Zombies, Vampires and Texans! Oh, my!!!

Progress Report

2012-01-26T16:48:00.001-06:00

Last week I had a massive migraine that lingered for days. It pretty much reduced me into a zombie. I mostly staggered around the house moaning about my head. I managed to get a few things done, but my work on THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING came to a complete halt. Every time I tried to focus on the story I felt like hordes of zombies were ripping into my brain. I managed to do other work-related things, but actual creative writing eluded me. Maybe the freakin' migraine storm was in the creative part of my brain.

Finally, I'm back on track, writing my little hands off. The brain is functioning again and the words are flowing. I'm even writing so much my carpal tunnel syndrome is acting up and letting me know just how badly I had abused my hands back in the old days of handwriting my stories or typing away on the old electric typewriter.

I hate it when physical ailments slow my progress. It makes me so cranky. Writing makes me very happy. When I'm working on a novel and its flowing, I'm pretty euphoric. I feel like dancing the rest of the day. If I go too long without writing, I find its much easier for me to get depressed or moody. Writing is such an intricate part of my being that to go for any long length of time without doing it makes me unhappy.

So I'm finally back on track and hoping to put the rough draft of THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING to sleep by the end of the month.

Wish me luck!

The Movie Screen In My Head

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

One of the most commonly asked questions I am asked during interviews or from fans in emails is how do I write my novels. Do I plot it all out? Do I just wing it? How do I create my characters? Are they based on me? Other people? How does it all happen?

Honestly, I always feel like the stories I write just emerge from the ether. They just appear in my mind, either while I'm sleeping, or listening to music, or just randomly as I'm going about my daily business. It's literally like a movie screen pops up in my head and starts showing a new feature I have never seen before. My stories just appear.

I have read where other authors sit down and think of themes and scenarios that intrigue them, or decide they want to write about a particular region, or decide they want to create a character based on someone they know or an aspect of themselves. They meticulously create a character description and details, outline the plot, and carefully construct their manuscript based on all their notes. Frankly, I wouldn't even know how to begin to do that. Not that what they are doing is wrong, or anything like that. But that process is so far removed from how my stories come into fruition it's like I'm trying to understand someone speaking to me in a language I don't know.

The movie screen in my head has always been there. When I was kid I always had stories running on it. As I grew older, those stories became more intricate and epic. My imagination entertained me through many hours of boring classes in school or long road trips. I was so accustomed to the movie screen in my head I was surprised when other people told me they didn't have one. Most of my friends thought I was a bit loopy when I described how my imagination worked. Though we all liked to play make-believe as kids, I realized that something about my own worlds of make-believe were quite different.

Readers and writers are always intrigued by the writing process of some of their favorite authors. I've read various accounts of how my own favs construct their worlds, or discover them. Every writer has their own process or way of unearthing their stories.

I thought I would share a few ways I have uncovered some of my stories.

THE FIRST DAYS (Book 1 of the AS THE WORLD DIES trilogy)

So small.
So very, very small.
The fingers pressed under the front door of her home were so very small. She could not stop staring at those baby fingers straining frantically to reach her as she stood shivering on the porch. The cool morning air lightly puffed out her pink nightgown as her own pale fingers clutched the thin bathrobe closed at her throat. Texas weather could change so fast, and this early March morning was crisp.

The opening scene of THE FIRST DAYS reads exactly how I saw it one day when I was sitting at my desk at work. One second I was staring at a spreadsheet trying to sort out what I needed from a client when suddenly the movie screen in my head flashed on. I saw in my head those tiny fingers then my mind's eye-camera panned out to show me Jenni. The image was so vivid, so intense, it was if I was enmeshed in that world for a few scant seconds.

As soon as my break arrived, I wrote the opening to my now epic zombie story. At first I thought it was just a short story, but by the end of the day I had the whole story playing on the screen in my head.

PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES: A Vampire Novel

When she began to stir from her deep slumber, she had no idea she was buried under several feet of moist, dark earth. Curled into a tight ball with one hand over her face, she shivered as her brain slowly switched on. Flashes of random memories full of distorted images burst through her mind.
Time to wake up, a voice whispered.
Her eyelids fluttered.
Before she could fully awaken, her body was seized tight in a spasm of pain. Her body contorted in on itself as her hands trembled around her face. The seizure released her and, slowly, she opened her eyes.
Darkness greeted her.
Trembling, she strained to see into the blackness that enshrouded her. She could barely make out the outline of her fingers curled over her face. Something heavy and moist was pressing down on her.
Suddenly claustrophobic, she thrust her left arm upward in a desperate attempt to throw off whatever was covering her.
Dirt poured into the tiny space around her face and filled her mouth and nose. Terrified, she plunged her arm into the earth, trying to push it away. She tried to roll onto her back and shoved upward with her other hand. Warm, wet earth pressed down all around her body.

The opening two chapters of PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES were a dream I survived. Yes, survived.

The dream was terrifying and completely enveloped my mind. I thought it was real. I had no idea I was dreaming as I experienced waking up being buried alive and fighting my way out of the forest floor. My confusion and fear were very real emotions. The worse part of the dream was when I had thought I had killed people. It was only then I woke up and realized it had all been a dream.

I was so traumatized by the dream I knew instantly it was the beginning of a story I wanted to uncover. I wanted to know the story of the young woman who woke up buried in the forest. Once I wrote out my dream, the rest of the story flowed onto the screen in my head. In this case I had no idea where it was going until I had reached the end. It was one helluva ride.

THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING (futuristic zombie novel work in progress)

The fan sputtered, then died as the rolling blackout hit her section of the city. With a groan, Maria peeled the covers from her damp body and sat at the edge of the bed. Her silky black hair fell over one shoulder, covering her bare breast. The heat was already rising in her small flat. The metal walls and high windows made the narrow room claustrophobic and, once the power cut out, stifling."Another glorious day in hell," Dwayne muttered beside her. He peered at her from under the arm thrown over his face to shield his blue eyes from the sunlight beginning to pour through the window above the rumpled bed.Maria yawned. "You mean a glorious day in the last great bastion of humanity?""That speech last night really did suck," Dwayne decided, laughing."Our fearless leader is full of shit." Maria stood up, stretching out her lean, muscular body. "He's not the best liar. That whole line about 'our time of crisis being at an end' was ridiculous."She sensed Dwayne making a grab for her ass and easily stepped out of reach. He groaned with frustration, then dragged his body out of bed. Scars crisscrossed his muscled arms and chest, a terrible reminder of the day he had almost died while fighting the undead. She had her own scars, her darker skin rising into hard keloids. They were fading slowly, but would never completely leave her. A panicked soldier had tossed a grenade at the wrong time during the last great battle against the Inferi. Only their battle suits had kept Maria and Dwayne from being ripped to pieces, but some of the shrapnel had managed to pierce through the aging armor. It had been a terrifying twenty-four hours before they were cleared of the Inferi Plague Virus infection. Oddly, it was the time in the hospital that had laid the foundation for Dwayne and Maria's relationship. "Our fearless leader may be full of shit, but it is in everyone's best interest to keep the civilians calm. We don't need riots in the streets again," Dwayne said, yawning. "I think I'm just tired of being lied to. And to make it worse I have to defend those lies because it’s my duty." Maria twisted her hair back from her face and flipped it over one shoulder. She wasn't vain by nature, but her hair was the one aspect of her looks she actually cared about. It was very long, glossy black, and thick with just a slight wave to it. "We all do what we have to," Dwayne answered with a sigh.

Though my latest work in progress, THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING, opens with a very exciting (and gory) battle scene, I dreamed the first chapter of the book when taking a nap one day. Instead of being in the lead character's head, I watched them as though they were on a movie screen in my head. I loved their interaction with each other and the sense that they had a rich history between them. I loved the world Maria woke up in and wanted to make her story into a short story for an anthology. That failed very quickly. The story was much larger than that. So I tried for a novella for another anthology. That failed as well. The story of Maria, Dwayne and the last bastion of humanity was epic in scale. I stopped fighting to whittle the story down and embraced it fully.

Though I wrote the first few chapters around two years ago, I had to set aside the project to concentrate on the AS THE WORLD DIES books for Tor's reissue of all three books. I am now moving swiftly through the novel and I hope to have it done by the end of the month.

The delay between when the story was conceived and now has allowed me to do a lot of background work on the story and for once I actually have a synopsis to look at. Of course, I have already had unexpected characters show up and new scenes, but the gist of the story is already laid out.

So in answer to the question "how does it all come together?" my answer is that I really don't know. All I know is that the movie screen on my head is always active and all I have to do is pay attention.

THE FIRST DAYS' Katie is NOT a Lesbian

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Katie as depicted by Detra on original cover

Katie is bisexual.

Yet, you wouldn't know it by the way she is constantly described as a "lesbian" in reviews not only by readers, but professional review sites.

Recently I wrote a post about reviews and how they only bother me when they have misinformation in them. Katie being cited as a lesbian is one of those things that peeves me to no end.

Why?

Katie is not a lesbian who is de-gayed by a magic penis. If she was a lesbian, she would not have been attracted to a man. I think its rather insulting when people even assume this. I have many lesbian friends and they have zero interest in men as partners. To assume a good-looking guy is suddenly going to make a lesbian straight is really insulting.

Though Katie was married to an awesome lesbian woman named Lydia and loved her more than life itself, Katie is not a lesbian. She's a bisexual woman who has loved both men and women in her past. Katie loves people for who they are without regard or preference to their gender.

“But the truth is, I’m bisexual. Always havebeen. I dated guys and girls all through high school and in college. It justhappened that the person—” Katie’s voice caught in her throat and she couldn’ttalk for a moment. “—I fell in love with and wanted to spend my life with was awoman. It was her: Lydia.” Katie in THE FIRST DAYS

Up until this point in the book Katie has not had the need to define her sexuality to anyone. That her thoughts dwell on her dead wife is only natural. She is in deep mourning for the woman she loves.

I assume that people get confused because of this earlier scene.

“I gotta pee,” Jenni said abruptly. Theurgent need had hit her suddenly. She was a little surprised when Jason andKatie both said, “Me, too.”

Katie stopped in the middle of thenarrow road, lifted the shotgun off the console, and looked at Jenni. “Youfirst. Take your gun. I’ll cover.”

Jenni grumbled as she released her seatbelt. “This is fucking annoying. Not being able to go without an armed guard.”

Jason cleared his throat and said, “Whatabout me? I gotta go like right now.”

"I’ll cover for you, too. Jenni can coverfor me.”

Jason looked at her warily.

Katie gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m alesbian. It’s okay. I’m not interested in your boy parts. I won’t look.”

Later on, Katie tells Jason why she told him she was a lesbian.

“I wanted you to pee.” Katie winked at him.

Katie is the type of person who would have said the exact same thing to Jason if she had been straight. She just wanted him to hurry up and urinate before zombies came shambling along.

In FIGHTING TO SURVIVE Katie once again defines herself to Travis.

“So, the point of all this is, I became very used toliving in the LGBT community and sometimes it was very difficult. If Iidentified myself as bisexual, I was sometimes told I just hadn’t fullyaccepted that I was lesbian. Lydia always defended me, but I eventually stoppedtelling anyone that I was bi.” Katie laughed bitterly. “After that, this onewoman we knew congratulated me on finally accepting myself as a lesbian and notbeing in denial anymore.” She gazed into Travis’s eyes. “Lydia understood thatI had made a choice to be with her because of who she was, not because hergender. "

Yet, despite Katie explaining to the characters in the story and to the reader who she is, people persistently flag her as a lesbian who becomes straight for a man.

In the story being called a lesbian was to show prejudice in the form of Shane, one of the construction workers that Katie runs afoul with when she kills his infected brother.

“I’m her best friend. Maybe I did it,” Katiesaid pointedly.

“Crazed lesbian kills ex-girlfriend’salmost killer,” a man’s voice said very sarcastically from behind her.

When people want to insult Katie in the story, they call her a lesbian. She ignores them, not allowing them to rile her or define her. Besides, she doesn't see it as an insult since her beloved Lydia was a lesbian.

But why, I have asked myself, do readers and reviewers persistently peg Katie as a lesbian despite her saying she is not? Why do they insist on making it seem that a lesbian woman is turned straight by a strong, handsome man? A lot of times lesbians are threatened with sexual assault so they can be "turned straight." Katie endures a lot of abuse from Shane and his pal, Philip.

“Shut up, lesbo bitch! Who asked you tofucking open your mouth?” Phil’s voice was full of hate, and his gaze washostile.

“Nah, Phil. Let her open her mouth. Igot something right here for it,” Shane stated, thrusting his cock at her.

In FIGHTING TO SURVIVE Katie suffers an attack from Shane.

“The lesbo wanted to try sex with a man,”Shane insisted through his bloodied teeth.

The myth that a lesbian will go straight if she just has sex with a man is even promoted by the media. The Jennifer Lopez film Gigli, the lesbian character inexplicably falls in love with Ben Affleck.

The website Mutant Reviewers from Hell has even named this romance movie cliche.

Where No Man Has Gone Before

Movie lesbians are disgustingly easy to "convert" to heterosexuality when the possibility actually presents itself. This is, of course, total crap (unless, of course, they're bisexuals in disguise).

Katie is in disguise to the people in the fort. She's hiding her sexuality because she knows of Travis's interest in her and she needs the time and space to mourn Lydia. Yet, she is out as bisexual to the readership throughout most of the book.

But if she is defining herself as bisexual, why do readers (and reviewers) continue to call her a lesbian?

I actually think Katie herself answers this question.

