tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83585804466785281932024-03-13T08:04:01.529-07:00Voices In My HeadJ.E. Fletcher, author of BloodBurn. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-4132599053300145152013-11-12T11:48:00.001-08:002013-11-12T11:49:14.738-08:00Win a Copy of Blood Burn!Hey, you! Want to win a copy of Blood Burn? We all like free stuff, so get yourself over to GoodReads and enter to win.<br />
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Click the book cover to enter!</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/70769-blood-burn" target="_blank"><img alt=" Win My Book!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3c0fRErupEUACSNYXCk9CA0fQCQ4pPhn4OKeWzkrob-oetlpfWQSQWyg53h7W0qqguTmqu8PZwcLlCErNc23FByidaKMjxm98IwRo2TEMwmP9r5tVz-k-QmS_mtPCly5EP6vTbr-dRUUE/s320/BloodBurn300.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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The giveaway is coming directly from my publisher - don't forget to check out the other great books from <a href="http://www.riverdaleavenuebooks.com/" target="_blank">Riverdale Avenue Books. </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-45187584678865244592013-10-30T05:45:00.002-07:002013-10-30T05:45:25.177-07:00Blood Burn - Where To Find It<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blood Burn is available for all digital devices. </span></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-19190708488830287112013-10-30T05:41:00.003-07:002013-10-30T05:41:47.780-07:00Release Day - ThoughtsI am so excited. This is what I've been dreaming of for years. Even when I was a kid I wanted to be a writer. I also wanted to be an archaeologist, but that dream kind of faded away. Living in places where I could find ancient artifacts and fossils has helped ease that loss.<br />
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My mother encouraged me to write. When I was in third grade I wrote a book about two children, their babysitter, and <i>something</i> in their basement. It was a little too spooky for my teacher and her assistant that found it I ended up in the principal's office being lectured for 'bad thoughts'. My mom came to my rescue when she told the staff off - she used the words 'gifted', 'talented', and 'eccentric'. She and I had our differences, but she pushed me to follow through with my dreams, no matter how dark they were.<br />
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Today is an epic day for me. It's the culmination of everything I wanted as a child. It's fulfilling a promise to my mother. To my kids, especially my oldest daughter. I promised to dedicate my first novel to her and her siblings. That's done now - your guys are my own personal apocalypse. All anyone has to do is hang around you guys and their lives are changed.<br />
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My mom passed away in 2010, a month before my birthday (October 1, 2010 is the day). I was pregnant with my sixth child. I felt a sense of loss like no other...I didn't get to tell my mom that I forgave her when she was in a coma. That was my plan, but my aunt's cell phone died before I could. While many people believe that there is a hereafter and that people you love 'know' when they pass everything you meant to say, I don't. I am much like my book's main character Layne. I lost my faith long ago.<br />
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What means the most to me is that those promises were fulfilled. Even if not a single person enjoys Blood Burn - I did it. I made it. With the support of friends and editor, and publisher- I DID IT. People believed in me and I didn't let them down in this endeavor.<br />
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Mom, if you are somewhere out there in some spiritual form or another dimensional plane - thank you for always indulging me in my horror obsession. For the Stephen King books. For letting me read anything I wanted at any age.<br />
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There's some people I no longer talk to that were supportive during the process as well. While we had serious issues, know that you did help. Your input meant a lot and if you ever read this, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.<br />
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I have tears in my eyes as I write this. I'm not usually an emotional sort, so excuse me for being mushy. Thank you all.<br />
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-J.E. Fletcher<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-24932978771919141792013-10-02T06:00:00.000-07:002013-10-02T06:00:08.762-07:00Get Your Grub On.<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This
post isn't about roasting marshmallows, Skippy</b>. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If
you find some marshmallows during or after the Z.A., roasting the
stale suckers will make them taste better, though. I think we all
know how to to this one: poke stick into marshmallow, stick in fire,
wait until black, eat, and then drink enough water to cool the tongue
burn. Am I right?</span></span></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>One
thing I hate about Z.A. movies is that everyone runs out of food. </b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">They're
eating crap scrounged from stores - seriously, if we're pissed off as
a general rule about the crap in our food now, what's going to happen
after the Z.A.? We can't go bitching to any government about GM food
- because we won't be able to tell the crap apart. Pollen from GM
crops has been a problem discussed by scientists since 1999...when
the zombies eat all of the scientists the problem isn't going to go
away.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hopefully
the GM strains will die out, but if not, I think that it will be more
important to know the difference between grapes and nightshade then a
GM tomato and an heirloom.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The
point is, food is food.</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
all need to know how to identify what's good to eat and what isn't. I
love the Wildman Steve Brill and his website, while not the
prettiest, has a vast amount of information anyone can use. He has
several books that I strongly urge anyone that wants to eat well
after the Z.A. to buy. This link takes you to his Plant ID Page
: <a href="http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Plants.html">http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Plants.html</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do
NOT eat anything that you are not 100% sure of.</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There
are plants out there that can kill you faster than a zombie can and
just as painfully. Doubtful? Take a look at the symptoms and
reactions on this page of common poisonous
