Heath Stallcup's Blog, page 11

Exciting Week Ahead

This week will be a rather exciting one for me.  Rarely do I have more than one thing going on at a time, but this week I have two things to look forward to.

For starters, the Monster Squad Compendium has been released on Smashwords and should be ready shortly on Amazon. Due it’s size, it will only be available as an e-book or hardback.   It IS nearly 365,000 words.

For those who aren’t familiar (and yes, I’ve actually been asked, ‘what is a compendium’) it is the first four books, re-edited, rechaptered and placed back to back…the way the story was originally written.  A complete saga with a new cover, new title and the same great characters in the same story.

My second big thing to look forward to?  The audible edition of Whispers should be made available some time this week.  For those who don’t know, Aaron Shook narrated this story and he did a helluva job! When your story is based in Texas, get a Texan to tell it!

I know I’ve said it a hunnerd times, and I’ll say it again, any time somebody else can read my own story to me and leave me wanting more…I know I picked the right guy for the job.  I’m hoping that this story will sell a gazillion copies, if for no other reason than to repay Aaron for all the hard work he put into it. Trust me, once you hear it, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

So, that’s it really.  It’s a waiting game now. Trust me though…once everything is available, I’ll definitely let you know.

Lisa Vasquez In da House!

Okay fans and followers. We have a treat for you today. Lisa Vasquez has agreed to stop by and share a bit about herself with us. You may be asking yourself, ‘who?’ and rightly so! She’s a new talent on the scene and like any new talent, she’s trying to get the word out. The difference is, I’m predicting this girl is gonna go places. Hey, I may be wrong. I’ve been wrong before. That whole Rubik’s Cube thing? Yeah. But for a little while, there were a lot of really frustrated kids out there ready to kick old Rubik’s…anyway.

No sense in making people wait. Let’s kick this party off.

Me: Welcome Lisa! You and I already know each other, but for those fine folks who aren’t in the know, tell us a little about yourself so that they can at least pretend that they know you too.

Lisa: My name is Lisa Vasquez and I was born in Chicago on the south side. My father was a Vietnam veteran and my mother is a retired City of Chicago employee. My step-father was an entertainer and owned his own business. In 1996 I moved to Houston where I’ve been ever since.

I went to college to study pre-med but decided to change my career path to my passion which is writing. I have four boys, and this awesome dude that puts up with all my shit in exchange for me not smothering him in his sleep. His demons play well with mine.. Sometimes they even dance a little.

I collect Clive Barker action figures, living dead dolls, Nightmare Before Christmas anything, horror anything.. I think I have a problem.. And I have an unnatural obsession with Hannibal Lecter.

Me: Eesh. And here I thought you were just another pretty face. Looks like there is a much darker side that I wasn’t aware of. Okay…moving on. Let’s get to some of the standard questions. What is your writing style? Are you a plotter or a seat of the pantser?

Lisa: I’m a little of both. Sometimes pants just aren’t warranted. It gets hot.. You know? I live in Texas and it gets 100+ degrees here. Other times when I’m writing my ideas come in the form of little mini movies in my head. Sometimes they are dreams. Being a lucid dreamer makes it interesting because I will stop and pause things, rewind them, work them out. Sometimes, I even have conversations with the characters.

Me: Wow. That’s a talent I wish I had. Seriously. Rewind a dream? I could think of a lot of…um. Nevermind. So, when did you first decide to start writing? What influenced you to go the indie/small press route?

Lisa: I started really writing stories on paper in the fourth grade. I had this fantastic teacher that read to us and then she would break us into groups, give us a sentence or scenario and have us build a story from it. It was the most fun I’d ever had in school. My step-father was also an entertainer and he’d do little skits or pretend with us. He was also really into special FX and horror movies so we’d always watch Tales from the Crypt and The Twilight Zone together. When we were older we got to watch Dracula, The Mummy, and the classics. I spent a lot of Saturdays with him at the matinee watching Godzilla marathons.