“I often tell people I’m a lesbian sothey’re comfortable.”“I don’t get it.”“Well, people like absolutes. And itblows most of their minds to try to think that I could find men and womenequally attractive. It just freaks them out. They want me to be one or theother. So, since I was with Lydia, it was just easier to say I was a lesbian.”Katie held the phone against her chest and tried not to cry.“So you could end up with a guy or agirl?”“Honestly, Jason, right now, I can’timagine being with anyone. I just . . .” She rolled onto her side andfaced the wall. “I just miss her.”

One of my proudest moments was when Three Dollar Bill Reviews (a LGBTQ) review site, said this in their review of THE FIRST DAYS about the scene above.

In one part of the book Katie is explaining to Jason about being bisexual and why she has often told others she is a lesbian. What she says to the young man rings so true and many readers will find themselves nodding along in agreement. There’s an honesty to Katie’s character that makes her easy to identify with and creates a solid connection with the reader.

Note: The reviewer is bisexual.

People do like absolutes. Even in Hollywood, out bisexual actresses like Amber Heard and Kristanna Loken are constantly questioned about their sexuality.

Amber Heard as 409 in Zombieland

Recently Amber Heard had this to say,

"It makes no difference to me, personally. I've always been a private person and valued my private life. That being said, a lot of the media attention surrounding my relationship has been frustrating, simply because I'm a private person. But I think there's an important moment happening in our society right now, and I had to do the right thing. At the end of the day I don't label myself one way or another. I come from a place where I find it hard to identify with the label. I've dated men in the past. Now I'm dating a woman, and I see it as ultimately no big deal."

Sounds like Katie, huh?

Kristanna Loken...wouldn't she be a great Katie?

Kristanna Loken had an enormous impact on Katie. As a straight woman, I didn't know much about bisexuality. I knew the really bad stereotypes about them such as they are promiscuous, they can't make up their mind and just be gay, they have to have both sexes or they're not happy, etc... I didn't have the bisexual friends I have now, so I was fairly lost. I ended up googling bisexuality and did a whole lot of reading. It was actress Kristanna Loken that actually gave me the best insight into bisexuality.

"I have dated and have had sex with men and women and have to say that the relationships I have had with certain women have been much more fulfilling, sexually and emotionally, than those with certain men. I connect with an aura, with energy. And if the person with whom I connect happens to be a female, that's just the way it is. That's what makes my wheels turn." - Kristanna Loken

Kristanna, by the way, has a lesbian sister. She knows the difference between bisexuality and lesbianism. At one point she married a man, and suffered the outrage of a few in the LGBTQ community. In her defense, she said the following:

"I’m married to a man now. I think I was ready to be in a committed relationship and it could have been with a man or a woman. It just so happened to be a man, but it doesn’t make me not attracted to women." -Kristanna Loken

She did later divorce and end up with a woman, but even when questioned after her divorce, she still adamantly stated her bisexuality. I spoke with Kristanna at the Austin ComicCon a few years ago and she was not only beautiful, but very open about her sexuality. I told her all about Katie and even gave her the book. I thanked her for being so open because it helped me create Katie. She was thrilled and signed a picture for me that reads: "Rhiannon, I am so happy that my honesty could help you create your character!!! Good luck! Kristanna Loken"

Anna Paquin

Another major star that recently came out is actress Anna Paquin from True Blood fame. She married her True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer, but still maintains she is bisexual. Marrying a man did not suddenly make her straight. A lot of bisexuals do end up marrying straight people, but the statistics are in the favor of that happening. There is a much larger pool of straight people than gay people. Just because a bisexual person marries a person of the opposite sex does not automatically them straight.

“There is a lot of prejudice against us but the more people talk about it, the less of a deal it will be." - Anna Paquin

Even in the LGBTQ community bisexuals are often regarded with suspicion. On the iconic lesbian show The L Word bisexuality ended up being portrayed in not so flattering a manner. Afterellen.com discussed this in an article called The L Word's Vanishing Bisexual.

From the article:

The L Word’s representation of bisexuality reflects popular and sometimes opposing ideas about bisexuality. One belief--represented best on the series by Jenny--is that those who identify as bisexual are merely experimenting with their sexuality before they choose to identify as strictly heterosexual or homosexual, thus suggesting that a “bisexual” identity is at best a transitional identity, and at worst a false one.

The second is the belief that everyone has the potential to be attracted to people of either sex; in other words, everyone is at some level bisexual. This has been most clearly expressed by the character of Shane (Katherine Moennig), who stated in the second episode, “Sexuality is fluid, whether you’re gay or you’re straight or you’re bisexual, you just go with the flow.”

Third is the stereotype that bisexuals are sexually promiscuous or indecisive, with the added threat that a bisexual woman could, at any moment, leave her female lover for a man.

All of these are damaging stereotypes to bisexual people. Even Katie relates this pressure in the series.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by the confusion (or denial) of Katie's sexuality. People want absolutes. We want things to be black and white. No in-betweens. Katie lives in the world of gray and in-between. She is attracted to both men and women. She has fallen in love with both men and women. She has found happiness with both sexes with no regrets. Katie knows her heart and her mind, but the world around her continually tells her she's wrong.

Though I am frustrated when Katie's confession of bisexuality is ignored, I am always touched when bisexual readers thank me for her representation. They rarely see themselves depicted in a positive light.

Being challenged all my life for acceptance of my in-born bisexuality I had such excitement and pride in how you presented Katie. I FELT her indecision and challenge in her relationship with both Jenni and Travis (lets not forget Lydia). Your complex inclusion of individuals searching for love, tenderness, and meaning in the arms of others is quite an achievement. Particularly in such a wild horror story of zombies with their mindless natures and hideous cannibalism. These three books deserve to be nice hardbacks. - from a fan email

Katie is most likely the first bisexual character in the zombie genre (please correct me if I'm wrong) and probably the first bisexual character many have read about. In her own way, she is not only breaking ground in the fort, but with the readers as well.

I guess in the end my own frustration stems from the fact I want to defend her. I want Katie to be able to define herself to her world and the readers and have them accept her. Whether people are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or straight, everyone should have the right to define (or not define) themselves and be accepted for who they are.

AN UPDATE:

This was posted on the AS THE WORLD DIES Facebook page:

I understand Katie's sexuality and it makes sense that she would fall in love with Travis. However, when I was first introduced to The First Days I was excited that Katie was a strong "lesbian" character. I felt a sting of disappointment when she admitted to being bisexual. I still love the series and you as an author. I just feel the "bisexual" woman had been done many times before. It was new and fresh to have a lesbian in the forefront.

This was my answer:

I have yet to read a story with a bisexual lead, but I understand your disappointment. Katie is not my only LGBT character, nor my last. THE VAMPIRE BRIDE series has a lesbian character starting in book two, and the upcoming PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS has an ass-kicking lesbian couple. The point of my artcle is that Katie is not a lesbian turned straight by a magic penis. My characters tend to pop into my mind fully formed, so when Katie said she was bisexual in my head I had to reaearch her sexuality. I also feel that in no way does her bisexuality take away the beauty of her love for Lydia. Lydia is the love of Katie's life.

How To Write When You Don't Have The Desire/Nerve/Energy

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's not uncommon for me to get questions from people who want to be writers. They pop into my inbox every once and a while asking basic questions. I usually link them to a blog post I have already written on the subject, or give them a quick answer if it's a simple question.

But the one question I have been getting a lot of late is probably the one I hate answering the most. The reason why is because the answer is very simple and not one the person asking the question wanted to hear.

So what is this question?

Usually the email looks something like this:

"I want to be a writer and I have some really great ideas. But I start writing and then I lose interest/get bored/lose energy/can't make myself write. How do you deal with this? How do you keep interested in your idea? How do you keep writing?"

The truth of the matter is you have to make yourself write. You just have to keep going. You can't give up. You have to push through the hard parts. Even when your energy is down and your interest in the story is waning, you have to just write.

To be a writer...you have to write!

Everyone wants the secret formula to success in all aspects of life. Why else would there be so many self-help books? Yet, the reality in most cases from weight loss to career advancement is that to be successful you have to work hard.

How marathons start...

I am not a runner, but I have watched marathons during the Olympics (the only time I watch sports). I always find it interesting how everyone takes off like a shot, trying to get ahead of the pack, then as the pace evens out, the runners usually start to try to conserve their energy while maintaining (or gaining) a lead. It's always rough watching these people strain to reach the end as the rigors of the run start to wear them down. There is always a part in the race where they are drenched in sweat, pouring bottled water over their bodies and into their mouths with their faces tense with concentration and you wonder how any of them are going to finish. Then, the finish line nears and you see runners start to pick up their pace as they rush toward the end. I'm always surprised when people who looked on the verge of collapse suddenly sprint the last part of the race and through the finish line.

How marathons end...

I'm sure every runner in that marathon wonders at one point if they are going to be able to finish. A few people never make it past the finish line. But each and every runner knows the only way they're going to make it is if they push through all the pain to the very end. No one is going to carry them.

Marathons always start with a ton of people...but end as only one person crosses the line.

Well, writing is a lot like that. You start off with a burst of inspiration and energy. The idea is fresh and fantastic and you're madly in love with the entire concept. You rush along at a steady clip then the pace starts evening out. Slowly, your steam starts to peter out. There is always a point where you are trudging along, pushing through the hardest part of the book because you have come too far and you want to get to the end. It is sheer determination and willpower that power you through. Then you see that the end is in sight, you get that second rush of energy and sprint to the end of the book.

The problem with most people who want to be writers is that the minute their steam dissipates, they drop out of the race and go back to the beginning to start a different race. I have seen this happen so many times with very talented writers. They fall in love with an idea and take off like a shot, but once their interest wanes, they shove the half-written story away and start on another. They never go all the way to the end. So many people have told me they have partially written stories stashed away all over their hard drives or tucked into a trunk. And they always ask me how I finish my novels. How do I do it?

Again, the answer is I write. I write when I lose my energy. I write when I feel I have no inspiration. I write when I'm tired. I write when I don't want to. I write because I want to get to the end of the story.

Here are a few ways I get myself to write even when I don't feel it.

1. I create a spot for myself where I am comfortable and can be free of most interruptions. In my case it is my home office, but for others it may be their bedroom, coffee shop, park bench, etc.

2. I commit to writing X amount of words per day when on a project. Now, if you're struggling, you may want to set it to a low number like 250 to 500. Mine is between 3,000 and 5,000.

3. Don't self-edit when writing a first draft. In other words, don't go back and keep tweaking what you already wrote. Move forward. Only read back if you think you've lost a thread. Too many writers fuss with making the first part perfect before they have written the middle and the end.

4. When I have writer's block it's usually because I dropped a thread in the story. I'll read back over what I wrote until I find what I missed. I do NOT self-edit during this time.

5. Commit to writing for X amount of time every day. Pick a time and keep to it. Don't falter. Tell everyone to leave you alone during this time. Threaten them if you have to!

6. Writing sprints help a lot of people. Set your timer for 5 minutes, and write non-stop the entire time. Just type. Just go. Don't over think it. Just write. Take a small break, set the timer, go again.

7. Listen to music that inspires you and makes you think about your story. Each one of my novels has different "theme" music that set the mood.

8. Make character sheets or a database for your novel. Include the characters' vital info and maybe a photo or drawing that resembles them. If you have some sort of idea of a plot, write that out in a short summary. Keep it close. (NOTE: I use the free program yWriter to build a character database and to write the first draft of my novels).

And finally...just write. Just do it. I find that even when I don't want to write, once I get past a certain post, the dam opens and the words pour out.

If you want to reach the finish line, you're going to have to push through. It isn't easy to be a writer. And one of the hardest parts is finishing the book.

Good luck!

Autographed Bookplates Now Available!!

2012-01-20T13:00:00.000-06:00

Recently I was asked by Grace Fonseca of the Livre D'Amour blog if I have autographed bookplates. I am so grateful she did because I have been receiving a slew of requests from fans wondering how they could get their books autographed. An autographed bookplate is such a great idea and I wish I had thought of it ages ago. It's a lot easier (and cheaper) for everyone involved than shipping books back and forth and overwhelming my post office box.

So how does it work?

You will need to send a self-addressed stamped envelope (make sure the postage is sufficient if you want a lot of bookplates) and include a note (typed or in clear handwriting) detailing which books you want a template for, what name (or names) you want included in the message, and if you want a particular date included (birthday, anniversary). I need to know which books I am autographing for since I sign each one differently.

Send the SASE to:
Rhiannon Frater
P.O. Box 4983
Austin, TX 78765

I will be sending out the bookplates every two weeks. If you need the bookplate for a gift, make sure to request it in advance.

Remember to make sure the return envelope has pre-paid postage on it. I am covering the cost of the bookplates, but you will need to cover the cost of postage.

Thanks again to Grace for the great idea!

Sometimes It I Have To Answer No...

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

One of the most difficult aspects of finding success in my writing career is that I have had to learn to say "no" when asked particular questions. As someone who tries to please other people (sometimes to my detriment), this is not always easy.

Let me explain what I'm talking about...

One of the major reasons I started this blog was so people could read about my journey and learn from my mistakes, failures, and hopefully, successes. I still believe by sharing my experiences with all of you, I may help you avoid making gaffs you will regret. The other reason for this blog was so my fans would be able to find out the latest news on my road to publication with the As The World Dies series.

I still get a lot of email from people asking me all sorts of questions. Sometimes they are easy to answer, sometimes they're not. I have even referred people to the blog because I already addressed their question in a post.

But there is one question I will always answer "no" to and here it is.

"Will you read my manuscript and tell me what you think?"

When I researched paths to publication before I self-published, I read the FAQ's on the websites of some of my favorite writers for advice and noticed many times they stated adamantly that they would not look at any manuscripts sent to them. I thought it was a little odd at the time until I began having my own success. In the first year, I was surprised at how often I was sent a manuscript from someone I didn't know. It made me vastly uncomfortable.