plants: <a href="http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/lawn_garden/poison/poison.html">http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/lawn_garden/poison/poison.html</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
can't say this enough. Do not go sticking shit in your mouth if you
don't know what it is. It might not kill you outright, but a massive
case of the trots will make you wish you'd listened. Trust me. I'm an
author.</span></span></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>After
checking out those pages, you have an idea of what you can and can't
eat.</b> You're probably wondering, "<i>Yeah, but how do I
cook it?</i>" --over the fire you learned how to build last
lesson. Or beside it. Or even in it.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>If
you have the room to carry it, a mess kit comes in really handy.</b> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Every
person in your group should have one. You can buy a mess kit or build
your own. Military mess kits are the best for their durability and
compact size. Don't spend too much - anything you have can be lost
during the Z.A. and if you have any sense, you won't go fighting
through a horde to grab the expensive mess kit you (or some idiot)
left behind.</span></span></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Want
to be really self reliant?</b> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Make
your own mess kit from cans. A coffee can with a plastic lid can
carry your entire kit, boil water, cook stew, and more. When choosing
cans don't use any that have the white lining inside, this can burn
off or leech into your food. A plain metal clotheshanger can be bent
into a handle for your cans. Punch a hole near the top of each can so
you can hook the ends of the hanger in. With cans you can choose the
size of your kit. Cans are also readily available in most areas which
means that if you lose a kit, it's easy to replace on the fly.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Coil
a few wire hangers inside of your kit for flexibility while cooking.</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
hangers are good not only for cooking, but even without sharpening,
if a zombie shambles up while dinner is cooking, you can stab him in
the eye, pierce the brain, and kill the sucker. Use them to secure
knives to broomsticks or other long wooden sticks for makeshift
spears. Alternatively, hang several cans over the fire to cook more
than one thing at a time. Killing zombie bastards or makeshift
weapons- <i>hangers rock</i>.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Here
are a few things every mess kit should have:</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Large
can/pot for boiling water</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Several
smaller cans (nested)</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Knife/fork/spoon
(a spork is perfect)</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wire
hanger (or several)</span></span></span><br />
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>That's
it.</b> Everything you need for a basic kit. To be honest, you
can get by with one small can that doubles to cook, eat, or drink
from. I'd prefer at least two cans in the stripped down version - one
typical vegetable can with a smaller tomato sauce or paste can for
drinking, along with half a wire hanger and a fork. </span></span></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-31776814209909522092013-10-01T07:51:00.001-07:002013-10-01T07:54:36.091-07:00Interview With Lori Parker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1PI0f29B58ZpaeguMXnxDTs-zeGPk175IWb-iOsdvdA2w2YtHFUTjDgGKGyuxiL2c4ViRrDuQowJvVqX_DnfIYYUMBPzZqPw6poGC0JaAOrucHGdB8CByoMctFa3FzbIeILpKyEU2dhI/s1600/feral2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1PI0f29B58ZpaeguMXnxDTs-zeGPk175IWb-iOsdvdA2w2YtHFUTjDgGKGyuxiL2c4ViRrDuQowJvVqX_DnfIYYUMBPzZqPw6poGC0JaAOrucHGdB8CByoMctFa3FzbIeILpKyEU2dhI/s320/feral2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en"><i>Today
we're visiting with Lori Parker, author of the upcoming novel, Feral.
Lori reviews books, has a fun sense of humor on Facebook, and is easy
to approach. If you haven't visited her review blog, <a href="http://contagiousreads.com/" target="_blank">ContagiousReads</a>, try it! </i></span></span></span></span>
</div>
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<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en">Hi
Lori. Thanks for agreeing to tell me (and my readers) more about your
book, Feral. Let's get to the meat of the interview! </span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en"><b>J.E.</b></span><span lang="en">
: Feral is New Adult Contemporary Romance, correct? Can you tell me
why you decided to go with New Adult?</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Lori</b>:
Thanks for having me! I’m excited and nervous!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
read a lot of New Adult, and enjoy most of it. It seems like a great
place to examine issues in a mature way that can be read across the
board. There is a fine line between all of the age groups and an even
finer one between YA, NA and Adult. With my foul mouth and dirty mind
I could never write a YA novel and have it be authentic to my voice.
I also write about younger adults. So it’s just more fitting.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>J.E</b>.:
Your heroine has such a broken life. Is this any reflection on your
own life? We've all felt hopeless at one point, can you say you're
pulling the story from your own loss of someone?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Lori</b>:
I like broken characters because I can relate to them. I pull a lot
of my life and put it into Feral. I wasn't abandoned as a child,
but I certainly felt that way a lot when I was a teen. My parents had
their own lives and issues that they were dealing with. My sister had
moved out, so I was left on my own a lot. I wasn't a social person
in my teen years either so that didn't really help my feelings of
being alone. I also, like a lot of people, suffer from depression.
Throw in my anxiety issues and I was a mess for many years, before I
got diagnosed and treated.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
recently lost one of my good friends. She was one of my co-bloggers
as well. She was young. 28, and a mother to three very beautiful
kids. I have a lot of pain, and anger left from her death. Losing
someone that young no matter how they died is horrible. She had so
much life left. It actually stopped my world for a while. I couldn't read, or write. And to anyone that knows me books are the air I
breathe. Right now I can say that I am dealing with her loss, and a
lot of the feelings of hurt and anger are being put into Feral.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
there are some happy times in Feral too. The book is dedicated to my
daughter, my friend Kami who is the one who died this summer, and my
college roommates. I use a lot of my college experiences in the book.