What made me go the indie route was that I had put so much of my own time and work into my book…the story, extensive social media, the marketing, the book cover.. It was ask exactly how I wanted it. I don’t think I could have handled someone else changing it or having that much control over it.

Me: That makes a lot more sense than you’d think. I get a lot of generic answers to that question that usually deal more with the problems dealing with Big 6 publishers. Anyway, where are you from (what do you consider home) and did it influence your writing?

Lisa: I’m from Chicago. Born and raised. I spent my life on the south side and in some pretty bad neighborhoods. People think it’s all gangs and violence. There was a lot of that, but mostly it was hard working families trying to make a living. I met my best friends there and I’m still friends with them to this day. One of them runs an Internet radio show that specializes in the preservation of exploitation movies. Another is an actress in New York, another runs his own dance studio in California. So, really I was surrounded by creative, genius minds all the time.

Me: That’s cool. I guess you fit right in, then, huh? So tell us a little about your book. What is the title of your latest release?

Lisa: The Unsaintly

Me: Okay. Can you give us a spoiler-free quick description of it?

Lisa: The main character is Isabel who is the daughter of Blanche of Castile and Louis VIII. She’s dedicated her life to her faith and even talks the Pope into allowing her out of an engagement to pursue her life as a nun. In the background watching is God and his eternal rival, Lucifer, who even though he is cast away from God, still shows him respect as a father. In their long-lived war, they’ve used humans as pawns to gain leverage to their favor and Isabel becomes their next target. Only this time something goes awry. And you’ll have to read more to find out what happens!

Me: That’s a hook if I’ve ever heard one. So, what (if anything) makes this story unique?

Lisa: I think what makes my story unique is that the story goes deeper into the father /son relationship between God and Lucifer and I create a unique race that isn’t your usual fantasy creature. They aren’t vampire, demon, angel etc.

Me: That’s interesting. Tell us about your hero/heroine? Is this a masked or blanketed characterization of yourself?

Lisa: That’s a fantastic question. I think she is for sure. But I think all of the characters touch on every side of me that has struggled with my faith and reconciling that with what my religion was.

Me: Would you say that there is a lot of symbolism in your story? How did you pull historical fact and apply it to your fictional story?

Lisa: There is a tremendous amount of symbolism in the book. The hardest part about my book was the historical aspect. I actually knew an ex nun who helped me with the daily life and mindset of what Isabel and the other nuns might think or feel. I wanted it to feel authentic and then build the fantasy fun there. I also wanted to show respect to the Catholic religion and their rituals. So I needed to do a lot of reading. Some of it isn’t easy to find, like stigmata and exorcisms.

Me: Yeah, I can see where those things would be something they wouldn’t want to advertise. Not the real cases, anyway. So, do you see this being the first in a series or is this a stand-alone novel? If it’s part of a series, do you have a set number of volumes in mind?

Lisa: This is definitely the first in a series. I’m not sure how many I’ll write. I’ll leave it up to my characters!

Me: Classic ‘seat of the pantser’ answer! Okay, how about you give us a list of authors who most heavily influenced your work.

Lisa: Anne Rice influenced my writing the most for several reasons. She’s so smart, she’s unafraid, bold, cultured and she’s a woman. It’s tough for any writer, but for women I think it gets harder if you don’t write romance, or “light hearted” content. We have some really stiff competition in the horror/fantasy genre.

Me: Ain’t that the truth. Okay, let’s switch gears and get personal. How do you balance your ‘writing time’ with ‘family time’? Do you find your family encouraging you more now that you have been published?

Lisa: My family is very supportive. If it weren’t for them I might not have finished my book. Balancing family, work, and social life is hard, though. I think you just have to have a good schedule and lots of things to keep everyone else busy.. It gets tough writing in the bathroom but since I got the wireless keyboard it’s a little easier.

Me: Hahaha, I hadn’t thought of hiding in the bathroom to write. What a genius idea!