I still have quite a few people sending me their work out of the blue. I'll open up my email, have a nice message from an aspiring writer about how they like my work and then they'll tell me they have attached their manuscript for me to read, send on to my agent, or to my publisher.

I dread these emails. The honest truth is I delete any unsolicited manuscripts from my inbox immediately after answering the author.

To some this may seem like an odd thing for a writer to do. Sending off the manuscript they toiled over to someone they didn't know seems like a risky proposition. I suspect the practice was born out of some success stories that were touted in the media over the last few decades. The much-hyped stories were about people who landed huge publishing deals after being endorsed by a major author. Usually the story was that an unknown writer managed to get their manuscript into the hands of this major author, who was so blown away by what they read they immediately passed the manuscript on to their agent/editor and the newbie author got a deal. This probably only happened a handful of times, but we writers tend to be a desperate lot. A lot of writers seized onto this idea.

I once read an article about a well-known author and when asked to offer advice, she begged writers not to send their manuscripts to her. She had to trash them since most of the time there was no self-addressed stamped envelope. There were even stories of people trying to put their manuscripts on the front doorsteps of their favorite author's homes.

To make matters worse, there is a lot of bad advice out there on the writing forums. One bit of advice was to get blurbs or endorsements from writers in your genre before you send you manuscript into an agent or editor. On one thread, a writer was desperately trying to gather author emails to send off her manuscript for them to read.

Established writers do help others get deals, but it is usually because they know them from writing circles and not because a random manuscript landed on their doorstep or in their inbox. I don't know of any authors who actually read unsolicited manuscripts from unknown writers.

Why?

These are my own personal reasons:

1. Legal Issues - Writers need to protect themselves against being accused of plagiarizing another person's writing and the best way to avoid this is to not read unsolicited manuscripts. Lawsuits are not fun, yet the publishing world is full of them. J.K. Rowling has been sued multiple times by writers convinced she pilfered from their work.
If I'm working on a book about witches and someone sends me an unsolicited manuscript about witches, they could later on believe that any coincidental similarities could be due to me reading their work and stealing from it. To avoid this scenario, I hit delete immediately.

2. Time - I have my own writing career to build and it takes a lot of my waking time. I have even turned down reading the manuscripts of author friends because I just don't have the time to give them an honest critique while working on my own writing.
At this time I do three kinds of reading: 1) research for my novels 2) keeping up to date on the publishing world 3) entertainment. When I used to help other friends who were writers with their stories, it was a lot of time and energy. An honest critique is a lot more than just reading the story, it's about digging into the meat and bones.

3. Respect for my Agent - I respect my agent and all the things she does for me and her other clients. I know she works very hard and has countless submissions every day pouring into her inbox. I have only referred three writers to my agent since I signed with her. The first writer I referred blindly, because they were a friend. I hadn't read the manuscript because I was swamped with other things. I later regretted doing this because I realized I honestly didn't know if that manuscript was any good or even something my agent would enjoy. I realized I could be wasting both the writer and my agent's time with a bad fit. Nothing came of that scenario. Later, I referred two more friends, but after they received offers from other publishers (agents love it when there is a deal on the table). I had read both authors' work and loved their writing styles. They also had a history of being published by small presses and growing fan bases. Referring them to my agent made sense and she thanked me for referring both of them. She now represents both authors. I respect my agent enough to realize her time is valuable.

4. Tor Will Look At Unsolicited Manuscripts - My editor at Tor explained to me once how the editors at Tor look at all the unsolicited manuscripts on a pretty regular basis. They grab all the manuscripts, stack them into piles, and everyone starts reading. If the first page doesn't hook them, they move on to the next submission. At the end of the day, each editor ends up with a stack of manuscripts to look at more closely. She explained that a lot of the manuscripts are going to be rejected, but once and a while they find a real gem in those piles. She even told me to tell writers to go ahead and send in their manuscripts to Tor. Those submissions will be looked at. But you better have a polished manuscript with a killer opening. There is no point sending manuscripts to me or any other writer when there are still publishing houses that will look at unsolicited manuscripts.

5. Self-Publishing - You don't need to have another author lift you up into the upper echelon of publishing when you can find your own success. As my agent and my editor have both said to me multiple times, sometimes good books don't get published because they're not going to sell big. Your manuscript may be awesome, but there is no assurance that will land you a publishing deal. In fact, several authors (JA Konrath comes to mind) have self-published rejected manuscripts and have made thousands of dollars off of them.

So if you're an unknown writer and you want an honest assessment of your novel, what do you do? I strongly believe in joining a writers group online or in your local area. It really helps to have your peers look at your work. Sometimes established authors are part of these groups. That is where the rare endorsement sometimes comes into play.

My way of helping you (if you're a fledgling writer) is by documenting my own journey on this blog and hopefully encouraging you along the way.

The reality is that every writers journey to success is going to be different. It's about you making it happen.

How Kody Boye Decided to Self-Publish

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today I have a guest blogger. Kody Boye is not only a really good friend, he's also my web designer, moderator on some of my social networks, and formats my self-published books. He's also a young, brilliant writer with a great career ahead of him.

Kody Boye recently released his first book in a dark fantasy series called THE BROTHERHOOD SAGA. This was a complete labor of love and has consumed a lot of his energy and time for the last two years. I know he has already written the 2nd and 3rd book in the series and is working on the 4th. He plans to release all five books of the series himself.

I asked him to write a post about why he decided to self-publish and he was kind enough to do so.

A lot of people question me when they see me self-publishing short fiction via Createspace, Amazon’s Kindle dashboard or even Smashwords. This is understandable. For the past six years, I’ve worked in small-press writing industry as somewhat of an adapter—writing, revising, critiquing, rewriting and then submitting, with the result usually either coming back as Accept or Reject.

When I get asked why I self-publish, I find it hard to explain—not because I can’t put it into my own words, but because a lot of people don’t understand my reasoning behind going into the self-publishing business. There are usually a few specific reasons why writers are told to go through publishers rather than doing it themselves.

A) You’ll get distribution.

B) You don’t have to pay for editing, cover art or formatting

And C) You’ll get a bigger readership.

Now—given that it is 2012 and we’ve seen a massive shift in the publishing industry as a whole (both due to eBooks and the rise of Print-On-Demand publishing,) I feel the need to set something straight. As a writer who’s worked on both sides of the fence, I can honestly explain a few things I’ve found just by being in the industry.

So—onto our list from above:

A) You’ll get distribution. This may be true if you’re a large press publisher. By ‘distribution,’ we ultimately think of getting books in bookstores, convenience shops, in the airport or even at your local grocery market. This is usually by the power of the print count of a book (as in, how many books are printed at a time and then distributed to stores.) Most small press publishers distribute the same way independent authors do—via Smashwords, which sends your books to various online bookstores and ebook market websites; via Createspace, which prints on demand and with their Pro feature gives bookstores and libraries the ability to order books; and Kindle, which can easily be obtained either by opening an Amazon account or by clicking on the ‘Kindle’ tab on Smashwords. In the end writer must pick a publisher based on his or her track record. I know of small-press publishers who distribute to stores based on contracts with higher-market printers, and I know those who only work with print-on-demand technology. Going with a publisher that isn’t considered one of ‘the big ones’ or whose publications have not held up to the industry’s standard of sales is like a double-edged sword—on one hand, you may have someone who can promote the living hell out of your book, while on the other you may have someone who doesn’t know a thing about promotion.

B) You don’t have to pay for editing, cover art of formatting. This isn’t something I can contest, as a good publisher’s job is to pay for those resources.

C) You’ll get a bigger readership. This, dear reader, is ultimately up to you and your publisher as a promoter. If your publisher isn’t going out of their way to post ads in magazines, online, in other books or in a multitude of various outlets, you’re not going to get any more sales than you would have had even if you did happen to publish independently. With self-publishing, the market has been dragged down. There is no longer a ‘barrier’ for fiction that is deemed ‘acceptable’ or ‘sellable’ to block first-time writers (i.e, the submission/rejection process) from putting bad books out. For that reason, it becomes much more difficult for a first-time author to find an audience unless they’re actually pushing themselves toward it. The amount of readers you have ultimately falls onto either onto the publishing house or you. Sadly, and usually, small press and independent readers are on their own in that regard.

With that out of the way, and with those common misconceptions arranged, you’re probably wondering: Why are you self-publishing something that you believe is sellable? (AKA: The Brotherhood Saga.)

There’s a few reasons.

1.) It’s too long. At nearly five-hundred pages, it’s just 25,000 shy of being a half-million word book. Most small press publishers won’t even look at it. It’s too long.

2.) I want to control the income. I have an instinctive gut feeling that if I do this myself rather than sell it through a publisher that I will eventually get somewhere with this series—monetarily. Had I tried going through a publisher, I may have received a substantially-lowered royalty, or I may have been given an advance—which, most likely, would not have been that great, considering I do not as of yet have a good marketplace of readers.

3.) It’s personal. The Brotherhood was born out of a brain cancer scare (which I detail in full within the beginning of the novel itself.) Because of that, there’s many strong emotions attached to the book and story as a whole, which is why I’m not so tempted to place it in someone else’s hands to sell it for me.

4.) I control everything. I pick who edits it, who formats it (me,) and who does the cover art. It might just be because I work at the speed of light (no joke on that part,) but I don’t like waiting around for other people to do stuff for me—which, to be frank, is a sad and honest truth about the publishing world. Most things go at a snail’s pace if there is no looming deadline.

5.) I don’t want my book chopped apart. Though I would not refuse to cut down certain aspects of the book if I believed it would help the story, I find it hard to stomach the idea of cutting a book of this length apart. Blood, the first Brotherhood Saga book in particular, is very story and plot-driven. For me to take those elements out I would have to do extensive rewriting—which, at this point, I’d rather not do. I love the story as it is. I don’t want it to be cut apart and stitched back together.

My main goal with my process of self-publishing is to test my limits by seeing just what I can do in regards to promotion. I’ve learned a few tricks in the past two/three years about promoting a novel or a series.

That alone is enough to assure me that, in my current state, I can do pretty much everything a regular small-press publisher could do. That in and of itself is the primary reason why I have decided to forego traditional publishing with some of my work until a later date.

STOP CENSORSHIP!

2012-01-17T23:30:00.000-06:00

As a writer of both self-published and traditionally published works, copyright is something that is very important to me. I believe people should have the right to protect their copyright. But I do not agree with censorship of the Internet. SOPA is not the answer to online piracy. It is the beginning of censorship of the Internet in America.

I previously posted about SOPA and Senator Lloyd Doggett's appeal to the Judiciary Committee. Read it here.

A quick overview about SOPA and how it will affect the Internet is here.

The Stop American Censorship website has more information here.

Let your voice be heard. Join the protest.

Does Horror Exist In Literature Anymore?

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

When I was a little girl my mother used to take me to a second hand book store in the small Texas town where we lived. It was in an area of the dying downtown where the sun always seemed to be blasting down on us as we hurried up the sidewalk and into the cool gloom of the store filled with shelves upon shelves of books.

My mother was a voracious reader and was always picking up huge stacks of books to read. Other than the library, the cluttered second-hand bookstore was to place to find something to read during the warm muggy Texas nights. As my mother slowly moved through the stacks, I would follow her admiring the covers. I couldn't read at the time, so I was very small. I would pull a book out, look at the cover wondering what the picture meant, then shove it right back onto the shelf. I was pretty well-behaved so my mom didn't really worry about me. During one visit, I wandered around a corner and found myself staring at a book that had been turned so the cover was facing outward. I stared at the man with the blood dripping from long teeth clad in a tuxedo, dramatically throwing out his cape to show the red lining in absolute terror. I had never seen anything like this before. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. I was scared, but intrigued. My mom called to me and I rushed away wondering about that mysterious book.

On return trips I discovered that all the books in that section were filled with bizarre covers of monsters and creatures like I had never seen before. I knew my mom wouldn't approve (how do we always know that?), and tried to look at the covers on the sly. I'm fairly sure quite a few of them gave me some terrible nightmares.

Of course, at such a young age I never dreamed I would one day be writing about monsters.

I love monsters. I love tales of horror. I love the things that go bump in the night and the mysteries that surround them. I am both intrigued and terrified of monsters. I love a good monster movie (though I don't like slasher films), and always enjoy it when they manage to actually scare me. A good horror tale is a treasure in my eyes.

Is it any surprise that I write horror?

What's that? Oh, yeah. I consider myself a horror writer. You didn't know that? You classify my novels as post-apocalyptic, or supernatural suspense, or paranormal romance (I don't get this one at all), or urban fantasy. Honestly, that doesn't surprise me.

While in Barnes & Noble during one of my book signings, my husband and friends searched high and low for a horror section hoping to see my book on the shelf. At the information desk they were told zombies were in science fiction/fantasy. So my husband and friends searched there to no avail. At last they found THE FIRST DAYS tucked into general fiction.

"Why would anyone look for a zombie book in general fiction?" my husband wondered. He even asked the store manager.

Apparently, the lines of genre have blurred so much that even Stephen King, the master of horror, is in general fiction.

Horror has been re-branded and shuffled off to a variety of corners in different bookstores. They end up shelved in thriller, science fiction, fantasy, and general fiction. There is rarely a horror section in bookstores.

I'm not sure why this happened. Some of the big names in publishing are those of horror writers, or at least people who write about monsters. Stephen King, Ann Rice, Dean Koontz, and even Stephanie Meyers all write about things that go bump in the night. But somehow the horror tag has been dismissed, even among readers.

PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES received a pretty favorable review a while back, but was slammed for having a "horror" cover, while the reviewer considered it urban fantasy. This same cover drew in a YA reader who was upset to find a "horror" novel inside.

I consider the novel firmly in the "horror" genre. It has brutal killings, disgusting zombies, bloody feasts, and themes of a horrific nature running through it. Yes, there are some moments of humor and a dash of romance, but the overall plot line is that of a young woman facing down a fearsome vampire/necromancer who can raise armies of the dead. Yet, the tag urban fantasy gets attached to it over and over again.