I had a blast in college.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
can’t tell you if it has a Happily Ever After, I have two separate
endings written for the book, and both are completely possible. We’ll
see how the cards fall as I write.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>J.E.</b>:
Do you believe true love exists and if so, have you met anyone that
exemplified it?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Lori</b>:
This is actually a hard question for me to answer it. I have two
answers. Yes I think it exists, but I am doubtful that it exists for
me. My former college roommate and her husband, both friends, have
the most solid relationship I have ever seen. So they give me hope
that there is a such thing as a real life happily ever after.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>J.E</b>.:
I love the cover for Feral. Did you come up with the scene or did
your cover artist?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Lori</b>:
I would say thank you, but that is all Staci from Red Pen Kisses, and
the cover model Miranda Hedman aka Mirish. Staci was great to work
with. She asked me about ten questions, and then made me get more
specific, because I can be kind of wishy washy. Then she found
Mirish’s Black Cat series. I picked a pose, and she worked her
magic from my responses. I also gave her links to the Pinterest board
for the book.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
cover is beautiful. It’s been a real kick in the butt to finish the
book. I actually have another book that is closer to completion than
Feral, and Staci is doing the cover and edits for that one! My friend
and author Emily Goodwin is going to pose as my MC Blake. I’m
excited.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
admit I am a woefully slow writer.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>J.E</b>.:
You review books on your blog, Contagious Reads. Did you want to be
an author before reviewing or did you become inspired after becoming
a reviewer? If after, who do you think inspired you the most?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Lori</b>:
After. I was very much content to live in other peoples’ books. I
never realized that my penchant for daydreaming could turn into
writing, until I started talking to my friend Lindsay Galloway about
this idea I had for a book (The Hand that Feeds) and she kept asking
me if I was writing it. Finally I sat down and wrote, and then she
read it. And told me I didn’t suck.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
said on my Facebook the other day that it takes a village to write a
book. And for me that is very true. I have some really great
supporters out there. Lindsay obviously, but also my friends Annie
Walls, Elyse Schramm, Ren Reidy, Emily Goodwin, Megan Gullickson,
Rhiannon Frater, Kody Boye, Staci Hart, Claudia McKinney, Tamara Rose
Blodgett, Amy Joy Mryc Lutchen, and Heaven Flores have all been
around for some serious hand holding.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
am always improving as a writer. As you can tell my natural
inclination is to write like I speak, which doesn't work in fiction
writing. It’s not grammatically correct. So I am learning as I go.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>J.E.</b>:
Who in your life would you say supported you the most during the
formation of Feral?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Lori</b>:
My family, both in real life and online! I have a group of girls most
of whom are listed who are really part of my family too. They are
there day and night.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>J.E.</b>
: Thank you again for sharing. Do you have anything you'd like to say
that we didn't cover? Let everyone know where to find you and Feral!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Lori</b>:
Thanks for having me. I hope I didn’t ramble too much. You can add
Feral to your TBR here:
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18584726-feral" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18584726-feral </a></span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Goodreads
Author Profile:</b></i>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7056548.Lori_Lea_Parker" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7056548.Lori_Lea_Parker </a></span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Facebook
page</b></i>: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LoriLeaParker" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/LoriLeaParker </a></span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Blog
FB</b></i>: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ContagiousReads">https://www.facebook.com/ContagiousReads</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Blog</i></b>:
<a href="http://contagiousreads.com/">http://contagiousreads.com/</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Twitter</b></i>:
@ContagiousReads Red Pen Kisses (my cover artist and editor):
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/redpenkisses">https://www.facebook.com/redpenkisses</a></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-77989192079957225612013-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:002013-09-30T06:00:07.705-07:00Don't Freeze Your Ass Off or Starve.<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>No
matter where you live, when the Z.A. hits, you'll need to know how to
build a fire.</b> We're going to explore several ways to build a
fire, but all have the same beginning. We'll cover this first, then
move on to methods to get your fire going.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Materials
-</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Your
fire is only as good as the materials you are burning</b>. We all
know wood burns, but if you just start throwing big ass logs on a
tiny spark, you're screwed. You might get lucky if you have something
combustible soaking the wood, but who is going to carry a ton of
gasoline, kerosene, or alcohol on them? (Hint- those that do are
going to be really slow and top of the zombie buffet)</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br /><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>You're
going to need something small and light to get your tiny fire going,
these are called Starters</b>. A lot of people advocate dryer lint,
but that all depends on the lint composition. Man made materials in
clothing are often fire retardant. Your infant fire isn't going to
get very far if your lint is collected from your typical household.
Even regular cotton clothing often has fire retardant chemicals these
days. Starters should be made from soft, light material that catches
fire easily. Test your preferred started before ever depending on it
in a survival situation. <i>Here are a few ideas</i>:</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cotton
balls soaked with petroleum jelly</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old
newspaper. Fold into tiny squares. Shred before putting under wood</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wood
shavings. Not sawdust.</span></span></span><br />
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>What
ever you use, place it under thin branches, then place thicker wood
on top.</b> A loose stack works best to allow air to feed your
fire. All wood should be dry - use dead wood that has fallen from
trees. Green wood will burn, but slow and with a lot of smoke. That
can come in handy for keeping insects away, but can draw unwanted
attention. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Building
the Fire:</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Place
your starter on a bed of tiny branches that have been placed in a
criss-cross fashion. It will look somewhat like a tic-tac-toe board.
Make the branches have 3 to 4 layers if possible. On top of the
starter, put a small pyramid or 'tee-pee' shape of more tiny
branches. Leave an opening to reach the starter, about 4 inches wide
(enough for your hand to fit in). Arrange another short 'tee-pee'
shape around the first with thicker branches.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Light
the starter with your lighter, match, firesteel, or focus your
magnifying lens on the starter until it catches.</b> If you need
to feed small branches to the fire, go ahead, but use care. Don't
bury your infant fire and smother it! Once the fires catches well,
you can start putting larger branches on.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>To
douse the fire, use dirt.</b> Don't pour water on the fire
because the water can evaporate fast, leaving you with a face full of
scalding steam and a fire that jumps back to life (<i>sort of like a
zombie fire. Arrrrrgh</i>.)</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-88319028756344877352013-09-27T06:30:00.000-07:002013-09-27T06:30:00.816-07:00Skills For Surviving the Z.A.<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: 4.50pt double #000000; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding-bottom: 0.03in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">
<b style="font-size: large;">If
you have read anything on survival, you have more than likely read
lists of things you will need after the Z.A. begins.</b><span style="font-size: medium;"> Flashlights,
matches, this, that, and the other. But what most survival blogs or
articles forget to tell you is just how you'll use the things in your
survival kits. While it is great to have a lot of survival kits on
hand, you're still fucked if you don't know how to use what you've
put in them.</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: 4.50pt double #000000; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding-bottom: 0.03in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Of
course there are those that say, "Well, if they don't know how
to build a fire by spitting in the wind, fuck'em." </b>--
That's moronic. The more people surviving may mean more mouths to
feed, but it also means more people to help you fight the hordes.
