back the dead legions. The rest of the continent was a dead - zone populated by hundreds of millions of walking corpses. The medieval fortress-city Carcassonne, in Southern France, became the headquarters of the living but as the last pockets of human survivors rebuilt the fragile framework of a new society, one man discovers a terrifying secret. So far, what has happened is only the beginning. Humanity now faces a true extinction level event. The dead are clustering in massive numbers. Mere walls can't defend against the overwhelming force of the meta-horde.

CLICK HERE FOR A PAPERBACK OR KINDLE COPY (US)


CLICK HERE FOR A PAPERBACK OR KINDLE COPY (UNITED KINGDOM)


Amazon Stars: 5/5 

Beware the Horde

This novel from the Ministry of Zombies hits you right in the face with action that never stops. From the moment you open the cover, you can tell the authors took their topic very seriously; with a foreword written by a reputable doctor, the tone is established: what would zombie behaviors consist of? This is an extremely well-written novel that is both thought-provoking and adrenaline-pumping.

As someone who believes that society operates with the intelligence and purpose of a "superorganism," I found the horde concept to be extremely fascinating and altogether terrifying because the terror is grounded in scientific research. As our heroes race again time—and the odds—to overcome impending doom, we are given all of the elements of both a good action and zombie story combined into one potent mixture of entertainment. Impossible odds, a twisted, villainous organization, harda$$ commandos, and zombies!

The emergence of the adversarial humans nearly halfway through the book utilized a shocking philosophy that I won't spoil for you, but the metaphorical implications were very interesting. A zombie book should always provide some subtle social commentary, and I didn't have to look too hard to find it here—the stampeding, flesh-hungry corpses will always serve as great symbols for the mass-ignorance inherent in the crowd mentality, but humanity's opponents in this riveting story provide another sick variation of ignorance…

I would have personally preferred a little more character development as a substitute for all the action, because there are a lot of characters exchanging bullets in between snippets of clever and naturalistic conversation. If you like your zombie novels to highlight military bravery with mankind's last few bullets, and the souls of courageous soldiers, pitted against apocalyptic goals and corrupt organizations, then your zombie-book-buying dollar will find an excellent value here. 

Nightmare Reflections

            

While writing Nightmare of the Dead, there were several moments where I actually had to step away from the keyboard and consider whether or not I'd gone too far.

            In fact, I did go too far while writing Dr. Saul's back story, which is the section of the novel I feel is the most horrific. Dr. Saul is a rather tragic figure, and I truly believe the environment can dramatically affect the psychosis of a young mind. Saul might be considered a "villainous" man, but the other characters involved in the melodrama are just as profoundly disturbed as he is. Hence the nightmare that readers delve into.

            There is a lot of potential in the zombie genre; I thought I could explore the depths of human depravity and the dark subconscious savagery the zombies themselves represent. When we consider zombies as the antagonists in any medium, we're hardly interested in why they might crave human flesh, or how they could possibly digest their meals, considering that they're "undead." If these monsters operate on some primal level—as a lot of zombie fiction suggests—then what does that say about the living?

            The Civil War has been called one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history. With the advent of mechanized warfare, battlefield medicine was still too far behind to deal with the horrific wounds that were inflicted upon the young men who fought for either the Union or the Confederacy. War itself often provides ample opportunity for the disintegration of ethics and the demoralization of the human spirit, thus it serves as the perfect backdrop for the most depraved characters I could imagine. Of course, the war provides another thematic parallel for character conflict, but I won't spoil it for you…

            The protagonist, Neasa Bannan, is hardly an angelic figure, yet her own experience is rather horrific without zombies or war; imagine finding yourself on a train and your identity has been completely wiped away. You don't know who you are, but everybody else seems to have some idea who you might be. This certainly provides an opportunity for thematic development in the story, as we venture to discover what she is just as much as who she is. This is just as important when we realize that she was already questioning her identity before it was taken from her. Love will do that to a person.

            After finishing Nightmare of the Dead, I almost wondered if the book would fall into the splatterpunk category. I've always believed there is a lot of room for horror to be both thematic and entertaining. As an avid reader of classic literature, I've read books that are far scarier than most of the books that are considered "horror" classics. I truly think that an exploration of horror can unlock the secrets of the human soul, as it seems to do for the characters in my novel.

            Readers looking for historical fiction will be disappointed, because I don't venture into the Civil War as often as someone might like, and I really don't discuss the philosophies or rationale behind the conflict. The second book will include a historic battle, as will the third, and of course we’ll have plenty of zombies. I only write what I see, and I don't have a whole lot of control over the characters. I'm telling the story that follows me into the realm of nightmare and shadow…