Many urban fantasy novels geared toward adults are told via a first-person narrative, and often feature mythological beings, paranormal romance, and various female protagonists who are involved in law enforcement or vigilantism. --wikipedia

PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES is in third person, does feature mythological beings, and has elements of romance, but Amaliya is definitely not in law enforcement or a vigilante. She just wants to save her ass from the bad guy.

THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE, which I consider gothic horror in the vein (hehehe) of DRACULA and CARMILLA, gets tagged paranormal romance. This always stuns me. The book is very bloody and filled with not so nice scenes. Glynis suffers horribly at the hands of her creator and the whole plot is about her trying to escape his brutality. There is an element of romance, but its not her abusive creator she falls for, but another person altogether. I have always understood a romance novel to be primarily about the romance, the plot being secondary. In THE VAMPIRE BRIDE series, the focus of the story is Glynis and her desire to be free of the constraints of her new nature and her creator.

AS THE WORLD DIES (THE FIRST DAYS, FIGHTING TO SURVIVE, SIEGE) have been tagged as Urban Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic Fiction, and sometimes, yes, Horror (yay!). But more often than not it is tagged as Zombie Fiction, or Apocalyptic Fiction.

As people categorize my novels in their minds, bookshelves, and reading lists, I have to wonder am I the only one classifying myself as a horror writer? Is horror in literature now something to be avoided and reclassified as something else? Is it wrong to want to wear the "horror" label with pride and avoid the nicer, friendlier ones?

This is my conundrum.

Never Diss Your Readers

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

There was another epic author meltdown on the Internet a few weeks ago. Apparently on Goodreads someone posted a review about a book that wasn't quite to the liking of one of the author's friends (also a writer). As these things tend to do, it epically blew up and resulted in a bunch of bizarre Twitter comments against Goodreads reviewers.

When Goodreads was compared to 4Chan, I was stunned. Either the person writing the comment has no idea what 4Chan is, or they are really, really sensitive to any sort of criticism. Or maybe both.

You can read about the mess here.

This, of course, did not go unnoticed by the blogsphere and lots of bloggers immediately covered it. It spread like wildfire and I stumbled across the blowup while reading the comments on an article about the YA books coming out this year.

Writers behaving badly is not a new phenomena. It seems every year there is an epic author meltdown over a review and things get nasty fast. And like kids running to see a fight on the school playground, the Internet swarms around the event logging it for prosperity.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever read on an author's blog was from bestselling author Alison Winn Scotch. In a post last year she wrote about developing a thick skin. It's a subject she has discussed a few times on her blog and I felt she summed it up beautifully.

Part of this gig is putting yourself out there, and then, you simply have to dodge the tomatoes that are thrown your way. Hopefully, you can dodge artfully and not get smacked in the face.

Writers often complain that when readers attack their books, it's personal. That their books are like their children and they have a right to defend them. I have heard this argument over and over again from writers, and each time I shake my head.

Readers are a writer's best friend. They will let you know when you screw up. Tell you when you did it right. Tell all their friends and family about you. Blog about you. Buy your books (which pays your bills and puts food on your table). And generally support the writing career every writer dreams of.

And yeah, they can sometimes kick you pretty hard in the teeth.

But lashing out at a reader in any forum is just not a good idea. It's bad form and it makes the writer look like a jerk. Pure and simple. Readers don't want to see their favorite author melting down over a bad review or calling another reader an asshole for not understanding all the pain, agony, tears, and long hours they put into their book. What they see is someone being overly-sensitive to criticism and throwing a temper tantrum.

I admit I have had a few really brutal reviews. PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES got a one star review a while back that was like someone taking a jackhammer to it. The reviewer hated Amaliya for sleeping with three different men during the course of the book, she didn't like that Amaliya's family turned her away, she didn't like all the swear words, she didn't...well...like it.

My favorite quote:

Why is this book named "Pretty when she dies" it should be "Slut when she dies" or "Bitch when she dies"

Seriously, she took my book down. BAM!

I sat in my chair in giggled.

Seriously, c'mon. I had to. It was such epic hatred. Apparently she thought the book was a YA book and it was entirely not what she expected. She had a right to hate the things she did in that context and I understood that.

The review sat prominently on the page for PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES at this particular site for weeks and my sales went UP. I even stumbled across a conversation about the review where one person told another that obviously the reviewer of the 1 star review judged the book harshly because it was not a YA like she expected. Then they both agreed they were going to read PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES.

Later, the reviewer tried to remove the review, so its now lined out, but honestly, I hope it stays up there.

Why?

As a writer you want people to have some sort of reaction to your book. You want them to feel something. Even if they loathe it, that's a reaction. At least you're not being dismissed outright. At least you captured their attention for a little while. And for all the reasons they cite why they did NOT like your book, someone else may LOVE your book.

Reviews are subjective. Some may absolutely love you, others loathe you, and some may be somewhere in between. But when they take the time to write a review, at least it means you enticed a reaction from them.

I will admit that sometimes reviews annoy me. Usually when they state erroneous information about the book or characters. This happens a lot in the bad reviews and I read them carefully to make sure that I am not failing in accurately describing a plot point or a character. A review for THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE cited bone-breaking sex scenes or something like that and I was completely confused. I was pretty sure I had never written such a scene and double-checked to make sure. I have to assume that the reader misread something or skipped over sections of the book. Which is my other peeve: if you don't finish a book, how can you review it? I have had a few of those as well. In fact one woman skipped through so much of the book, the things she said she didn't like were completely out of context.

But what can I do?

I let it go. I don't respond. I move on.

Bad reviews with a legitimate complaints (editing errors, plot holes, character underdevelopment) are ones I take very seriously. I will open up one of my books and see if I screwed up a plot point or check on the character development. I'll fix errors on my self-published stuff and upload a new version of the book.

Otherwise, if its just a "this book sucks cause this girl was like a lesbian and there was crying" or "the girl is this book has sex with three guys..she's a slut" or something of that ilk, I just blow it off.

A writer who attacks a reader is biting the hand that feeds him/her. It's that simple. A reader may not like one of your books all that much, but one of your other books may be their favorite. You never know. And attacking them may lose your more than their support.

After the fiasco on Goodreads and Twitter a lot of people said point blank they would not be buying the books of the authors involved. And that is completely within their right and I can totally understand that sentiment. By acting out, those authors lost potential sales.

It is never worth going to war with the very people who buy your books. You will never win.

Update: The big mess ended up being covered by the The Guardian in the UK. I just saw this posted on author Rhiannon Miller's facebook page.

My Projects-Updated

2012-01-13T06:11:00.000-06:00

Illness, deadlines for SIEGE, and a death in the family pretty much obliterated my writing schedule for my new novels at the end of 2011. But life happens and you have to adjust accordingly. One of the most difficult things I've had to adjust to in the last year was setting aside a work in progress to meet a deadline for Tor on one of the three books in the trilogy.

With SIEGE now put to bed, my writing schedule is my own until another one of my projects gets picked up by Tor or another publisher. In the meantime, I plan to keep working on the series I have decided to self-publish, a few short story collections, and a standalone zombie novel (I may or may not self-publish). I have also thrown in a YA novel that I am working on with fellow author Kody Boye. We made some amazing progress when we first started, but have put the project aside because he is dealing with some medical issues. We hope to be back on track very soon.

So here is my updated projected writing schedule (subject to change, of course).

Writing Schedule for 2012

Last Bastion of the Living (futuristic zombie novel) Projected writing period to finish the novel already in progress - January

Notes: I'm moving swiftly on this project now. Right before I had to set this project aside to work on SIEGE I had hit a wall, but I punched through it this week and I'm zooming!

Blood & Love and Other Vampire Tales (a compilation of short stories) Already written and has been sent to the editor. Artwork has been commissioned. Release date is possibly February or early March.

Note: This collection will be in ebook only.

Pretty When She Kills (vampires, necromancers, zombies in modern day Texas) Projected writing period February/Early March for a projected release date in May.

Notes: Artwork is already completed.

As The World Dies Untold Tales Volume 2 (featuring Ken & Lenore's story, Katarina's story, and unknown story) Projected writing period -January- commissioning cover art now Projected release date is unknown.

Notes: I only have one story left to write.

As The World Dies Untold Tales Volume 3 (featuring Rune's story, the Senator's story, and unknown story)Projected writing period - April for a projected release date in June or July

Rise of the Vampire Bride Projected writing period - June for a projected release date in October

The Midnight Spell YA novel with Kody Boye- Temporarily On Hold

Untitled Short Story Collection A collection of of stories ranging from zombies to robots to the Old Ones. Projected release date is unknown.

Notes: All but one story is written. This collection will be in ebook only.

2011--The Year of the Female Zombie Author

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

The end of the year is when lists are compiled and compared by various bloggers, websites, and magazines. I have been doing my own end of the year lists (a little late) as I reflect back on the year 2011.

THE FIRST DAYS made two lists over on Explorations: The BN SciFi and Fantasy Blog. I was extremely excited that the book made the list for The Best Zombie Fiction Releases of 2011, and surprised when it also landed on the The Best Apocalyptic Fiction Releases of 2011.

One thing definitely stood out on both lists...the female author is starting to hit big in apocalyptic fiction.

To quote Paul Goat Allen, the reviewer behind both lists:

Two things strike me as I look back on zombie fiction in 2011: the continued rise of female writers (and female protagonists) in a category that has been traditionally male – writers like Sophie Littlefield, Rhiannon Frater, Mira Grant, Joan Frances Turner, etc. – and the infusion of more than a few stellar debut novelists. Unlike paranormal fantasy, which had very few noteworthy debuts this year, zombie fiction had, well, a horde of stand-up-and-applaud debuts, including Rhiannon Frater’s The First Days,The Becoming by Jessica Meigs, Thomas S. Roche’s The Panama Laugh, and Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel.

I'm personally excited to see one of Permuted Press's female authors make this list. Jessica Meigs is one of the few female authors from the very popular post apocalyptic publisher and her book appearing on the list was an awesome shout out not only to the debut author, but the publisher as well. Her book is definitely on my "to read" list. It sounds like her character of Cade (an female Israeli sharpshooter) and my character of Nerit would get along quite well. The zombies would never stand a chance!

An author that is not on the list, but is definitely making massive waves (and is on a ton of favorite lists across the internet) is Madeleine Roux, author of ALLISON HEWITT IS TRAPPED and the upcoming, SADIE WALKER IS STRANDED. When Book Chick City compiled her favorite novels of 2011, THE FIRST DAYS shared the top spot with ALLISON HEWITT IS TRAPPED. I was not only honored to be at the top of the list, but to share it with another female zombie author was freaking amazing!

2011 was filled with awesome zombie fiction from some of my favorite female authors. Carrie Ryan's THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES and Ann Aguirre's ENCLAVE were awesome reads in the young adult genre.

There were plenty of new names that emerged as well, like Eloise Knapp with her novel THE UNDEAD SITUATION. Sue Edge's DEAD TROPICS was an indie hit before it was picked up by Permuted Press.

Indie Author Amanda Hocking's long awaited HOLLOWMEN (The Hollows #2) was the exciting sequel to 2010's HOLLOWLAND. Boasting a strong female protagonist and plenty of zombie carnage, both books are awesome additions to the genre.

And the list of women writing in the genre continues to grow as 2012 brings the highly-anticipated release of THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers.

Mira Grant, Cherie Priest, Carrie Ryan, and Sophie Littlefield have lead the charge in traditional publishing while other women (like me) first broke ground in self-publishing or small presses.

Female authors and their unique perspectives are making their presences known in the zombie genre and it's about time.

My One Year Anniversary

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

On 1/11/11 I became a full-time writer.

It was a an event that was a long time in coming. My husband and I crunched numbers continually in 2010 trying to plan my exit from my day job. I had a lot of trouble with my health in 2010 and struggling to recover. The deadlines for the AS THE WORLD DIES trilogy were just starting to take hold in my life and I had only managed to write one book in 2010 (THE LIVING DEAD BOY AND THE ZOMBIE HUNTERS). I was very concerned about my productivity as was my husband.

I knew that when the moment was right, I would have to seize it and take control of my life. The day I left my day job, I couldn't stop smiling. I had never felt so terrifyingly, wonderfully free.

And then I opened my email and saw I had two deadlines looming just two weeks away. In the weeks that followed I worked nearly every second I was awake. I realized very quickly that being a full-time writer was not going to be all that easy.

Over the last year I learned the ups and downs of my new job. Waiting for advance payments and royalty checks can sometimes be nerve-wracking. Carefully laid out budgets can get blown to hell by unexpected crisis. Paying for medical care out of pocket can be a bitch. Taxes are a nightmare.

Yet, I roll out of bed each day with a great sense of satisfaction. I'm happy with my life more than I have ever been. In 2011 I traveled more than I had in any previous year. I made some new friends, enjoyed new adventures, and wrote a whole damn lot. I have never felt so accomplished and successful in my life.

2012 is here and I'm still a full-time writer. Last year I wasn't too sure if I would make to the end of the year, but we made it work. I hope to make it through this year as well. I recognize that at some point I may have to go back to a day job, but if I have to it will be a last resort. My self-publishing royalties and my advance checks have been paying the bills and affording us some small luxuries. I'm continually trying to find new ways to gain more readers and build up my savings account. The fact that the economy is so bad, yet I'm living my dream seems unbelievable at times.

I am proud of what I have accomplished so far in my writing career and I hope to accomplish more.

In the meantime, life is good.

I like this full-time writing gig.