HORDES, people. Not one horde. Not a city full of zombies, but an
entire fucking WORLD of zombies that are ready to rip the throats out
of anything with a heartbeat.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(<i>Honestly,
if I came back from the dead all hungry and shit, I'd head for a nice
all you can eat buffet with steak and taters. Not sure that I'd like
raw human butt. To each their own.</i>)</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Without
going into bug out bags or kits, do you have the following basic
skills? If zombies starting banging on your walls tomorrow, could you
do any of these? </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>SKILLS:</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Fire
building</b>- with lighter, matches, magnifying lens, firesteel, or
more primitive ways.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Camp
Cooking</b>- With or without a mess kit.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Foraging</b> -
Identifying and gathering wild food.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Hunting</b> -
Actively tracking prey or passive snare/trap hunting.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Fishing </b>-
When all else fails, fish are nutritious and easier for survival
novices.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Gardening </b>-
You can plant vegetables almost anywhere.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Sewing </b>-
We're not after fashion, we will need function.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Defense </b>-
Guns run out of ammo. Arrows break. Can you defend yourself in melee
(close combat) ?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Repair </b>-
Learning basic repair isn't hard. This is where creativity counts.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Soapmaking </b>-
While not essential, making basic soap can help keep you, your
clothes, and your utensils clean.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Candle
making</b> - It isn't rocket science.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>These
are skills that anyone can learn</b>. They are not listed in order of
importance and I'm sure that seasoned survivalists can come up with
others. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
skills do YOU have? What do you want to learn?</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-68003571865180227752013-09-26T09:16:00.003-07:002013-09-26T09:16:51.495-07:00They're Everywhere<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Zombies
are everywhere.</b> Movies, television (<i>The Walking Dead on
AMC? Fabulous.</i>), and novels. There's even a zombie erotic
anthology. <i>Hey, say what you will - fear ramps up the libido.
Stress will be high and so will the horniness factor.</i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>While
I'm not 100% sure that the dead will walk the earth - I do believe
that thanks to genetic manipulation and virus mutations, we will see
something similar to the 28 Days/Weeks Later movies.</b> The
brain is a delicate machine. If something invades the brain we can
see behavioral changes very quickly. The only thing that keeps many
non-infected humans from attacking others for their belongings is the
fact that there are laws in place to prevent it.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>What
if there were no punishment for those sort of crimes?</b> What
if crime as we know it became a by-gone word with no meaning? What if
there were an infection much like the one in 28 Days Later that left
humans little more than an angry animal out to kill anything in its
path?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>And
on an alternate path - what if in the government laboratories around
the world...what if just one had a virus that would restart a dead
brain? </b>Even if a shambling corpse walked until it rotted too
far to move, what kind of damage would come before the thing fell
apart?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In
any of those scenarios, </b><span style="color: red;"><b>we're all
fucked</b></span><b>. </b>Yes, there will be survivors. At the
end of it all, who do you think would win? Will the survivors be able
to fight millions of walking corpses without eventually breaking
down? What about infected humans that may still have intelligence,
but no morals or empathy?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>You
can increase your chances of survival.</b> You can build a food
stockpile, grow a garden, bug out to some country fortress, or build
a bunker. There are thousands of things you can do to survive.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>There
are also thousands of things you can do to die.</i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>What
will you do?</b></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-44922268777944749892013-09-18T11:31:00.003-07:002013-09-18T11:31:58.006-07:00Blurb It, BabyMy publisher contacted me with a request for some info that is pertinent to book publishing. Since my book is tentatively scheduled for release at the end of next month, it's time to start putting the finishing touches on. She needed info for the back of the book, some quotes from me, and my bio.<br />
<br />
I hate writing about myself. I never know what to say. Pretty sure people that hate me have a ton they could contribute, maybe I should ask. You know, any press is good press. On the other hand, my husband would be really annoyed if I let my ex contribute anything.<br />
<br />
Bios are damned hard to write. Unless it is your job to write them for other people. If that's you then get down with your bad self. Me? Trying to think what to say that doesn't sound stiff and stupid is almost impossible.<br />
<br />
Uh, I like Reeses.<br />
<br />
See?<br />
<br />
I did come up with something that my friends loved. Or so they claim. Knowing some of them I would bet they're snickering behind their hands going, "Watch this. She's going to fall for it." Ah, what's done is done. You can see for yourself next month.<br />
<br />
I'm also harassing a few writers of zombie lit about doing blurbs. Well, not a few - one offered a while back. She's pretty awesome and has some popular zombie novels out right now. Who is it? I'm not telling until next month. NEENER.<br />
<br />
What are blurbs, you might wonder. They're a few sentences from a writer you admire that is placed on your book cover, inside the book, or in the press release. Not every book has them and if you're lucky enough to have an author or two (or three) say they'll blurb you, then you are doing pretty good. One author I enjoy said no, but offered to help promote. It wasn't because they didn't like BloodBurn, they just didn't have time to read it.<br />
<br />
When an author responds yes, no, or that they wish they could, but can't - thank them. Thank them profusely. That they took the time to reply in any way means a lot. Many authors have day jobs and even if they do not, writing and promoting their own work IS a full time job.<br />
<br />
Alright, I'm off to do stuff. Take care and remember to thank your blurbers!<br />
<br />