Okay, for those folks who want to way to catch you online, give me a list of ways to reach you. Whatever you feel comfortable sharing.

Lisa: Here ya go.

@unsaintly – Twitter

http://www.facebook.com/theunsaintly

http://www.Unsaintly.com

http://www.wordpress.com/unsaintlybook

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00MF34PFQ

Me: Awesome! Thank you Lisa for dropping by and gracing us with your presence.

Remember folks, the name of the book is Unsaintly and once you’ve read it, go by Amazon and leave a review. It’s important for all authors, but especially so for those just starting out.

Q&A with TW Brown!

Today is kind of special.  I get to interview a friend and an awesome author.  This guy has helped me succeed in so many ways…I can’t even begin to start.  He’s put his own projects on hold in order to push mine to the head of the line, just so I could meet a deadline that…well, it wouldn’t profit him at all.  Not many people will do that.

When I first got started and knew even less than I know now, Todd did a quick author interview of me and put it on his blog.  It helped to get my name out there amongst his followers and I’m sure boosted my sales before Phoenix ever hit Amazon.  It does me great pleasure to be able to finally return the favor.  He helped me to build a brand, a name amongst readers and now I have my own small, but faithful following.  So, for those who aren’t already familiar with TW Brown, you’re in for a treat.

So let’s get this party started.  Everybody, meet Todd (TW) Brown. We’re going to start with some standard boilerpot questions and then get a little more personal.  So…

Me: Tell me, what is your writing style? Are you a plotter or a seat of the pantser?

Todd: I definitely let the story unfold as it goes. So I guess that makes me a seat-of-the-pantser. I just believe that an outline can make a writer too linear and predictable.

Me: Thank goodness you said that.  I thought I was the only one until I talked with a couple of others.  One agreed with me.  The others were all classical plotters.  I felt like the odd man out.  Okay, so when did you first decide to start writing? What influenced you to go the indie/small press route?

Todd: It just sort of happened, and at the perfect time. I think 2009-2012 will be looked at in many ways as the start of the Indie revolution. Folks keep saying it will die…but I think they are wrong. Traditional pub got too predictable and I believe the Indie scene is rife with amazing storytellers.

Me: I’d have to agree with you.  There are tons of awesome storytellers out there that we might never have heard of had they not had this opportunity.  And thank goodness we can. So, where are you from and does it influence your writing?

Todd: I live in the Pacific Northwest. I would not say that it influenced me, but I do enjoy using it as a backdrop.

Me: Beautiful country up that way.  I wouldn’t mind living there again, myself.  So, let’s move on to your writing. What’s the title of your latest release?

Todd: DEAD: Spring, book 9 of the DEAD series is my latest release, and Next, on a very special That Ghoul Ava is just around the corner.

DEAD: Spring: book 9 of the DEAD series

Quick Update

Things are fluid.  Much like life, no matter how much we plan and plot, things happen and monkey wrenches are tossed into the best laid plans.  Meh.  Take it in stride or your blood pressure goes up.  When you have a houseful of kids (and now grandkids) you soon learn that things get broke, other things get spilled, things come up missing and NOBODY did it.  If I ever find this invisible person named ‘Nobody’, I think I’m going to wring his neck.  Until then, he’ll continue to get the blame piled on his poor unfortunate soul.

Is there a point to my rambling?  Ha!  You should be so lucky.  Actually, yes, there was.  I’m finding a pretty consistent theme to the questions being asked.  Whether via email, Facebook or posts here on the blog.  What’s next for the Monster Squad?  Will there truly be a ‘next’ book in the series?  The answer is YES.  MS5 Homecoming has been sent to my editor and I’m in the middle of MS6.

MS5 is planned for a September-ish release.  As we’ve all come to realize, it could be early, it could be later.  MS6 has been renamed from Snapback to Wayward Son.  The story took on an interesting twist and although the original title could have worked, Wayward Son is much more appropriate. I have a feeling that MS7 will probably take the title Snapback.