My Top Five TV Shows of 2011

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

To keep my imagination fueled and my writing instincts sharp, I watch a variety of TV shows that I feel have great writing, or just awesome premises. I realize that the TV seasons overlap years, but I thought I would share with you a few shows I have really enjoyed in 2011 during their original broadcast.

5. Parks and Recreation

This is just one of those shows that gets better with time. The first season was almost painful to watch, but something about the premise of the show brought me back for the second season. Over the last few years, the cast has changed and grown in a vibrant and dynamic way that has made the show even funnier than before. It is hard for me to remember when certain characters were not on the show. One of the things I really enjoy about this show is the growth of the characters and how they tend to turn the sitcom rules upside down. Whereas other shows have dragged out plot lines for years, Parks and Recreation moves much more swiftly and keeps things fresh.

4. The Secret Circle

L.J. Smith was a huge part of my young adulthood. I read her The Vampire Diaries novels before they were the big hit they are now. I loved Damon, Elena and Stefan before they were on a huge hit on the CW. I also read L.J.Smith's other young adult novels, including The Secret Circle. When I heard it was going to be a TV show, I was surprised, but excited. I knew it would not be the same as the novels, but I was dying for another witch show (since Charmed is long gone). Kody Boye and I were hooked on the pilot and have been addicted ever since. The story moves very quickly and never drags. The characters are flawed, yet sympathetic. And, shockingly, the show can be very, very dark. In fact, within the first five episodes of the show a major character was killed off in a very disturbing way. I'm on board for the rest of the season and have high hopes for this fledgling show with a great premise and promise.

3. The Walking Dead

I was not a huge fan of the first season of The Walking Dead. In fact the racism and sexism in the scripts really freakin' bothered me! The sexism was the worst part of it. I got tired of the women doing laundry, having zero development, and constantly deferring to the men. When Andrea said, "Don't thank me. Thank Earl, it's his equipment" when she came back with a ton of fish to feed the camp, I nearly hurled the remote at the TV. But things have definitely changed! This season when Andrea declared she was done doing the laundry and asserted herself, I was cheering. Though the first half of the season showed the budget cuts that occurred when Frank Darabont was fired, the character development was a lot richer than last season. Though there weren't as many zombies as one would hope for in a zombie series, when they did show up, they were gruesome and terrifying. And there was more than one shock to sun viewers. Season two has made me a believer in this series.

2. Community

I won't lie. I loved Community from the very first episode and my love has only deepened. From the epic paintball episode to the stop-motion animation Christmas special to the joke that the show took three years to tell, Community is all sorts of wrong that makes all sorts of right. The characters are well-defined, the comedy is fast and furious, the scenarios are often ludicrous and therefore great, and Abed and Troy are my OTP (one true pairing). The show is just brilliant and if NBC cancels it, I will probably cry.

1. American Horror Story

Every once and awhile I will tune into a show merely because my fans tell me that I must watch it. Originally I had no plans to watch a show from the creators of Glee (barf!). I couldn't imagine they could pull off a show about horror. I was wrong. So very, very wrong. I watched the pilot in stunned silence and when it was done, I immediately watched the second one. American Horror Story is awesome old-school gothic horror with a modern twist. It was creepy, disturbing, heartbreaking, and sometimes downright gruesome, but all with a gleeful sense of morbid fun. Jessica Lange as Constance was genius casting and I lived for every word that came out of her mouth. Zachery Quinto's ghostly Chad was a delight (even when you felt bad for him). Doomed lovers, Tate and Violet, were heart-wrenching. By the end of the first season run, my hubby and I were both hooked on the show and loved the season finale. Next year an all new cast, location, and monster will be features, and that suits me just fine. The first season was like a perfect gothic horror novel I found by chance and devoured in big bites.

Other Notable Series I Watch on DVD:
Dexter
True Blood
The Vampire Diaries

My Top Five Favorite Reads of 2011

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

In 2011 I attempted to read a lot more Indie Author books than I had previously. I didn't get to read as much as I wished I could due to a whole lot of deadlines being due for my own writing, but I did get to read some truly amazing novels last year. For the first time, Indie works are included on the list. Surprisingly, quite a few YA books made the list. I haven't read a lot of YA, but this last year they have been some of the best books I've read.

5. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan & The Cloud Prophecy (books: Anathema, Oubliette, Severed)by Megg Jensen (Indie Author)

The Dark and Hollow Places is a really great final entry into the trilogy that stared with The Forest of Hands and Teeth. As with the two previous books, Carrie Ryan created a whole new lead character to guide us through the fascinating world she created. I absolutely love her world building and the complexities of existing in a world carved up by fences. Carrie's zombies are her own creation and she fleshed out the rules of the creatures a bit more in this entry. Some of my questions were definitely answered in this book. I have to admit I love the world more than the actual characters, but Carrie's writing and the action sequences are mind-blowingly good. In the end, I think this is my favorite of the three books of the trilogy.

Indie Author, Megg Jensen, did a great job with her Cloud Prophecy Trilogy. The first book is the weakest of the three, but overall the entire series is worth reading. I'm not a huge fan of fantasy novels, but I enjoyed the fantasy world Megg created. The story never went quite in the direction I thought it would, which was really refreshing. At one point I thought we'd end up with a dreaded love triangle, but that never happened. I truly enjoyed the journey of the lead character of Reychel.

4. Aftermath by Ann Aguirre

I'm a huge fan of the Sirantha Jax series by Ann Aguirre and I was on pins and needles for nearly a year waiting for this book to download to my Kindle on the release date. I absolutely love this entry into the series because we got to spend a lot of time with my favorite character, the alien Vel. Honestly, this could have been the last book of the series and it would have been perfect. But there is one more to go and I'm anxiously awaiting its publication. If you haven't read the Sirantha Jax series, I highly recommend it.

Read my full review at Goodreads.

3.Matched by Condie Ally

Matched is a book I picked up for a friend and ended up devouring in a few short days. This is a very subtle book and that works perfectly with the Utopian world the heroine lives within. Her awakening to the true horror of the Society was incredibly well-written. I enjoyed the use of poetry to open her eyes. The dreaded love triangle actually works in this story. It is used effectively to open the eyes of our heroine to the reality of her world.

Read my full review at Goodreads.

2. Jenni Pox by J.L. Bryan (Indie Author)

Jenny Pox is one of those books that just comes along and knocks you on your ass. Honestly, this one was nearly my number one novel of the year. I flipped-flopped a few times before settling on the number one spot. J.L. Bryan has created such a great character in Jenny. I was completely immersed in her trails and tribulations and wanted to hug her more than once. Her arch-nemesis of Ashleigh is a truly awesome villain that I loved to hate. Jenny Pox hearkens back to old school Stephen King in some regards. A few people might compare it to Carrie, but I like this novel so much more. The entire series is just so good. I will be reading all three books (Jenny Pox, Tommy Nightmare and Alexander Death) again in the future.

Read my full review at Goodreads.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games was compared to Twilight when it first hit really big, which is probably the main reason it took me so long to pick up the series. Word of mouth on the series was really positive though and I finally picked up all three books. I decided to give the first book a try and put my hesitation aside and I am so glad I did. The writing is not as beautiful as Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth series, nor are the characters quite as compelling as in J.L. Bryan's Jenny Pox series, but the story in its entirety is too powerful to be ignored. Katniss's journey from a young girl just trying to feed her family to the icon of a revolution is gut-wrenching and difficult to read at times. The world-building is extremely well-done as are the characters you encounter throughout the series. Suzanne Collins carefully lays out the foundation of her story in the first book and builds upon it throughout the series. By the time I finished the last book, I was an emotional wreck. I cried multiple times while reading the series, something I rarely do. The last book is superb and though I know a lot of people wanted a more "Hollywood" ending, the epilogue of Katniss's life is the logical culmination of all that had come before. Out of all the books I read last year, this series was the one that I feel will have lasting impact on the literary world. I would not be surprised if it ends up required reading at schools in the future.

Read my full review at Goodreads.

New Vampire Short Story Collection Announced

2012-01-08T23:39:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty hardheaded at times. I admit it. I sometimes have to hear a bit of advice multiple times before it actually sinks through my thick skull. But I finally listened to the fans and the friends who have been urging me to release my short fiction work in a collection.

Originally, I was going to stuff all my short stories into one tome, but I like things to be a bit orderly. There were a slew of old gothic/romance/horror vampire shorts on my hard drive and they just seemed to land in the short story collection like a redheaded stepchild. Pretty...but just not quite fitting in with all the brunettes. So I yanked out all the vampire shorts and put them into another document. That is when I began to see certain themes in all the stories: love, blood, and revenge.

Last night I excitedly laid out the vampire short stories and worked on a publishing plan for the collection. (Another collection of my other horror works will come out later this year.)

Basically, the stories are written and just need a final edit. I have already contacted one of my regular editors to see if she has a slot available for me. Right now the collection is with the test readers. These are older stories, so I'm anxious to get their feedback. I have contacted several cover artists about working on the cover and I believe Detra may be returning for this cover (squeal of delight). His work was previously seen on the original self-published As The World Dies novels.

It will start off being a Kindle exclusive when released and later be available in other ebook formats. Since it is a slim tome, it will be available in paperback format at conventions I attend and probably on my own website. It would just be too expensive if I tried to sell the paperback version via the regular online retailers.

The name of the collection at this time is BLOOD & LOVE and Other Vampire Tales.

I will keep you posted as I move closer to publication.

My Top Three Everything in 2011...Starting With Movies

2012-01-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm late to reminisce on 2011 due to all the stuff that went down in December, but I thought I would share a few of my favorite things from the previous year. Over the next few days I will be posting my favorite things from 2011.

My Top Three Movies
I usually do a top five, but this year felt like a barren wasteland when it came to movies. I'm sure there were some other awesome movies out there in 2011, but I just didn't see them. Feel free to make referrals though!

Here are my top three films I saw in the theater in 2011.

3. Thor

I went into this movie expecting absolutely nothing. I figured at most there would be pretty special effects. Instead, Kenneth Branagh really did a great job with the script, the casting and the awesome special effects. I've seen the movie twice now and enjoyed it even more the second time. The acting performances in this movie are excellent. Chris Hemsworth was such a wise choice as Thor. I enjoyed the character's evolution throughout the film. But then again, this is the same actor who made me cry during the opening sequence of 2009's Star Trek. But the real star of the movie for me was not Anthony Hopkins or Chris, but Tom Hiddleston as Loki. He was mind-blowingly good. Kenneth Branagh is a Shakespearn actor/director and at times the movie had the feel of one of those old Shakespeare tragedies especially when Anthony Hopkins and Tom Hiddleston were on the screen.

2. The X-Men First Class

Yeah, I'm shocked another superhero movie is on my list, too. After the horrible third X-Men film, I really didn't expect much from this film at all. In fact I didn't go see it until it was at the discount theater. Just as with Thor, I was completely surprised. I'm a huge fan of James McAvoy, but it was Michael Fassbender as Magneto that really just blew me away. I loved the retro time period, the development (and the disintegration) of Xavier's and Erik's friendship, the exciting plot line and awesome powers of the mutants. This was everything an X-Men movie should be and more. I ended up seeing the movie twice in the theater. I rarely do that.

1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Last year my favorite movie was Black Swan. This year it is another film about a complicated young woman struggling to overcome her past. Rooney Mara is mind-blowing as Lisbeth. I was completely and totally emotionally invested in her as a character. I also enjoyed the mystery that is the backbone of the movie and its eventual resolution. Director David Fincher always delivers great, thought-provoking movies (Fight Club comes to mind) and he did not disappoint. Daniel Craig is always good in every movie he is in, but Rooney Mara disappears into Lisbeth. I rarely walk out of a theater thinking, "I wish I had created that character!" After watching The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I found myself thinking exactly that. I plan to go see this in the theater one more time, then I'll buy it on Blu-ray.

Things I Loved in 2011

2012-01-07T23:48:00.001-06:00

Since I was swamped in December, I really didn't get a chance to consider all the good things that happened in 2011. I'd like to take the time now to share some with you.

1. Becoming a full-time writer on January 11, 2011.

2. My cross-country trip with my husband and friend, Kody Boye, from Salt Lake City to Austin with stops in Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and the Petrified Forest.

3. The publication of The First Days on July 5, 2011.

4. Seeing my book on the shelves of a Barnes & Noble for the first time.

5. My first and very successful book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Round Rock, TX.

6. My honeymoon in Las Vegas (three years delayed) at The Palazzo/Venetian resort.

7. Seeing The Phantom of the Opera in Las Vegas.

8. My trip to Los Angeles to sit on a panel at the Aliens to Zombie Convention.

9. Hanging out with author Joe McKinney (author of Dead City) and Martin Olsen (of Phineas and Ferb) in Los Angeles.

10. Going to see the Sacred Fools Theater Company with Steve Cook and seeing his awesome wife, Shaela, perform for the first time.

11. The Shreveport Zombie Walk in Louisiana with the wonderful Michelle McCrary.

12. Finishing SIEGE!!!!

13. The publication of Fighting to Survive on November 8, 2011.

14. Finishing The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride!

15. The starred review of The First Days in Publishers Weekly.

16. The First Days being named both one of the best zombie books of 2011 and one of the best post apocalyptic books in 2011 by Explorations of Barnes and Noble.

17. Hanging out with my fellow zombie writers and favorite peeps at Texas Frightmare.

18. Dyeing my hair purple!

19. My fourth wedding anniversary.

20. Holding the Italian version of The First Days in my hands.

21. My sixteen-year-old nephew telling me that I'm "pretty cool" after my book signing in Houston.

22. My agent telling me that my editor at Tor loves me and that I'm a joy to work with. Yay! I love her back and she has definitely helped me become a better writer!

23. Standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon holding my husband's hand watching the sunset and realizing that some things are too beautiful to capture in words.

24. Hanging out in San Antonio with friends at the goth club and realizing I may be growing older, but my heart is still a nice gothic black.