(Don't forget to check out my publisher tab at the top for new releases and books you might enjoy) Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-41723460135180790232013-08-31T09:37:00.003-07:002013-08-31T09:39:41.779-07:00BloodBurn's Music <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I was going to post my playlist. After realizing my taste in music might get people making fun of me, I'm going to share the good ones.<strike> You shall not know the Nickleback song...fuck. Busted.</strike></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Alright - </b></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Black Veil Brides -</b> Wretched and Divine. Buy this album if you ever enjoyed ballads from hair metal of the 90s. It's a freaking novel in itself. A story in a CD? THANK YOU.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Hollywood Undead -</b> All</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> of their albums. You can get a taste of it where Layne gets bitchy and turns her 'give a fuck' switch to the off position.<br /><br /><b>Black Stone Cherry</b> - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. My favorite song is White Trash Millionaire. Because, TRAILER PARK.<br /><br /><b>Then we have a hodge-podge of stuff.</b> AC/DC. Ozzy. Lita Ford. Eminem. Allen Toussaint. Type O Negative. HIM. Saliva. Bloodhound Gang. 3 Doors Down. Metallica. Lynrd Skynrd. Avenged Sevenfold.<br /><br /><b>I musn't forget-</b> random music my old man was playing while popping players in the dome on CoD Black Ops 2. Gangster rap to old school Pantera.<br /><br />My playlist for ShadowBurn will be full of <b>mean, dark music</b>. This is where shit gets real, so to say. The new albums from Avenged Sevenfold, Five Finger Death Punch, and Black Sabbath will be on that list.<br /><br /><i><b>So, what do you listen to? Suggestions for me?</b></i></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: red; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i>*I have no idea why this entry has white background around the text. Can't get rid of it. Stupid Blogger.</i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-17906238584167089432013-07-12T09:14:00.001-07:002013-07-12T09:14:09.107-07:00Become a Character in ShadowBurnThe sequel to BloodBurn is titled ShadowBurn and is underway. Would you like to be a character in the book? It's painless, I promise.<br />
<br />
On my Facebook page I've started a little event. If you have a Facebook page you'll need to like my author page, share the pinned post, and then comment that you've shared. That's it.<br />
<br />
Once the page reaches 100 likes a random person that shared will be a character in ShadowBurn.<i> (I get to choose - human, vampire, werewolf, or even a zombie).</i><br />
<br />
250 likes brings another giveaway - a digital copy of BloodBurn once it is released.<br />
<br />
At 500 likes I'll send TWO random sharers signed paperbacks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>(Previous winners will be eliminated from the pool to allow others a chance to win)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i>If you don't use Facebook, don't worry! I'll be running a similar event for Twitter very soon.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-48196321241554918372013-06-07T12:21:00.000-07:002013-06-07T17:54:45.554-07:00Where My Ideas Come FromMy editor over at R.A.B. thought that some of you might like to know where my ideas come from. I try to be all cool in my emails, but my first thought was,<b> "Fuck. Do people really want to know the crazy shit rattling around in my head?"</b><br>
<br>
I decided to consult my friend, Dawn, about this. Did she care about what I thought? Did she think people would want to know the inner workings of my twisted little brain? I was surprised by her reaction. Dawn was all like,<b> "Well, yeah. Readers will want to know this stuff. Why would you even ask?"</b> (<i>which isn't exactly what she said, but I know she thinks I am half-stupid sometimes. I've known her long enough to put words in her virtual mouth concerning this. I may or may not get a cyber kick for it</i>.)<br>
<br>
<a name="more"></a><br><br>
<br>
I've been trying to figure out where my ideas come from. If I must be perfectly honest - I don't know. One day I could be shopping and see a woman reach into the cooler for milk. Out of the blue a vision would pop in my head of a dead hand grabbing hers, dragging her into a dairy filled death. Gives new meaning to that ice cream, Death By Chocolate, doesn't it?<br>
<br>
Stephen King once mentioned in a letter to readers that his brain was like a sieve that caught weird shit. He would kick around in it and cherry pick the nastiest bits. That's the best description I have ever read for people like me who write about the scaries.<br>
<br>
I wrote about why I have this fascination with zombies. Because of that movie I'm also freakishly obsessed with eye safety. Remember the woman in the movie I mentioned who was impaled through her eye on a nail? YEAH, no. That is the one scene I have carried with startling clarity through my entire life.<br>
<br>
<b>Writers of all types have a system, whether they are aware of it or not</b>. When a writer writes a story or an article, they will often find a different spin that they can use for another article. Writing about GMOs? Once the article is finished it might inspire the writer to work on another about heirloom seeds. This leads to an article about old fashioned farming methods which can lead to an article on how new farmers are using old methods to be organic/green.<br>
<br>
See? Only for those of us with creepy imaginations, one of those freelance articles might inspire a story or novel about how the GMOs cause people to morph into flesh eating mutants. Those mutants eat only pure humans, sort of a Monsato induced-zombie. The only cure? Eating organic, non-GMO foods...but wait. Pollen spreads, so everything has been infected and suddenly you find yourself drooling over the thought of Leg of Grandma.<br>
<br>
<b>Everything in life has a kernel of horror in it.</b> Some of us don't need to seek it out, that kernel finds us. I recently had a nightmare with one of the most horrible scenes I've seen - in movies, books, or my own dreams. My husband and I were moving a large mirror (which, we had actually done earlier in the day) and it shattered in the dream. Huge shards of glass impaled my husband through his throat and chest, all the way through his back. Small pieces had sprayed into my face, becoming caught in my lips and mouth. As I tried to remove my own, the dream husband began pulling these sword-like shards from his own body, slicing his body apart in the process.<br>
<br>
It still makes my stomach tighten to think of it. That is why I have held on to that, I just know it will make a perfect horror scene in one of my books. Altered, of course. If it scares you to write a scene, if it causes you to feel physically ill, to cringe when you re-read that scene...you're doing your job. In the end, it doesn't matter where your ideas come from, only that you use them.<br>
<br>
<i>(Unless you're stealing ideas. Then that shit is wrong. Write your own stories! Also, don't write from personal experience if you're some sort of serial killer or psycho.)</i><br>