The compilation of the first four was placed on a back burner for a while.  Things at WHC weren’t what was expected and interest in a hardback compilation seems to have dwindled somewhat.  Will it still happen?  Perhaps in time, but there isn’t a huge push to make it so.

Will there be a YA spin-off of the Monster Squad?  As of now, it is only in the planning stages.  All of the ingredients are there.  MS5 & 6 lay the groundwork for a young adult series to spring from the original, but it isn’t etched in stone.  A different YA series has been discussed since Phoenix was originally published but the idea lost steam until recently when it was revived during a brainstorming session.  Totally unrelated to the MS storyline, this YA series would be centered around a shape-shifting family that still had to deal with common problems that most families see touching their lives in one way or another.

Caldera is sitting at the editor’s and the second in the trilogy is now only a few chapters into the story.  Things will have to be revamped in the storyline to prevent appearing as if it is stealing ideas from popular TV shows. Shortly after Caldera II – Return to Yellowstone was begun, certain TV shows aired that paralleled a lot of ideas that were highlighted in the story.  Rather than try to explain why there were so many coincidences, I thought it better to simply rewrite the story and omit anything that gave the appearance of being another person’s idea. So, it’s back to almost the beginning.

I know, that isn’t much in the way of ‘updating’ but honestly, not a lot has been happening.  I slacked off this summer.  Took it easier.  Dealt with things other than writing.  Now, it’s almost time to put the nose to the grindstone and get caught up.  I have to have MS6 & 7 to MDP by September.  And they have to measure up.  I need to have Caldera II to Todd by then as well.  Something tells me that I probably won’t make that one.  Not since I had to delete the better portion of the story.

Stay tuned.  Things are constantly changing, but I’ll keep you up as they happen.

Heath

Bringing You: John O’Brien!

Unless you live under a rock, you should be familiar with John O’Brien.  I’m proud to be able to call this guy a friend. He’s always willing to give advice or help out, or just offer encouragement whenever I get discouraged.  Isn’t that what a friend does?

So, if you live under a rock, it’s time to crawl out and get with the times.  If you don’t live under a rock, you need to know what all the cool kids are talking about.  And buddy, they’re talking about John’s zombie series!

So, who is this guy?  Let me tell ya.  John is a former Air Force fighter instructor pilot who transitioned to Special Operations in the latter part of his career gathering his campaign ribbon for Desert Storm. Immediately following his military service, he became a firefighter/EMT with a local department. Along with becoming a firefighter, he fell into the Information Technology industry in corporate management. Currently, John is writing full-time on the series, A New World.

As a former marathon runner, he lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and can now be found kayaking out in the waters of Puget Sound, mountain biking in the Capital Forest, hiking in the Olympic Peninsula, or pedaling his road bike along the many scenic roads. In other words, far more active then I’ll ever be!

So let’s kick this thing off.  I want to welcome John O’Brien to my humble blog.  And he’s got something new to spread the word on.

Me: John, welcome to the blog.  Please disregard the mess.  We have some new construction going on.  Anyway, let’s get down to business.  Tell us what the title of your latest release is?

John: Thanks for having me.  I don’t mind the mess so much, but I think I stepped in something.  Do you have a cat?  Oh, the title is A New World: Untold Stories.

A New World: Untold Stories

Spotlight on: Eric Shelman!

So, that group of writers that I’m with?  Yeah.  Well somebody left the door open and these strays wandered in. Lucky for us, they’re writers.  That means we have to lock up the beer, hide the good snacks and lock out the PPV on the remote.  But hey, other than that, they’re a great addition.

Of the additional members, one is none other than Eric Shelman.  Eric Shelman was born in 1960 in Fort Worth, Texas.  In his early teens, his widowed mother remarried a man named Ed Middleton, and his new dad moved the family to southern California.  Eric used to write short stories that featured all of his friends as characters, but because Eric was a longhair living in Laguna Beach, California in the 1970s, you can bet they usually involved drugs of some kind (this is from him, not me, so I don’t want to get any anti-hippie hate mail!).