25. My mom crying over the phone after she saw my book in a bookstore and telling me how proud she was of me.

26. MARGARITAS!!! Wherever I drank them...

27. Watching American Horror Story while curled up with my hubby.

28. Kody Boye and I speeding back to my house on Thursdays to watch Secret Circle.

29. Playing Born This Way too damn loud in the car while cruising around Austin with Kody.

30. Shopping with one of my bestest friends for Betsey Johnson jewelry.

I just realized this list could go on for some time.

Therefore, I declare 2011 a very good year.

I'm Alive!! (AKA...the holidays are over!)

2012-01-07T01:43:00.001-06:00

Whew!

It's January 2012 and I'm still wrapping my head around that reality. The holidays flew by. I'm still catching my breath. Honestly, December is a blur. It feels like I blinked my eyes and it was over.

The hubby and I got killer colds right at Thanksgiving time and were sick for over two weeks. We recovered enough for my final book signing in Houston on December 10th at Murder by the Book. It was a great event. I had the pleasure of meeting quite a few of my die-hard fans in the area and fellow author, Nicole Haddaway. My sixteen-year-old nephew and his girlfriend also attended. He declared the whole event "pretty cool" and even told me he is proud of me. That made me pretty happy.

My birthday was on the 16th of December and it went pretty well until we had a major crisis go down with a very good friend of ours. This person is basically family and it was a rough to see our friend struggling. Happily, our group of friends rallied to the cause and our friend is doing much better now.

Just as we caught our breath, my hubby's uncle died. In the midst of preparing for family to arrive for Christmas, we suddenly had a funeral to attend. This death was not unexpected, but it was still difficult to see my father in law in mourning. We spent the day of the funeral with my hubby's father, stepmom, his brother and his brother's girlfriend. At the cemetery, as the casket was lowered into the grave I noticed two tombstones nearby draped in Christmas decorations complete with a little tree.

Christmas hit like a bomb. My house was packed to the gills and it was wild. I cooked Christmas dinner, but my brother, sis-in-law and mom took turns making other meals. We hit our favorite restaurants as well, played a ton of video games, watched a few zombie movies, and basically had a great time.

My hubby and I made two trips to Forth Worth (to pick up and leave off my mom), two trips to Houston (to pick up and leave off my nephew) and one last trip to meet my brother and his family at a halfway point between Austin and their home to leave off my niece who had stayed another week after her family had departed for home.

Today is our first day without family.

I'm exhausted.

So I'm taking a little time for myself to relax over the weekend and gear up to jumping back into my writing. My writing schedule was all thrown off by all that went down in December, but I have faith I'll be back on track soon enough.

So though I'm late to say this..I hope you all had a lovely holiday, a Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.

2012 is here.

It's going to rock!

New Low Price For THE LIVNG DEAD BOY AND THE ZOMBIE HUNTERS

2011-12-08T05:24:00.001-06:00

The awesome front and back cover of the paperback novel.

As more people become aware of my writing after discovering THE FIRST DAYS, they often ask me if I have written any other zombie novels other than the AS THE WORLD DIES books. The answer is a definitive yes.

But when they hear that the book is about a group of kids from ages 6 to 14 fighting zombies and that I wrote it for zombie-lovin' kids, a lot of adults pass on the book.

Yet, I hear from adult zombie fans all the time who stumble on this book, read it, and love it. A few have called it The Goonies meets the Zombies.

"It will be very difficult for the reader to keep from finishing the story in a single sitting. "Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters" will be virtually impossible to put down." --Living Dead Media

Out of all my novels, this is the one that no one seems to even know about. Surprisingly, when I'm at events, this is the book most likely to sell. Maybe its because I can personally pitch it.

This book has a great story. It's full of action and emotion. It also has a fair amount of gore and violence, so some people might not feel it's appropriate for their children. Personally, if I had kids, I'd let them read this. I'd even recommend it to adults, because this is a really good book. --Yoyogod's Reviews of Books and Stuff I Like

Therefore, in an attempt to get any readers who are on the fence about reading this novel, I have reduced the ebook price down to .99 cents.

The price change is already in effect on Smashwords.com in most ebook formats and should soon follow on Kindle later today.

Also, I am posting a chapter below for your reading enjoyment.

“Your dad is so much cooler than our dad,” Roger decided as the boys trudged up the sidewalk from the cafeteria to the main school building. “First he was a soldier and now he is going to be a policeman.”

Sucking nosily on his grape Popsicle, Troy nodded his head in agreement. “Totally, so much cooler. Our dad is the lame ol’ school counselor.”

“I like Austin,” Arturo decided, rummaging around in the bottom of the small chocolate chip cookie bag his mom had put in his lunch. “It’s neat. I like to go to the UT football games with my dad there even if I have to put up with my stepbrother.”

Josh shrugged his shoulder under the straps of his backpack and tucked his hands into his jean pockets. “My dad is cool, but he makes me scared that I’m gonna let him down.”

“Just don’t beat Drake’s butt into the ground and he won’t kick yours when he gets back,” Arturo decided with a wide grin.

“Don’t worry. As annoying as Drake can be sometimes, I promised my dad I would help my mom and I will. It’s just laying low on the zombie stuff that is going to be super-hard.”

“Yeah, especially with those crazy, scary people on TV,” Arturo agreed. “My mom won’t even let me watch the news right now.”

“It’s terrorists,” Troy asserted. “Not zombies.”

“I wish it was zombies,” Roger decided, pulling his Dallas Cowboy cap over his black hair. “Then I wouldn’t have to do that stupid math test.”

“I hate math,” Josh agreed. “Almost as much as running zombies.”

Roger and Troy had skipped two grades and were in the 6th grade with Josh and Arturo. They had been home-schooled for several years before their dad had found a job as the school counselor. The other sixth graders avoided the boys, but Josh and Arturo liked them. The boys were also neighbors, so it made it easier to all hang out.

“Running zombies suck,” Troy agreed. “Let’s watch the rest of that zombie movie.”

The boys gathered around a bench, Troy still eating his Popsicle. Arturo tossed his dessert bag away as Roger sprawled onto the bench looking bored. Josh sat down and pulled out his iPod. He loaded up the zombie movie they had been watching the day before and the boys gathered around to watch.

The sun was blazing overhead, but the breeze was cool. The school was an old, beige brick building surrounded by a dozen portable buildings. The cafeteria was connected to the school by a covered walkway, but most of the kids hung out around the benches scattered between the two structures. The grass was slowly turning from brown to green as spring took hold, but there were bare patches around the benches and trees where the kids loitered, waiting for class to being again.

Kindergarten to eighth grade were stuffed into the school. The high school kids were in another building across the street. It was newer and nicer. The two schools sat on the edge of town near the highway, old farmhouses and a few fields separating them from the main neighborhood and downtown area.

“What a bunch of losers,” a voice taunted them.

Josh looked up from the zombie mayhem to see Sam Pickett standing over them. He was the sheriff’s son and the resident school outcast. He was big, ruddy-faced, and strawberry blond. Because of the extra weight and his big double chin, his face looked like it was tucked into a flesh-colored box.

“Loooserrrrrrrs,” Sam drawled out.

Sighing, Josh turned off the movie. “What do you want, lame-o?”

“Looooooooooooooossssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerssssssssssss,” Sam said again, dragging the word out as long and loud as he could.

The four friends just stared at him, waiting for him to make a move. After a year of Sam following them around and bugging them, they knew his usual routine by heart. He would try to bully them, then beg them to be his friend. It was pretty pathetic.

“What are you watchin’? Huh? Watching stupid zombie movies? Huh? Zombies are dumb. They’re lame. Jason is cooler.”

“Jason is a zombie,” Roger said, annoyed.

“And he’s a dumb zombie,” Troy continued. “Because he doesn’t eat what he kills.”

“Therefore, he is lame,” Arturo added.

Sam stared at them, processing this information. “Let me in your club.”

“No,” Josh said firmly.

“C’mon. I’m cool.”

“No, you’re not.” Arturo shook his head. “You are, in fact, the very definition of uncool.”

Sam frowned, deep lines forming on his huge forehead. “My dad is the sheriff.”

“That makes you double uncool,” Josh answered.

“Let me in. I like zombies.”

“You just said they’re not cool,” Troy reminded him.

“Uh, I was just teasing you,” Sam answered, tugging nervously on his bottom lip with his teeth.

“What is your favorite zombie movie?” Josh asked, lifting his eyebrows and folding his arms.

“Uh, the one with the zombie that eats that guy,” Sam faltered.

“That is like every zombie movie known to man,” Arturo said with disgust.

“Uh, the one with the army guys,” Sam persisted.

“Which one?” Josh raised his brows higher.

“Uh...”

Arturo pointed at Roger. “Favorite zombie movie with soldiers!”

“Day of the Dead. The original!”

Arturo gave Sam a long, dark look. “It’s not that hard, turd head.”

“My dad doesn’t let me watch zombie movies! Okay!” Sam’s face was growing redder. It looked almost like a blotchy tomato.

“Lame,” Roger decided, scrunching up his face. “Real lame.”

Sliding to his feet, Josh gazed at Sam steadily. “Look, tard-o, learn something about zombies and maybe, just maybe, we might let you hang with us.”

“We can use him as zombie bait,” Troy decided. “He’s so fat, they’d get him first.”

Sam’s eyes were watery, either from unshed tears or the harsh wind blowing across the lawn. “They would not!”

“Uh huh!” Arturo decided.

“My dad has a gun! He’s the sheriff!”

Josh’s gaze was stolen away by a motorcycle drawing up the curving driveway to the school. It was Brad Cooper and Corina was holding onto his waist for dear life as he guided the big, grumbling bike up to the sidewalk. Dressed in blue leggings, cowboy boots, a short skirt and denim jacket, Corina was breathtakingly beautiful as always. Her long hair was tucked into two long ponytails that hung over her shoulders and she shoved her glasses up her pert nose as the motorcycle came to a stop. Brad, tall, blond, and good-looking, grinned at her as she slid off his bike.

“Dude, there is no way you can steal her away from that guy,” Roger declared.

“He’s got a motorcycle, muscles and is on the high school baseball team. You’re so screwed,” Arturo agreed.

“Shut up,” Josh said automatically. He tried not to watch as Brad kissed Corina’s cheek and clung to her hand.

Sam’s eyes slowly widened. “You like Corina? Wow. She is like so pretty and smart and older and—”

“Shut up, Sam,” Josh said sharply.

Corina pulled her hand away and started walking toward the school.

Glancing down at his watch, Josh saw that the lunch period was almost over. His nerves were getting the best of him again. Not only was his dad away in Austin, the terrorists making people crazy, his math test about to happen in ten minutes, but Corina was dating an older, better looking man.

“She’s hot,” Roger decided.

“Though Josh’s mom is way hotter,” Troy added.

“Shut it, Troy,” Josh ordered.

Corina drew nearer as Brad sped off on his motorcycle, Josh felt the knot in his stomach clench tighter. Nothing about this day felt right. He ran his hand through his sandy hair as he looked away from Corina as she approached. Trying to look as nonchalant as possible, he turned toward Sam.

“Just don’t say anything embarrassing to her, okay?”

Sam screwed up his mouth thoughtfully. “Let me into your club.”

“You’re gonna blackmail me?”

“Uh huh.”

“Dude, that is way lame,” Arturo decided.

“I want into the club,” Sam repeated.

Corina was drawing closer and Josh did not feel like having Sam blathering not only to her, but the whole school about his crush. This was the last thing he needed on top of all the other crap.

“Okay, fine. Don’t tell Corina and we’ll let you take a zombie test to get in. But you have to watch Night of the Living Dead,” Josh said in an urgent tone. “We’ll ask you questions about it and you have to answer all of them, okay?”

Sam was so excited by the prospect; he was breathing hard and could only nod his head.

“Do we have to do that?” Troy protested.

“Yeah, do we have to do that? C’mon everyone knows you have a crush on her.” Roger looked sullen as he glared at Sam.

“Plus he’s a retard,” Arturo added. “A total retard.”

“You’re not supposed to say retard,” Troy corrected. “It’s a slur. Like the “n” word.”

“C’mon, guys. I’m the leader, so a test.” Josh turned back to Sam. “Okay?”

Sam continued to nod his head as Corina strolled past them. The boys all watched her go by, her long hair rippling in the breeze.

“Hi, Corina,” Josh managed to say.

“Hi,” she answered just before she was mobbed by her two best friends.

“Did you go to Subway with him?”

“Did he kiss you?”

“He’s so totally hot!”

“Oh, my gawd, Corina!”

The girls hurried off, giggling and talking rapidly to each other leaving Josh staring after Corina once again. The warning bell rang. The 6th, 7th, and 8th graders began to trudge inside, regretfully leaving the oasis of their lunch period behind to face the horrors of math, English, and history for the rest of the day. The younger children had already had lunch earlier and Josh saw the kitchen crews mopping the floors inside the cafeteria. As he joined the throng outside the double doors to go inside, he glanced over at the field behind the school that gradually dipped down to the highway below. The wind was loud as it rushed over the field and wove around the school. He could barely hear the sound of the cars rushing toward unknown destinations on the highway nearby.

“I hate math,” Arturo muttered beside him. “I hate it.”

“Do you hear sirens?” Josh strained, trying to hear what the wind was trying to snatch away.

“Nope. And, I still hate math.”

The kids jostled each other as they pushed inside the building. Josh got squished between Sam and Arturo. He let the stream of kids carry him toward the doors, shuffling his feet to the slow pace. Glancing over his shoulder, he hoped to see Corina, but instead caught sight of a lone figure stumbling to the top of the hill in the distance.

Zombie!

