Merry Christmas Ya'll...........................................................................(You can take the girl out of Texas but...)

Need a little Christmas cheer? How about an angel photo? (See more about this image at The Truth.) I've spent so many years obsessing over the potential existence of ghosts, demons...and zombies that I've neglected the celestial realm. Now, I think angels are way more interesting than things that go bump in the night. I hope you and your loved ones have a blessed 2014.

Look for Eaters: The Resistance (the sequel to Eaters) to come out in late 2014.
Meanwhile...check out some new releases from Permuted Press.

Zombies are Still "Alive and Kicking"!





After the movie of World War Z was released, I wondered if that was the peak of the zombie obsession. Au contraire...according to what I'm seeing in the media. Now, I know it's October, month of all things monster and ghoulish, but it seems that zombies still have enough fans to keep them "fresh" in the minds of popular culture above all the other dark beasties of the world. A co-worker recently told me about a local event of some curiosity--"Bicycling and the Zombie Apocalypse". It's a workshop at that teaches you which bikes are the best for escaping the grabby hands of the undead as well as tips for survival in a zombie-ridden world. In the Denver area, there are all sorts of zombie-related events this month, including the eighth annual Zombie Crawl, zombie theater at the Adams Mystery Playhouse, "Night of the Living Dead" at the Bug Theater, a zombie fashion show at the Shoppe, and of course lots of Walking Dead parties this weekend as the Walking Dead series on AMC is about to begin its fourth season. For more about these events, check out Joanne Ostrow's article in  the Denver Post.

Review of Demons by John Shirley



In Demons by John Shirley, sheer terror develops as varied sorts of demons invade the world and begin to devour humanity like a hungry teenage boy attacking a bag of potato chips. The fact that they cannot be killed seems to lull much of the populace into a catatonic numbness as they continue their daily routines with death lurking around every corner. The Gnashers were almost comically interesting—talking their victims' ears off like a Chatty Cathy with a long, rambling monologue, before consuming them.  The story continues as Shirley leads the reader down a slow, winding path towards the explanation for the appearance of the demons and the beginning of the next invasion. That section (Book Two: Undercurrent) felt a little like wading through molasses in comparison to the horrific invasion in the earlier part of the story, but I was more satisfied by the time I got to the ending. Shirley's theme of mass sacrifice as a vector to bring more evil into the world by a power-hungry few is food for thought in our post 9/11 world that doesn't seem to be able to halt the advance of chemical and GMO suicide.

Fall 2012 Issue of From the Depths Now Available in Print

 

Some stories are big. Some stories are small. Some stories haunt you in no time at all.
Last year, I took on the challenge of writing a 13 word flash fiction story. My little diddy appears on page 33 of the Fall 2012 issue of From the Depths, published by Haunted Waters Press. This quarterly literary journal has an artistic, graphic format and contains plenty of haunting tales to send shivers down your spine.

                                          Resident Evil

Sleep has been elusive lately for many nights. After I eventually succumbed last night around 2 a.m., it was not into a restful la-la land. As if I'd been thrown into a scene from my novel, Eaters, I found myself on a deserted street. For some reason, it was necessary to open the door to a shop that I knew was filled with the undead. It will be okay...they're slow...you'll have plenty of time to dart down the street and hide before the first few stumble out and trip over each other.
It didn't happen that way.
They burst out the door and somehow acquired unthinkable speed. As I ran, I was half a block ahead of them, but they were closing fast...and I knew there was nowhere I could hide and not be found. Of course, I woke up at that futile point in this little snippet of a nightmare. Isn't it nice that you always wake up in dreams before you die in them? You do, don't you?

Eaters: The Resistance publication status = pending.

Seen World War Z? You Should Still Read the Book.

Okay...I get it. I really get it now. All the hoopla over World War Z leading up to the release of the movie seemed like a lot of over-the-top hype. That is...until I read the book. After the first few interviews (scenes), I had to flip through the rest just to see if that was really what the whole book was going to be. My initial disappointment was quickly turned around as the flashbacks from individual characters all over the world became more and more interesting. By the time the story got to the family in Troy, Montana, I was hooked. Colonel Christina Eliopolis's story was heart-thumping, and Kondo and Tomonaga in Japan were sympathetic characters that an entire book could have been written around. Then...there's a submarine scene that'll absolutely make your skin crawl. The amount of technical detail and research Brooks put into this epic story is mind-boggling. Techno-geeks and artillery-happy readers will be well-fed.

So now...I confess. I haven't seen the movie yet. (Still waiting for some discounted tickets to arrive in the mail.) I've heard it doesn't contain the battle of Yonkers. (Was that scene too expensive for Hollywood? Or, did they not want to dis a potential military audience?) I'm kind of afraid to see it and be disappointed after reading the book, because from what I've heard, it's only loosely based on the book, portraying a main character during the epidemic instead of the book's flashbacks from the viewpoints of many characters. (Is this forgiveable only because that main character happens to be Brad Pitt? Maybe it ranks a bonus star for eye candy, but I'll need more than that to give it two brains up.)

Have you seen the movie? If so, will you still read the book? I once made a mistake of reading a book AFTER I saw the movie--The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I slogged through that book, because there was nothing in it that wasn't in the movie. But, if you decide to read World War Z after seeing the flick, I don't think you'll be disappointed. It will just make you think about all the "what ifs"...and make you want more.

Finished writing Eaters: The Resistance today. Whoop! Moving into editing phase now. Man...it's nice to come up for air after being brain deep in a story for months. It's a wonder I don't have nightmares about zombies chasing me through the desert! (Of course, it was a nightmare that started this whole story.) The really, really ironic thing is that in the book, the story ends on May 1st (today). Now, I planned to be done with this book a while back, so I didn't see that coming at all. Life is quirky, no?

Eaters Sequel in the Works

If you've read Eaters and are curious to know what happens to Cheryl after that novel ends, you'll be glad to know that the sequel is in the works. I am working diligently on Eaters: The Resistance and should have it done by early spring. No word on a publication date yet, but I'll be sure to post updates here. Please subscribe to this blog to be sure to get any news.

If you need another apocalypse fix in the meantime, be sure to check out one of the fine books from Permuted Press!

Goodbye 2012 - Hello 2013!



What a wonderful evening we had last night! Instead of driving to a boisterous party as we have done the last couple of years, we invited another family over and celebrated the new year with a glass of wine, a fun game, and lighting a shimmering white candle at midnight.

I will remember 2012 for my successes with being a fiction author, my life transitions, and the soul-shaking incidents of horrible violence in the world (including in my home town). Above all, I will remember this year for the joy that I've received from opening up my heart to God.

This quickening brings a completely new perspective to all areas of my life. I still believe in ridding the world of zombies, whether they be the stinky, undead kind or the living, walking dead among us who uselessly search for happiness in will-o-the-wisps that only bring fleeting satisfaction and the ego-boosting subjugation of others. I firmly believe that it's the lack of reverence, the lack of any sense of the divine that causes such strife and misery in our world. It doesn't have to be that way! We can all be warriors for what is right and good.

2013 resolutions:
To strengthen my faith and work on my walk with God, finish the Eaters story which is ultimately going to culminate in an epic battle between good and evil, and (for some yet unknown reason) learn to speak Spanish. Of course their are health and fitness goals too, as I plan to hit the barbells, Zumba, and Yoga classes a little more often. I also want to spend more quality time with my family (instead of being a such a keyboard hermit).

I wish you and everyone you know and love an OUTRAGEOUSLY FANTASTIC 2013!