Fast forward … to the mid-nineties.  Eric started writing some short stories, and finally had one published.  After that, he felt it was time to write a book.  He initially intended to write supernatural fiction, along the lines of Stephen King and Dean Koontz, as well as many others. But when he discovered the story of a little, abused girl who was rescued by the ASPCA in 1874, he got sidetracked and wrote the very first book on her case, Out of the Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson. It came out in 1999, and since that time, thousands have read it, and it is one of his biggest selling books ever. It’s also been optioned for a Major Motion Picture.

From there he wrote a thriller called A Reason to Kill and shelved it.  Eric began work on a witch novel that involved past lives, but he became so confused while writing the book that he put it down at 53,000 words and didn’t write again for eleven years.

Wow.  That was dumb.

Since 2011, Eric has written and released NINE full-length novels, including SEVEN volumes of his Dead Hunger zombie series.  So … time travel, zombies, witches and serial killers.  Something for everyone … everyone twisted, that is.

Eric A. Shelman lives in Southern Florida with his wife of 27 years, Linda.

Life is good.

Don’t forget that his newest release, Dead Hunger VII: The Reign of Isis should be available as a paperback on Monday!

Dead Hunger VII: The Reign Of Isis

Introducing: Shawn Chesser

It has been my pleasure to be a part of a really cool group of horror authors.  Over the next few weeks, I hope to highlight each of these fellows and let you the reader get to know a wee bit more about each of them.

Tonight I bring you a short interview I did with none other than Shawn Chesser!

Normally I ask for a short Bio to give the readers a quick primer on who we’re talking with, but come on!  This is Shawn Friggin Chesser here people!  But, in case you’ve been living under a rock or just arrived from another planet…

Bio: Shawn Chesser, a practicing father, has been a zombie fanatic for decades. He likes his creatures shambling, trudging and moaning. As for fast, agile, screaming specimens… not so much. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, two kids, and three fish.

If any of you didn’t notice, I got the ‘friggin’ in there, didn’t I?  That’s a little joke between the two of us.  He’s been having his covers reworked by a really awesome graphics group and I commented that he really needed to have his name BIGGER.  He hemmed and hawed a bit until I declared, ‘C’mon man.  This is Shawn Friggin Chesser we’re talking about.  The name needs to be HUGE!’  Then I used my mad MS Paint skills and totally defaced his cover…but I think the point was made.

Shawn, I want to thank you for dropping by and gracing my humble blog with your presence.  As I mentioned, the whole point of this is to get the word out about your latest release and spread the word about you and your awesome writing.  How about we start with your Social Media links:

My pleasure.

Warpath: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on Amazon http://tinyurl.com/n7nvda7

Author Web Page http://www.shawnchesser.com/

FB page https://tinyurl.com/ksr93lg

FB author page https://tinyurl.com/lc36v9g

Amazon author page https://tinyurl.com/k8a7pnv

Twitter handle @sdchess

Sweet.  Hopefully we can get more people to stop by these places and experience all of the awesomeness that is Shawn Chesser!

Now, to the bangers and mash.  We can rapid fire a few simple Q&A for the folks and get the word out about your zombie series!

Me: What is the title of your latest release?

Shawn: Warpath: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse

 

Me: Can you give us a spoiler-free quick description of it?