<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-84135109128978826072013-06-06T06:53:00.001-07:002013-06-07T12:22:22.218-07:00Interview With Joshua Guess, Author<b>Hi Josh! Thank you for agreeing to an interview. I know you're busy with the upcoming release of your new novel. Can you tell me (and readers) a bit about your newest novel?</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7HtDyIJnrkfBceA8NVvWF_H-VigiNHbOZSk3Kp-nW0dZaDAf2t6RYGq3PHayz2N97C-m3xVOlcv40qC4twsmXN0O2jTGf6wheneCBcF4Cbt04AtMMLG6SqLSO24qMDnBaIEPZICcJGr1/s1600/victimzero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7HtDyIJnrkfBceA8NVvWF_H-VigiNHbOZSk3Kp-nW0dZaDAf2t6RYGq3PHayz2N97C-m3xVOlcv40qC4twsmXN0O2jTGf6wheneCBcF4Cbt04AtMMLG6SqLSO24qMDnBaIEPZICcJGr1/s320/victimzero.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Josh:</b> Thank you for having me! My new novel, Victim Zero, is a story set in the Living With the Dead universe, which is the blog I've been writing for more than three years. VZ deals with something I never see in zombie fiction, which is the actual cause of the plague. The main character is deeply entwined with the plague's roots, and the story is basically his life from before the outbreak and through a few years of living in a destroyed world.<br />
<br />
<b>Julie: It didn't take you very long to write Victim Zero. Did it help that you have been consistently developing your post-apocalyptic world in your Living With The Dead series?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Josh:</b> Absolutely. Several beta readers told me independently that this was the novel I should have written a long time ago, and my response to them was the same: I couldn't have done it before now. LWtD began as writing practice for me, and without years of using it for that purpose and sharpening my skills this novel would have been impossible. It also helps that I've been mostly off work for the last few months. The sense of focus on writing combined with a powerful need to make this book a success has given me a drive that I've never felt before.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<b>Julie: Does Victim Zero include real life friends and family as in LWTD?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Josh:</b> Other than vague references, no. This book is focused on other characters, ones totally out of my imagination.<br />
<br />
<b>Julie: Your mother had a prominent role in the first parts of LWTD. She also seems to have a large impact on your writing ( she has an awesome sense of humor if your Facebook page is any indicator). Would you say she is your biggest fan?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Josh: </b>It's more accurate to say Mom is my first and best critic. She is uncompromisingly honest in her assessment of my work. Many of the ideas that eventually make their way into my stories, she has a hand in. A few were even hers to begin with. She has been supportive but realistic with my writing career from day one, and more than any other person aside from myself, she has shaped my career.<br />
<br />
<b>Julie: Okay, I've covered my reasons for my zombie obsession – what about you? Why zombies?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Josh:</b> As a teenager I was just like anyone else; I wanted to be the action hero. The ability to guiltlessly blow the heads off bad guys appealed to me. As I grew up the genre began to appeal to me on a broader spectrum. I liked survival stories. I liked the idea of planning out how to do it. As an adult I began to see the human stories told in contrast against that backdrop, which is what I've aimed to do with my work. I like the idea pioneered by George Romero, that zombies are only a set piece to tell the stories of characters, of people. To see how they cope and change and break and heal again. Zombie stories give you an infinite number of opportunities as a writer.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Julie: You have a unique take on zombies in your LWTD series (novels and blogs). Were you tired of the same old zombies?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Josh:</b> It wasn't any kind of pretentious decision on my part, like I wasn't coming down on the genre and saying 'I can do this better and differently'. I just knew there were things I always wanted to read about in those kinds of stories but never seemed to find. So when I decided to write, I wrote about the stuff I'd been pondering for years and ended up telling the zombie story I'd always wanted to read.<br />
<br />
<b>Julie: Quick – Favorite zombie movie? Book? Mayo or Miracle Whip?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Josh</b>: As for the movies, that's tough. There are so many eras and types. But if there is one I keep coming back to over and over again as a film and as a wonderfully told story, it's 28 Days Later. Though Shaun of the Dead might be tied with it. As for books, I'm a big fan of James Cook's Surviving The Dead series. Jim is a friend of mine and soon-to-be collaborator, and his books kept me reading nonstop for a few days. Though I'd be an ass not to mention The Walking Dead comics, which are my favorite written zombie works. (<i>Julie's note: Josh did not answer Mayo or Miracle Whip. It shall remain a mystery!</i>)<br />
<br />
<b>Julie: All of your novels are self published. Do you have a reason for choosing to self publish?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Josh</b>: I have many. One, it's easier. I don't have to wait years to get a response from an agent, I don't have to worry about some random person's whim deciding if my book is good enough. I like cutting out that middle man and letting the readers decide for themselves. I'm not absolutely opposed to traditional publishing, but given the royalty rates I make now and the creative freedom I have, it would take a better offer than the two I've turned down to turn my books over to anyone.<br />
<br />
<b>Julie: What advice do you have to aspiring authors? What about those that want to try self publishing?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Josh:</b> To anyone who wants to tell a story, which is most people: write. You might only have a small kernel of an idea, and that's cool. Just write. Work on it. Build your abilities and hone your skills. Don't talk about doing it for years like I did until you finally break down and start typing. Do it now. You'll suck at it, but you'll get better every day. Be critical of your work but remember always to be honest as well. Because if you keep writing and trying to improve, your work will get better.<br />
<br />
As for anyone wanting to try self-publishing: do it. The beautiful thing about it is that you have nothing to lose. You either make money or you don't, but you hold the rights to your work. You can always submit that work later if you choose.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Julie: Do you plan to eventually pitch to an agent and possibly line up a publisher or are you happy with the self publishing avenues available today?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Josh:</b> I have no plans to do that. Pretty much ever. I've had two publishing companies approach me about the rights to Living With the Dead and I turned them both down. Agents can be great things, and I might seek one out down the road if I ever have the sort of popularity that requires someone to manage my works, but I doubt it. I'll never seek out a publishing deal other than to negotiate foreign editions or audiobooks, because other than a ludicrously thick stack of money, traditional publishers have nothing positive to offer me and they come with a boatload of headaches. There are a few, like the Amazon imprints, that seem progressive and flexible. I'd give them much more thought than any of the Big Six, but I still lean heavily toward doing it myself.<br />
<br />