The crowd of kids poured into the hallway and Josh was swept along with them. He tried to turn back, but some bigger kids shoved him along. Finally, he managed to get past the largest cluster of kids that reeked of sweat and food, and rushed out the doors just before they closed. He looked to the spot where the person had come over the top of the hill, but there was no sign of the figure now. Now the only movement in the area was the gentle swaying of the trees in the wind.

“Get inside! Lunch is over! The bell is about to ring!” The big booming voice was that of the assistant principal. He was a former football player and huge. Other than Troy, he was the only black person in town. His wife and step-children were Mexican-American and sometimes people thought Troy was his.

“Mr. Johnson, I saw someone over there. They were stumbling and stuff like a zombie.” Josh explained.

“There was an accident on the highway. Maybe it was someone trying to find help. I’ll go check it out,” Mr. Johnson answered.

“Sir, seriously. I think it may have really been a zombie,” Josh persisted.

“Josh, I know you like zombies, but they aren’t real. Now go get to class. You’re going to be tardy.” Mr. Johnson pushed the door open for him.

Reluctantly, Josh started inside, but then stopped. “Be careful if you go over there. Please, Mr. Johnson.”

“I will. Now go!”

Josh watched the heavy orange door slam shut and scuffed his sneaker against the floor with irritation. No one ever listened to him.

The hallway was nearly empty. Only a few kids were left rushing to their classes, hall monitors shouting at them to slow down. Josh trudged to class, his sneakers squeaking against the floor as he dragged his feet.

Corina stepped out of the girls’ restroom and glanced toward him. He gave her an awkward smile as he passed her.

She gave him a small smile back.

His heart bursting with joy, he ducked into his class. Her smile almost forced the thought of that lonely figure standing on the edge of the school grounds from his mind.

“Put away all your books and notes. We’re starting the test,” his teacher, Mrs. Adkins ordered.

With groans, the class began to tuck away their belongings. Josh shoved his backpack under his chair and as he raised his head, he saw Troy staring out the window. Turning around, he saw Mr. Johnson walking toward the edge of the school yard.

“What is he doing?” Troy wondered aloud.

The same staggering figure Josh had seen before stumbled out of a copse of trees and held out a hand toward Mr. Johnson.

The blinds were drawn abruptly shut.

“Pay attention to your test, Mr. Rondell,” Mrs. Adkins said in a firm voice as she let go of the drawstring. She was short, pudgy, and had very short dark hair shot through with gray. She slapped the test down onto his desk and walked on. She continued to close all the blinds as she handed out the tests. “No more distractions, people. Concentrate on your test.”

The room grew dimmer as the florescent lights buzzed and shimmered over their heads.

Fear gnawing at his stomach, Josh looked down at his test. He couldn’t make sense of the figures on the page and he felt a terrible anticipation growing inside of him. It took him a few seconds to realize what he was waiting for.

He was waiting for screams.

Buy at Smashwords!!!

A Personal Update

2011-12-06T23:53:00.001-06:00

October was a crazy, busy month for me. November ended up almost as crazy, but in other ways. I had to deal with a lot of personal stuff on top of working on my writing. Plus, I got horribly sick right before Thanksgiving and I'm still recovering.

Despite being under the weather, I still had deadlines for my writing and those were prioritized. I haven't been really out of the house and I have yet to make it to the post office. If you are waiting for something from me, I will mail it to you by the end of this week. I'm still waiting on several shipments of books, so a few people may have to wait just a little longer.

Sorry for the delays!

PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS Cover Revealed!!!

2011-12-03T00:34:00.001-06:00

Cover artwork by Phatpuppy (aka Claudia McKinney)

Isn't the cover gorgeous!?! I think it is the perfect companion piece to PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES.

The estimated release date is Spring 2012 on this novel. You can add it to your "To Read" list on Goodreads. com.

For more information on the artists behind this fabulous cover, check out The Bookish Brunette's interview with Claudia McKinney by clicking here.

So what do you think of the cover artwork?

PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS Cover Revealed at The Bookish Brunette Blog

2011-12-01T01:35:00.001-06:00

The Bookish Brunette, aka Ashley, has revealed the brand new cover of the sequel to PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES at her blog today. She also interviews Claudia McKinney (aka phatpuppy) the cover artist behind the beautiful new cover.

Check out the interview and the cover art for PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS here.

Check out Claudia's other works here.Enjoy!

Fangtastic Fridays - Week Four

2011-11-25T08:40:00.000-06:00

This is it! The end of the PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES read-along. I hope everyone had fun. Today's final discussion questions are from The Unread Reader.

Next week The Bookish Brunette will unveil the cover for PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS and interview the cover artist, Claudia McKinney of Phat Puppy Art.

Chapters 19-Epilogue Wrap Up

1. Amaliya states to Cian that he has changed since she first meet him only a few days prior. Do you agree with her? Why or why not? Has your impression of Cian changed? If so, how? (Chapter 19)

It's always interesting to me as a writer to watch the evolution of my characters as the story progresses. I also get the luxury of not only seeing the transformation as the writer, but also through the eyes of my characters. I agree with Amaliya to a certain extent. Outwardly, Cian changes a lot. But inwardly, I think the change was not quite as dramatic. I think he finally stopped wearing a mask and lying to himself. I think of the scene in Elysium where he first meets Amaliya and how he had a very dangerous edge to him. It was always there. He was just in denial.

2. When Grandmama doesn't hear from Amaliya for a couple of days, she decides to grab Sergio and head over to Austin because she's worried. Later, she and Serigo meet up with Jeff and Sam for the first time and they squabble about who is at fault for the mess Cian and Amaliya are in. Which side are you on? Do you think either side are right in their assumptions? (Chapter 20)

I love both Innocente and Samantha so much. They're both feisty, loyal, and strong women. Their scene amused me because they are both trying to do the exact same thing: save the person they love. Sam gets so much crap slung at her by readers, but I have to believe its because we've been conditioned to take sides. If I had changed the story's perspective to Sam, she would be the heroine of the piece and Amaliya the dangerous interloper. When people find Samantha's perkiness annoying, it saddens me just a bit because I think its part of her charm.

Samantha and Innocente mirror each other quite a bit in the book and that is why I love both of them. Despite the terrible danger they face, they don't back down. Their love runs deep and strong.

3. After the Summoner forces Amaliya into a gruesome fight for her life against two hideous creatures, he tells her that he doesn't know if he should kill her because she could be a potential threat, or if he should keep her so he could use her abilities. At this point, what do you think of this development? (Chapter 21)

When the big battle flooded my mind, I was like..."YES!" It was awesome to see Amaliya in action and have The Summoner be unnerved by his creation.

4. Doooood! Grandmama is a machete wielding zombie killer! If you were a Supernatural Hunter, what kind would you be and why? (Chapter 22)

I have no clue. LOL.

5. What did you think of the final showdown between The Summoner and Amaliya? Were you surprised to find out how her ability worked? (Chapter 23)

I loved the showdown. I was like, "YES!" And yes, I do that a lot. I was so excited. And I loved how her power worked because..c'mon...its kinda epic.

6. Where you satisfied with the way things ended in Pretty When She Dies? What was your favorite part of the story? What do you think is coming up next for Amaliya and Cian? Do you have any hopes or expectations that you want to see in the sequel, Pretty When She Kills?

Was I satisfied with the ending? No. Not really. This was a book where it was very hard to find an ending spot. I was tempted to end it right after the battle with The Summoner. It just felt like there was more story to tell though. And there still is more. I struggled with the ending. I'm okay with it. But...*shrugs* I guess it's a good opening to PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS.

As for what is coming up next for Amaliya and Cian...*evil grin* In the very first chapter of PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS everything that seemed so nicely wrapped up unravels faster than you can blink your eyes. Yes, Ashley (our Bookish Brunette), I know. I'm evil.

7. Who's would you cast to play the main characters in Pretty When She Dies? Show us with pictures!

Julian Sands & Rhiannon Frater

Julian signed his photo "The Summoner

Well, Julian Sands as The Summonor. I met him a few years ago, gave him the book, and the producer who optioned the book sent his agent the script. Julian read it and loved it and should the movie get the greenlight, he said he'd love to play the part.

I vote Jared Leto as Cian. They look very similar in my mind.

Lee Pace would be so good as Jeff. They both have the cute nerd thing going on.

Sarah Chalke would be adorable as Samantha.

My nephew votes for Megan Fox (he is 16). She does resemble Amaliya to some extent and she has the same kind of vibe as our unlucky (or is that lucky) heroine.

And that is all I got. What do you think? Who would you choose?

Farewell, Anne McCaffrey

2011-11-22T16:59:00.001-06:00

Wired and Tor are reporting that science fiction legend Anne McCaffrey has passed away.

In my teen years, I was a voracious reader of her Dragonriders of Pern series. Though I would later move on to reading in different genres, her books enthralled me for several years.

When I wrote a blog about the top female writers who influenced me and my writing, Anne MaCaffery was on my list. Her vivid imagination, strong female characters, and epic storytelling were what I loved most about her writing.

I believe it was the lack of new books in my local library that eventually drew me away from the Pern series. Our local bookstore never seemed to carry anything I wanted to read and it was hard to find science fiction books. I have often considered rereading the series now that I'm an adult.

Maybe now is the time...

RIP, Anne, and thank you for the dragons...

Words of Wisdom from Congressman Lloyd Dogget on SOPA

2011-11-22T16:15:00.001-06:00

I am not part of any political party. I vote my conscious and have voted Democrat, Republican, Independent, and Libertarian in the past. I am very passionate about certain issues, but I am not a one issue voter.

Recently, a new bill was proposed called StopOnline Piracy Act (SOPA). It has caused quite a ruckus online and it's a reason for great concern. Though the bill is supposed to protect copyright, it goes much further than it should.

Frankly, I'm for copyright protection. If someone creates something and holds that copyright, they should be able to choose whether or not to protect it via legal means.

I expressed my concerns with my representative in congress. He emailed me back and said:

I strongly oppose this bill and have already urged the HouseJudiciary Committee to reject the House version of this bill'soverly broad language that would force Internet Service Providers to implement various filtering technologieson their networks.

Frankly, his letter to the Judiciary Committee (that he included in his email to me) expresses my concerns better than I could even word them, so I have cut and pasted it below.

Dear Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Conyers,

We write to express our concerns with H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). While combating online copyright infringement is a goal we all strongly support, if enacted as currently written, this legislation would cause substantial harm to the innovation and economic opportunities created by the Internet.

The Internet continues to be a revolutionary tool, advancing technological innovation, disseminating artistic expression, and supporting millions of jobs across the country. In fact, a recent McKinsey report concluded that 15 percent of U.S. GDP growth from 2004 through 2009 came from the Internet industry.

You've previously stated that this legislation is intended to target "rogue" foreign websites engaging in copyright infringement. While this is a laudable goal and one we support, the SOPA's overly broad language, in its current form, would target legitimate domestic websites, creating significant uncertainty for those in the technology and venture capital industries.

As you know, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, signed into law in 1998, already includes a notice-and-takedown process for both foreign and domestic infringing content. Additionally, a carefully crafted safe harbor protection has enabled countless Silicon Valley successes like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google. The SOPA overturns this basic protection through broad, vague new standards of liability. The result will be an explosion of innovation-killing lawsuits and litigation.

The impact on new businesses and startups, particularly small businesses, will be far more detrimental. For example, venture capitalists will be hesitant to invest in new Internet-based businesses if they fear their money will be tied up in litigation. As prominent Silicon Valley investor Derek Parham explains,

What used to be two guys in a garage coming up with an idea and starting a company is now going to be two guys in a garage with four lawyers behind them — and that's not how the Valley really got started. People shouldn't be fearful of getting sued out of oblivion when they go create a new idea.

At a time of continued economic uncertainty, this legislation will result in fewer new businesses, fewer new investments, and fewer new jobs. "Rogue websites" are no doubt a serious problem and we fully support targeted measures to shut them down. Like you, we understand the importance of combating piracy to protect the intellectual property of the American entertainment industry from copyright infringement in other parts of the world. We believe this is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The SOPA as written, however, is overly broad and would cause serious and long term damage to the technology industry, one of the few bright spots in our economy.

We hope you will work with the technology community to find narrow and targeted remedies against online infringers. We also stand ready to work with you and your colleagues to find a solution that protects innovation, while combating against truly "rogue" websites. Thank you in advance for your consideration of our views.

Thank you, Congressman Doggett for being a wise crusader in this cause. I will remember your swift response to my concerns the next time I enter the voting booth.

Fangtastic Fridays-Week Three!!

2011-11-18T00:30:00.000-06:00

This is our third week reading PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES and it has been a blast! The read-along has been one of the most fun events I've had the pleasure of participating in. And yes, I did reread PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES. Since I'm close to starting work on the sequel, I needed to reread the first book again. Joining in on the read-along made it a lot of fun. Plus it has been fun reading the insights of the other people reading as well.

Unabridged Andra sped to the end of the book and posted her review this week.

Can you say awesomesauce?? You better, because this book kicks major vampire ass!

I love that quote from her review!

Now onto my answers of the discussion questions.

Discussion Questions for Chapters 13 - 18

(Chapter 13) Samantha and Amaliya meet in less than "ideal" circumstances for either one of them. What would your reaction have been if you were Sam? Amal? Cian?

This is such a sad moment for Samantha. I felt bad for her. This is the moment when all her dreams start falling apart. She's so spunky and full of life that it was hard to see her lose some of that energy when faced with the beginning of the end of her blissful life with Cian. She still handles the situation much better than I would have!

As for Amaliya, if I had been in her shoes, I would have felt awkward! And very apologetic!

Cian doesn't handle the situation very well, and I probably wouldn't have either. I think he's so conflicted that he can't think straight.

(Chapter 14) Cian takes Amaliya on a training feed run---What did you think? Did it go the way thought it would?