Warpath: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse- In the crucible that is the zombie apocalypse, Cade Grayson, father, husband, and former Delta Force operator has forged new friendships and tempered old ones. In those same metaphorical flames, he has seen blood spilled, loved ones perish, and dealt his own brand of justice. Now, three weeks after a world-wide viral outbreak has left the United States in ruins and transformed most of her population into walking corpses hungering for the flesh of the living, he finds himself at an Army Forward Operating Base on the outskirts of Grand Junction, Colorado. With only a set of GPS coordinates to go by, Cade must deliver his small family and a trio of young people from the distant outpost, across hundreds of miles of Utah’s sun-baked high desert, to the promise of safety the random-looking string of numbers represent. Meanwhile, eagerly awaiting their arrival at the Eden compound, Duncan Winters goes about the grim task of burying the recently fallen. With each shovelful of dirt he deposits on the bodies of kin and friends, his insatiable desire to strike back at the people responsible tugs him ever closer to the edge of insanity. With the dead hunting and moving in herds of ever-increasing size, will Cade and his group survive the running of the gauntlet? Will Duncan see the light and accept that he truly needs Cade’s special set of skills in order to find and bring those responsible for the recent murders and abductions to justice? Or will he give in to burning desires, shirk the old adage that revenge is a dish best served cold, and go it alone, charging blindly headlong down the Warpath to certain disaster? Come along and find out who has what it takes to survive the Zombie Apocalypse.

Me: Man, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into this one.  I’m still catching up though so I’m really glad you didn’t let any real spoilers slip.   So, what (if anything) makes this one unique?

Shawn: Warpath is a post-apocalyptic thriller set in a thoroughly devastated United States. This fast paced romp through Colorado, Utah, and Idaho is unique in that it features not only heavily armed hard-charging soldiers in camouflage and body armor, but also a group of regular citizens who have come together and are doing their best to survive the zombie apocalypse. Thrown into the mix are strong female characters, a group of younger survivors trying to find their place in the new world, and a host of human baddies my readers love to hate.

Me: Ain’t that the truth.  And you really do have strong female characters in your stories.  I remember you talking about possibly incorporating that into future covers.  Anyway, tell us about your zombies? Slow and rotting, but any chance of incorporating the viral fast ones in the future?

Shawn: I’m a Romero purist, Heath. My zombies are slow, plodding, and tend to hunt in packs, usually overwhelming their prey with their strength in numbers. These creatures are infected by the Omega virus which is present in their saliva and blood and spread by introduction of those bodily fluids to the living, mainly via bites. Infection of the Omega virus (so far) has proven one hundred percent fatal, however, the victim’s turn time is determined by a wide variety of factors.

Me: Ah.  Staying true to the original.  Well, there are a grand majority of folks who think that those are the only true zombies, so I can’t blame you a bit.  But tell me this?  What was your first experience with zombie media (movie, book, comic, etc)? Was that experience what drew you into writing the genre?

Shawn: When I turned twelve or thirteen my mom let me rent Night of the Living Dead and the original Day of the Dead on Beta or VHS…can’t remember which. I watched them with a couple buddies and have been a fan of the genre ever since. My desire to live vicariously through my characters in a world created in my own imagination is what prompted me to write Trudge. Over the course of a rainy fall and winter I wrote that first novel in small chapters on my iPhone while my son, Cade, played soccer and rode trikes at the indoor park. A friend read the first incarnation, liked it, then turned me on to Smashwords where I eventually self published my short debut novel.

Me: And man, are we ever glad that you did!  I think Trudge is my favorite because it introduces us to Cade and his family.  It’s raw and gritty and…well.  It feels like it COULD happen.  Forgive my gushing.  I just really liked the story.  Okay, now for a goofy question. Pop Quiz: The dead rise now and you can choose ONE weapon as your only weapon during the Zombie Apocalypse. What is it and what do you think are your chances at survival are?

Shawn: I know this is kind of a cop-out but, if the dead were to rise today, Heath, I’d want them to be the Romero variety. Frankly, if I had to face the rage infected creatures in 28 Day’s Later or the fast Zs from WWZ or the Dawn of the Dead remake I would have me foraging for Depends undergarments more so than beans, bullets and band aids.

Me: Sorry.  I snorted on that one.  Here I am thinking you’re gonna call dibs on some fancy assault rifle and you’re worried about Depends.  You got me with that one.  Okay, how about this one…if you had to give a list of authors who most heavily influenced your work, who would make that list?

Shawn: Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Cormac McCarthy, Dean Koontz, Terry Brooks, Lee Child, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn … to name a few.