<b>Julie: There have been some amazing stories of authors selling millions of copies through self publishing. Sometimes these authors receive huge publishing deals. Recently an author negotiated sale of print rights, but kept digital rights. What would you do in such a situation?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Josh:</b> It would depend on the situation, or course, but generally I would want to hold onto my digital rights if at all possible. If not, I would require a truly stupid sum of money to give them up, and some sort of ironclad agreement that those rights revert to me in a set time frame. A huge problem with digital rights is that most contracts tie them to print rights. Which means a publisher can keep the hugely profitable electronic rights by printing a few thousand copies of your book every few years even if they don't plan to sell those copies. That might sound paranoid; it isn't. That's the most commonly used tactic in the industry today to hold onto electronic rights publishers would otherwise lose. So for me, I'd turn down any offer that didn't come with absolute guarantees that my rights would be returned to me at a given point.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Julie: Thanks again for taking the time to answer questions. Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself, your books, or maybe even zombie survival tips?</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Josh: I really, really love pickles. It's frankly a little scary.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
Want to check out more? Visit<a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FJoshua-Guess%2Fe%2FB004A5LKU0%2Fref%3Dsr_ntt_srch_lnk_1%3Fqid%3D1370461946%26sr%3D8-1&h=iAQFeCxHB" target="_blank"> Josh's Amazon page</a> and like his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJoshuaGuess" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> for interaction/news.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">BREAKING NEWS:</span></b><i> <b>Joshua Guess is a fan of both mayo AND Miracle Whip. It all depends on the sandwich.</b></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-41970914991353188582013-05-30T13:36:00.002-07:002013-06-06T08:33:18.231-07:00Pitching BloodBurn: From Me to YouHey there! Sorry for the absence, I've been writing, Facebooking, Tweeting, and trying to not be consumed by my herd of children. I hope you'll forgive me.<br />
<br />
<b>I have something special to share today.</b> I want to share the pitch I used for BloodBurn when I approached my publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books. I have edited out a few key points that might <b>spoil</b> the novel for readers, though the bulk of the pitch is here. When you send in a pitch your agent or future editor needs to know what your story is about, down to plot twists. Those are very important as he or she will be making a decision to ask for more based on your pitch! (<i>I only removed a few lines with key story elements</i>.)<br />
<br />
I hope you enjoy and hope this gives you a feel for BloodBurn and what to expect come October. Here goes:<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"When Layne Yow finds herself smack in
the middle of a full fledged</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
zombie apocalypse she does what any
werewolf would do...she calls</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
bullshit on the universe. Sure, there
are vampires, werewolves, and</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
other assorted paranormal creatures in
the world, but zombies? No</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
freakin' way.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Layne is a young werewolf on the run
from her recent past as an elite</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
vampire killer. She quickly finds out
that you can't outrun life.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eventually everything catches up. Her
big mouth and desire to rescue</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
everyone puts her (and her new friends,
another werewolf and his</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
werewolf/vampire twin brother) into
harm's way more than once. Layne</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
finds amusement in the absurd end of
the world scenario, because what</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
else can she do? Cry? In her words “I
just ain't built that way.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Vampires, werewolves, and zombies are
combined in a way not often</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
visited in popular fiction when Layne
joins</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
with vampires to find a way to contain
or stop the zombie plague's spread.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Blood Burn is the first in a series of
novels that track Layne's</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
adventures in a zombie infested world.
The manuscript is 50,427 words</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
long and is a fast, fun read for
paranormal fans.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm Julie Fletcher and I have been a
full time ghost blogger/freelance</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
content specialist for seven years. A
few of my characters use herbal</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
medicines, are survival nuts, and two
are involved in a cult. I grew</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
up in a low-key cult, studied
herbalism, studied nursing, and I'm a</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
survival nut. All of my characters use
skills that I have first hand</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
knowledge of. (<i>Except for vampire or
zombie killing. I haven't been</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>able to stake a vampire and the zombie
apocalypse hasn't come</i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>around...yet</i>.)"</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-195659446219011412013-05-19T06:06:00.003-07:002013-06-07T12:22:52.351-07:00BloodBurn Locations<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Remember when I said that many of the
locations in BloodBurn are real? I promised to explain a little more
about them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Belmont, New York</b>:
<a href="http://www.belmontny.org/">http://www.belmontny.org/</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This town is our county seat here in
Allegany County, NY. While we don't live in town, (we're about 8 or 9
miles from the town limits), we're close enough to have a Belmont
address. I took a few liberties with directions and location of a
highway.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Eli's House</b>:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Brandon's cabin doesn't exist, though I
based it on an old abandoned homestead. His brother Eli's house DOES
exist – it's my house. I played around with the general directions
and distance. There is a large field nearby and thousands of acres of
forest.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Feness Brother's Construction
Site</b>:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is real and so are the Feness
brothers. They were kind enough to allow me to use them in the book.
The one brother, Ray, gave me advice on the type of bullets used to
shoot the heroine, Layne. It's located in Belmont, but you won't see
slits for shooting anything or rebar all over the ground.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Warehouse (Rob's
Hideout)</b>:<a href="http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/G.And.D.Warehouse.Corp.716-824-0202">http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/G.And.D.Warehouse.Corp.716-824-0202</a>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is a real place, as is the house
Rob lived in before barricading himself in the store. His old house
was the one we lived in before moving to the country. I visited this
store quite often! It's sort of a damaged freight place. You can find
all sorts of deals here and the staff are very friendly.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Hospital</b>:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This hospital is based on Mercy
Hospital of South Buffalo. I'm not sure if the Catholic Health System
would like being in a horror/paranormal novel, so I didn't mention
the system.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Grocery Store</b>:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As the characters drive in to Buffalo,
they see a grocery store with zombies in the parking lot. This store
is one of the Tops Markets in South Buffalo, just off of South Park
Avenue.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Laundromat</b>:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At one point the characters are trapped
on top of a laundromat. This building is right on Clinton Street in
what many people of the area call Kaisertown. It is on the corner of
a street where I lived before moving behind the Warehouse.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the next novel there will be more
real places from both Buffalo and North Carolina. Speaking of North
Carolina, the heroine of BloodBurn is part Native American – Lumbee
to be specific. This tribe is only recognized in North Carolina and
has been working for national recognition for decades. This tribe is
part of my own heritage, on my mother's side of the family. You can
learn more about the Lumbee tribe here: Lumbee Tribe
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.lumbeetribe.com/">http://www.lumbeetribe.com/</a>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-59223707292694742392013-05-18T14:23:00.004-07:002013-06-07T12:23:36.852-07:00Why I Love Zombies<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I've
had a love affair with zombies ever since I was 4. My mother and
father decided it was a great idea to allow me to choose which movie
I wanted as a birthday outing. I chose the newest zombie flick,
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080057/synopsis?ref_=tt_stry_pl" target="_blank">Zombie Flesh Eaters</a>. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(<i>Thank
you to <a href="https://twitter.com/Voldemort2013" target="_blank">Voldemort2013</a> on Twitter for helping me identify the movie. He didn't have much
to go on. Turns out I was 4, though I thought for years I was 5</i>.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">If
you're not familiar with the film, it features a tropical island,
zombies, a nasty scene where a chick has her eye impaled on a nail,
and a zombie/shark fight. <b>YES – zombie vs. shark</b>. If you don't find
that fucking awesome, you're on the wrong blog. </span>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For
years after that movie I would not sleep without some sort of
covering. A sheet would not do. You see, as a child I developed a
theory that the things coming for me in the night wouldn't find me if
I was very still and completely covered. Foot hanging over the edge
of the bed? HELL NO. Forget the thing under the bed, I'm worried
about the scent of my meaty-fleshy-yummy-goodness floating into the
nostrils of whatever zombies wandering about in a 2,000 mile range of
my bed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My
mom and dad really had no reason to indulge me. I remember asking my
mom a few years ago why they took me to see it. She said my dad gave
in to everything I wanted. Considering I've written a zombie novel
now, I guess I should be thankful for the early exposure. I never
felt as if they did anything bad to me, I became a huge horror fan.
Some people today would say they were careless in parenting...to me,
they fueled a fire that inspires me to write.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Also,
if you're reading this blog and would like to ask me questions about
writing, my book, or zombie survival tips – there's a contact form
on the side bar. I'll answer questions here on the blog. This feature
will always be available to anyone interested. I'll do my best to
answer all questions!</b></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358580446678528193.post-56196899839220601222013-05-15T08:09:00.003-07:002013-06-06T08:32:10.834-07:00Why, Hello there!<b>Howdy</b>. I'm Julie or J.E. Fletcher. You can call me whatever you want, just please don't call me Jules. My editor over at <a href="http://riverdaleavebooks.com/" target="_blank">Riverdale Avenue Books</a> thinks I should get out more. That's what this blog is all about.<br />
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Okay, so she thinks that I should talk to people and let them know more about myself before my book is released. Alright, that's not totally it, either. This is an exercise in staying on task, not getting antsy, and possibly to keep me from melting into a puddle of <b>ERMAGHERD I CAN HAZ BOOK PUBLISHED!</b> (<i>Meredith has the patience of a saint. I'm going to owe her chocolate covered potato chips from one of my royalty checks</i>.)<br />
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I'm supposed to be telling you all about myself. Here we go- I'm a 30-something married mother with six children. Yes, you read that right. Six kids. My oldest is 19 and might be moving in to help<strike> terrorize</strike> me with her siblings. My husband and I have been together for 13 years. (<i>He moans when I remind him.</i>)<br />
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You might be wondering how I managed to write a book with so many children at home. Sorry, no secrets here, I just wrote when I had time.My husband tried to herd the kids and keep up with housework when I zoned out. Some days I may write thousands of words, others I might sit staring at a blank page wondering how I would ever get the scene in my head to move. Writing isn't always magic. What is magic? The support of my family and friends. Without that I may have thrown my main characters to the zombies forever.<br />
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Oh, I haven't really mentioned what my book is about. While the main plot revolves around the appearance of zombies, that's not everything. The heroine, Layne Yow, is a smartass with a weakness to sweets. She also happens to be a werewolf. She finds herself in the middle of a full blown zombie apocalypse after a run-in with a pack of vampires.<br />
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While there are romantic elements, Layne thinks her rescuer and new friend Brandon is a hottie, that's not the focus. I promise, my heroine is a strong woman. She doesn't need a man to make her feel complete. There's a few moments where she feels weak, but we all have those.<br />
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You'll find vampires in the mix, too. The paranormal aspect of the book is important. When I began writing BloodBurn I had wondered, "What would happen to vampires and werewolves if the Zombie Apocalypse happened?"<br />
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BloodBurn is the answer to that question. I tried to portray my paranormal creatures slightly different than other books or movies had. Werewolves still shift from human to wolf, vampires still drink blood and sunlight burns them, zombies still need a headshot or significant damage to finally stop moving.<br />
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I enjoy humor and I hope that when readers get into the book they'll see that. Layne has a twisted sense of humor. She's a lot like me. You know that one person in your life (maybe it's you!) that laughs at the most inappropriate times? That's me and that's Layne.<br />
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I'll talk a bit more about the setting for BloodBurn later. Belmont is a real place and so are most other locations I write in to the story. Belmont, NY is about 70 miles South of Buffalo, NY. The story begins in this rural part of Western New York and moves to Buffalo. If you happen to know the area you might recognize some of the locations I talk about in my next post.<br />
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<i>(BloodBurn has a tentative release of October 30, 2013. This may change. You can find out about changes on this blog or through my Facebook page located here:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/jfletcherauthor" target="_blank"> J.E. Fletcher on Facebook</a>) </i><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1