Me: I know most of those names, but thanks for giving me a few new ones to check out, hehehehe.  Now to get personal. How do you balance your ‘writing time’ with ‘family time’? Do you find your wife encouraging you more now that you have a huge fan base?

Shawn: You know, Heath, my wife wears the pants in the family and I pretty much do whatever the hell she says. (Sound of whip cracking in the background) I find this approach instrumental at reducing domestic friction in our household. All kidding aside actually being able to make a living writing is a definite win-win in that I get to set my own hours, spend those hours doing something that is still very rewarding and then decide when I want to punch the clock and commence that short commute from my upstairs office and go down and hang with my family.

Me: Awesome.  And trust me…I think we all can relate with who rules the roost in most homes.  Shawn, thank you so much for dropping by and giving us some insight into what’s going on and what’s new with you.  I really appreciate it and I’m sure my followers will appreciate the heads up on your series.

Folks, seriously, if you haven’t checked out Shawn’s ‘Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse’ series, you NEED to!  You won’t regret it.

Shawn: Thanks for having me, Heath. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you via FB. Perhaps we’ll meet at a future Con or WHC.

Me: I am SO looking forward to that.  Take care buddy!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Okay, I know it’s a stupid title to announce the first of the Monster Squad books to be produced as an audiobook, but at the time, I thought it was cute.

I waited to announce the audible release of Return of the Phoenix because of my commitment to the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2014.  My date for SZBT was the 17th and I didn’t want to overshadow the author being highlighted.  If you didn’t get a chance to check out that interview, scroll down and give it a read.  Julianne Snow was the guest of honor and she’s a truly awesome little gal.  See?  Already I digress…I came here to announce the audio release and almost got sidetracked by her awesomeness!

Here’s the spiel.  Falcon Sound Studio’s Jack Voorhies threw himself into this production and it shows.  Talking with Jack, he’s told me how he got excited doing this project.  He really thinks that the premise has potential (and coming from him, that means something).  But first we have to get the word out about Phoenix, drive the interest up and get some reviews.

Keep an eye out for contests in the near future for free downloads of Phoenix and if you happen to run an audiobook review blog or website, feel free to contact me.

In the meantime, if you just can’t wait…here’s the link:

Amazon.com: Return of the Phoenix: Monster Squad, Book 1 (Audible Audio Edition): Heath Stallcup, Jack Voorhies: Books

SZBT 2014: Julianne Snow

SWEET!  Today we have Julianne Snow in our studio (really, it’s my dining room, but hey…struggling writer and all that). Read on for some truly cool stuff!

Summer of Zombie 2014 SPOTLIGHT ON:

Julianne Snow

Okay, we all want to know… what is your latest zombie release?

Glimpses of the Undead

Ooh,…love that cover!

Give us a quick description of it. But, no spoilers please. People get upset if you give too much away…

Glimpses of the Undead is a short story collection that takes on zombies in different forms of short fiction. While comprised mostly of horror stories featuring zombies, there is one that takes the genre in a different direction. A direction where zombies are living among us and companies have capitalized on that. The idea itself has struck a chord and will be developed into a full-length novel at some point.

That’s a different spin.  I think it sounds pretty cool.

Tell us something unique about it.

There’s a little humour, some sex, and a vampire thrown in among the horror for good measure…

My interest is definitely piqued. 

How about some links for people to purchase it.

Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, India, Australia

Amazon US Print

Smashwords

CreateSpace

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iBooks (Apple)

Let’s share your promo links with folks so they can find you a little easier.

Twitter: @CdnZmbiRytr

Facebook: Julianne Snow

FB Fan Page: Julianne Snow, Author

Amazon Author Page: Julianne Snow

Goodreads: Julianne Snow

Google+: Julianne Snow

Blogs: Days with the Undead, The FlipSide of Julianne & Zombieholics Anonymous

Let’s share a short Bio with the readers so they can get a feel for you.

Julianne Snow is the author of the Days with the Undead series and Glimpses of the Undead. She is the founder of Zombieholics Anonymous and the Publicist at Sirens Call Publications. Writing in the realms of speculative fiction, Julianne has roots that go deep into horror and is a member of the Horror Writers Association. With pieces of short fiction in various publications, Julianne always has a few surprises up her sleeves. Be sure to check out The Carnival 13, a collaborative round-robin novella for charity which she contributed to and helped to spearhead which was released in October 2013.

Awesome.  Thank you Julianne for stopping in and telling us about Glimpses of the Undead.  Sounds like a great read and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into it!

Okay, everybody rush out and get your copy today and help support your favorite zombie authors.  Don’t forget to support those who feed your habit and as always, leave a review!  It’s more important than you’ll ever know.

And now, a few words from our unpaid sponsors…

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The stench of rotting flesh is in the air! Welcome to the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2014, with 33 of the best zombie authors spreading the disease in the month of June.

Stop by the event page on Facebook so you don’t miss an interview, guest post or teaser… and pick up some great swag as well! Giveaways galore from most of the authors as well as interaction with them! #SummerZombie

https://www.facebook.com/events/286215754875261/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular&source=1

AND so you don’t miss any of the posts in June, here’s the complete list, updated daily:

http://armandrosamilia.com/2014/06/01/summer-of-zombie-blog-tour-2014-post-links/

 

Getting Older and Other Ponderings

Used to be that this time of year really bothered me. June was a pain in so many ways.  My birthday, Father’s Day and the two were so close together. Don’t misunderstand, though.  When I was a kid, who didn’t look forward to a birthday?  The presents, getting to be a whole year older, the presents, the party, the presents? Yes, birthdays were fun when I was little.

But now?  Now it’s not so much fun.  I don’t like being the center of attention. I mean, I love it when somebody contacts me and says something like, “I loved your books!” but to celebrate something like getting older?  Or ‘Fathers Day’? I feel like I don’t measure up.  Like I’m not worthy.  Like my kids deserve so much more.  It wasn’t until just recently that I realized…Fathers Day isn’t for ME.  It’s for THEM.  It’s that day when your kids get to make the home made cards and glue macaroni to it.  Or they break out their crayons and create something that is THEIR idea of who Dad is.  It gives them the chance to celebrate and say, “I love you, Pops!”

Very few things are more precious to a parent than their memories of their kids growing up.  When I think back through ALL of the special memories…both sets of twins, all the hundreds (if not thousands) of ball games, all of the sticky faced kisses and yes…fights, I’m reminded of what is probably the first truly shocking moment of being a parent.

This little guy:

had grown up some.  He was celebrating a birthday with all of his little friends. We had taken him to see Michael Keaton play Batman and he loved the movie.  So…what does any dad (who is totally infatuated with Batman) do?  I rented the costume.

At the time, we lived in Washington state.  They had a helmet a law and I rode home in full Batman costume on a big black motorcycle (full fairing) and prayed the entire way I wouldn’t run into a cop.  Little sticky faces were plastered to the windows of every car I passed, cape waving in the wind…and there he was.  The Washington State Trooper.  He did a double take when he saw me.  Then gave me a thumbs up with a cheesy grin. He was either a fan or had kids himself.

The party itself really holds little to no memory for me.  It was what happened afterward.  When the kids were all leaving and I was sick of sweating in places I shouldn’t, I snuck into the bedroom to peel off the costume.  As I pulled the cowl off I heard this small, quiet little gasp and I turned to see my oldest standing in the doorway, his eyes as big as saucers, his little face pale.  “My daddy is Batman…” It was one of those defining moments for both father and son.

Yes.  I AM Batman.  Just as you are now Green Lantern for your son.

So, to dads everywhere…BE Superman.  BE Batman.  BE…Dora.  Just BE there.

I’m gonna go to the Batcave to polish the Batmobile.  I want it to look good for when I take Mrs. Batman out for my birthday dinner.