One of my favorite scenes in the entire story! I just love how she needles Cian relentlessly. And no, it didn't go the way I thought it would. I was shocked with what happened on their way home. It was definitely one of those organic moments that comes out of nowhere and that I love so much as a writer.

(Chapter 15) When Amaliya is recounting her dream of her awakening did you feel differently about it than you did at the beginning? Has it changed your opinion of the professor's/summoner's actions?

The Summoner's killing of Amaliya continues to be one of the most chilling things I've ever written. I think I became more afraid of him while writing this scene and even more worried than before. As I said, at this point in the book, I had no idea how it would end.

(Chapter 16) Samantha meets Jeff in this chapter. What did you think of Jeff and his job as it relates to Cian?

I really adore Jeff and I loved it when he entered the story. I like how both Cian and Jeff live in the shadow of their "fathers" and have to deal with a much more complicated world because of the men who "created" them.

(Chapter 17) Roberto "removes" Amaliya from Cian's place. What was your reaction to his choice of places and his decision to do this in the first place?

This part made me laugh out loud because, again, I didn't see it coming. Roberto can be such an ass, yet his reasons make perfect sense for his character.

(Chapter 18) OMG! Don't want to give anything away before you read this chapter! So I will simply say---what the heck was your reaction to what happened in San Antonio? (I really did think this was a turning point chapter)

This was the chapter where I was like "THAT'S MY GIRL!" I loved it so much. This is when I started to have hope that she would survive the book.

Please join the read-a-long and enter the discussion!

Paperback Kindle

Other blogs following the read-a-long are:

1.	Christy @ Love of Books	4.	Crystal @ Elegantly Bound Books	7.	Francine@BooksAndBeyond
2.	Amy @ bookgoonie	5.	Kristi-The Book Faery	8.	Amber @ Just a Little {Para}normal
3.	Andra @ Unabridged Andra	6.	Lindsey @ Feasibly Happy	9.	Hannah @ Once Upon A Time

Discussion Schedule for Fang-tastic Fridays:
a Pretty When She Dies read-a-long
11/4: Kick off and Chapters 1-6 hosted by The Bookish Brunette (check out the post here)
11/11: Chapters 7-12 hosted by On a Book Bender (the questions for week two are here)
11/18: Chapters 13-18 hosted by Geeky Blogger's Book Blog (the questions for week three are here)
11/25: Chapters 19-Epilogue and wrap up hosted by The Unread Reader (the questions for week four are here)

Book Sales Count - Why You Should Buy Your Favorite Authors Books

2011-11-16T13:52:00.001-06:00

Note: I want to make it very clear that I am well aware that in this economy it is rough to buy books full price. When I was low on funds, I bought books at Half Priced Books, or through second-hand retailers. Later, when money was available, I bought the latest books by those authors to support them. I will never knock anyone for borrowing a book from a library, friend, paperback swap, or for buying it from a second-hand retailer. This post is a response to various queries made by my fans and bloggers.

I now have two books out in the AS THE WORLD DIES trilogy and the excitement is growing for SIEGE. It's been one hell of a ride this year with the first book, THE FIRST DAYS, dropping on July 5, 2011 and the second book, FIGHTING TO SURVIVE, on November 8, 2011. The anxiety of the first book release was pretty intense because I was very aware of the Borders fiasco (they shut down about this time) and that Tor had invested a pretty penny in the series because they believed in it. I didn't wan to let down Tor or my fans, and that first release day was not the euphoric moment I thought it was going to be.

In fact, all day I kept thinking..."What if no one buys the book?"

By evening I settled down. My agent's kind words helped. My husband's support was what I needed. A few margaritas helped me finally relax.

I let go of THE FIRST DAYS in my mind and released it to the cosmos.

The second book's release was much more fun. I was far more relaxed and ecstatic. It was fun seeing the reviews being posted in the blogsphere and seeing the tweets and facebook updates of fans anxiously running out to buy FIGHTING TO SURVIVE. I noticed a lot of comments popping up all over the place from people saying, "This book is on my To Be Read list, but I haven't bought it yet."

Over the last week or so a lot of fans, bloggers, friends and family have asked me about sales. I really don't know the numbers at this time. I noticed on Amazon.com FIGHTING TO SURVIVE was my bestseller for most of the week followed by THE FIRST DAYS. It seems the second book pulled up the first books sales. This makes sense. A lot of people hate reading the first book of a series without knowing when the second one will be out. It's a lot easier for people to buy complete series.

Today I read an article by Alan Baxter called "While you wait for book three, authors die!" In it he discusses the importance of investing in a series with book one.

From the article:

However, if no one buys the first book, it’s very possible that books two and three will never see the light of day. An author survives on their sales figures. If they perform poorly at the checkout, the publisher will discard them like a greasy burger wrapper and think nothing of it. That’s business. It’s fucked, but it’s business.

A lot of the time readers have no clue how much power they posses. The simple act of buying a book is a powerful statement to the publisher. It says, "I want to invest in this writer and continue to buy his/her books."

I have had a lot of readers tell me they will buy the entire series when the third book comes out. Or they tell me they will borrow it from a friend, a library, paperback swap, etc. I am VERY grateful that they are interested in my books enough to read them, but as they wait, or option to borrow the book, that is a sale the publisher doesn't see.

So if you want to support the AS THE WORLD DIES series and hope to see more in the future, even if you read the original online serial, or the self-published books, please buy the Tor books. If you are low on funds, maybe you and a few friends can pool money together so you can buy one book and share it.

I do promise my readers that I will always do my best to write books they will enjoy and complete the series I have started (As The World Dies Untold Tales, The Vampire Bride series, The Pretty Series). I am eternally grateful for all your support. Even if I didn't have a major publisher behind some my writing endeavors, I would continue to write and self-publish.

For more on how to support your favorite author, read my previous post on the topic here.

FANGTASTIC FRIDAYS--PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES Read Along Week 2

2011-11-11T09:25:00.000-06:00

This is the second week of the PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES read-along which is being hosted by four book bloggers, The Bookish Brunette, The Unread Reader, Geeky Blogger's Book Blog, and On A Book Bender. I'm doing the read along and answering the questions posted each week by the bloggers. It's definitely fun reflecting on when I was writing the book.

The read-along will conclude with a reveal of the cover for the sequel, PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS, and an interview with the artist at The Bookish Brunette Blog. I'm so excited!

Here are my answers to questions posed by On A Book Bender.

Discussion Questions for Chapters 7 – 12

1. The end of chapter 6 gives us a sense that something bad is going to happen between Rob, the truck driver, and Amaliya. What are your thoughts on what actually happened between Rob and Amaliya in Chapter 7? Do you think it could have been avoided? Why or why not?

When I wrote this part of the book and I literally felt sick to my stomach. For some reason this scene was much harder for me than Amaliya's transformation or her earlier killings. Something about Rob and his attack on her just made me so damn angry, but also sick. I was so plugged into Amaliya's mind that when Rob shoved his hand under her clothing, I started to shake. I think what upset me the most was that Amaliya thought Rob was an okay guy and never expected what happened to her. I agree with Cian about Amaliya. For looking so worldly, she can sometimes be terribly naive. She never recognized Rob as a predator until it was too late. Luckily for her, she was able to fight back.

2. Chapter 8 introduces us to some new characters, Cian and Roberto. Ashley asked us earlier whether we thought the man who created Amaliya was friend or foe. After listening to Cian and Roberto talk, has your opinion about the professor changed? How? Do you think Cian and Roberto would be Amaliya’s allies or enemies?

This part of the book was fun for me because I was finally in the minds of the other characters. It was at this point I started learning more about Amaliya's creator as well. Since I'm an organic writer and often don't know exactly what comes next, this was a very exciting time of discovery for me. Amaliya's creator definitely became more of a tangible evil in her life. As for Cian and Roberto at this point, I still wasn't sure how things were going to play out.

3. There seems to be a growing divide between Amaliya’s humanity and her actions as a vampire. Do you think this would be “normal” for a new vampire, or do you think it is not a “clean transformation” as Cian stated in Chapter 8?

It was through Cian that I gained a greater understanding of Amaliya. His concerns mirrored my own about my complicated Amaliya. I was certain she was not quite "right" somehow, but I had yet to fully grasp what was wrong. I actually did like the fact that she was growing more comfortable in her vampire skin and wasn't moping about.

4. Amaliya seems to be running primarily on vampire instinct. After reading chapter 10, specifically the beginning, do you think vampires can overcome their instincts and be good — or at least, not deadly?

This was the part of the story I really enjoyed. Vampires are predators. They're former humans, but not human anymore. It was fun to dive into their mentality and explore their complexity.

5. In Chapter 11, we finally learn more about the Summoner and Cian. How do you think this information will impact the rest of the story? What do you think will happen?

This is where I was pretty sure they were all fucked. LOL. The Summoner is such an EVIL guy that I was nervous for my protagonists. I was writing the book for Candy Haven's Fast Draft class and writing around four hours a day after I got home from my day job. I was completely immersed in the story and it was pouring out of me. I still had no clue how the book was going to end, so this was the point where I got REAL nervous.

6. The Summoner thinks that Amaliya has had good luck thus far. Amaliya thinks she has had lousy luck. With whom do you agree?

I love how subjective this is. I think Amaliya has "luck" like others have talents. Things just happen to her, and depending on how she reacts, it either turns out good or bad.

Please join the read-a-long and enter the discussion!

Paperback Kindle

Other blogs following the read-a-long are:

1.	Christy @ Love of Books	4.	Crystal @ Elegantly Bound Books	7.	Francine@BooksAndBeyond
2.	Amy @ bookgoonie	5.	Kristi-The Book Faery	8.	Amber @ Just a Little {Para}normal
3.	Andra @ Unabridged Andra	6.	Lindsey @ Feasibly Happy	9.	Hannah @ Once Upon A Time

Discussion Schedule for Fang-tastic Fridays:
a Pretty When She Dies read-a-long
11/4: Kick off and Chapters 1-6 hosted by The Bookish Brunette (check out the post here)
11/11: Chapters 7-12 hosted by On a Book Bender (the questions for week two are here)
11/18: Chapters 13-18 hosted by Geeky Blogger's Book Blog (the questions for week three are here)
11/25: Chapters 19-Epilogue and wrap up hosted by The Unread Reader

Some of My Books Are On Sale Now!!

2011-11-10T09:22:00.001-06:00

I'm always looking out for a bargain. I won't lie. I love sales. I love it when there are book sales, so I can feed my reading addiction. I took a quick swing by amazon.com this morning and saw that some of the trade paperbacks of my books are presently on sale. If you've been delaying purchasing because you need to watch your pennies, this is a great time to order.

Here are the books presently on sale.

My Projected Writing Schedule

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-06:00

The question I get asked most often is "what are you working on now?" The second most asked question is "what are you working on next?" I can totally understand the curiosity. I'm always checking out the blogs of my favorite writers to see what they are up to and their upcoming releases.

I have also become increasingly aware of the fact that I have three different sets of fans:
1. The fans who read only my zombie stuff
2. The fans who read only my vampire stuff
3. The fans who will read anything I write

I didn't realize this at first. But as time goes on and fans express displeasure that I'm working on a book other than the one they were hoping I was writing, I have learned that sometimes the book I'm writing makes one fan cheer, while the other scowls.

In all honesty, I see myself as a horror writer. I don't consider myself a vampire genre writer or a zombie genre writer exclusively. I'm both of those and more. I have so many ideas pouring into my head that at times it is a little overwhelming. Before I was published by Tor I was able to just pick an idea and write it. Now I have to consider my contractual obligations.

I recently made the decision to continue self-publishing my two vampire series (Pretty When She..., and Vampire Bride) for the time being. Several factors played into this decision.

First and foremost is that there is already a fan base for both these series and the fans are clamoring for the next release. If I were to sell them to a publisher, this could mean delays of a year or more before the self-published book I have published now is re-released and another year or two for the next sequel to come out. This is really hard for me to accept. There was 11 months between the time when I pulled down the self-published versions of AS THE WORLD DIES and the release of the revised THE FIRST DAYS. During that time I had email pouring into my inbox wondering what had happened to my books. A lot of people were disappointed to find the originals were gone from circulation except for the second-hand copies. I'd hate to put fans through that again.

Secondly, I have been working on the AS THE WORLD DIES zombie trilogy for the last 6 (almost 7) years. The SIEGE revision was not as difficult as I feared, but the emotional fallout hit my like a runaway train. Just after I hit send to my editor, I realized I was completely burned out on the trilogy. The Vampire Bride series and Pretty When She...series are nearly as old (or older) than AS THE WORLD DIES. The thought of going back into those already written, already published books to revise them yet again made me want to crawl into bed and hide. I realized I couldn't bare to go back to old work. I want to move forward to new stories.

I spoke to my agent and told her what I had decided and she enthusiastically agreed with me. Though she loves the two vampire series, she agreed that setting them aside for now is the way to go. I think she could hear it in my voice how much I want to write something new and fresh. Maybe one day I'll sell the two vampire series, but for now I'm keeping them.

That being said, I recently pitched three book ideas to my editor. We'll see if one of them gets snapped up once I submit the synopsis for each one. All three are original works, not connected to anything else I've written.

Meanwhile, I have other books planned out. The time frame is always subject to change if I end up with a contractual obligation and hard deadlines. I just had to put aside my latest work to do the copyedits on SIEGE for example.

This is my tentative schedule right now. I am trying to leave the early part of 2012 open just in case I will have a new novel to write for my editor.

Last Bastion of the Living (futuristic zombie novel) Projected writing period to finish the novel already in progress - November

Pretty When She Kills (vampires, necromancers, zombies in modern day Texas) Projected writing period December - January for a projected release date in March.

As The World Dies Untold Tales Volume 2 (featuring Ken & Lenore's story, Katarina's story, and unknown story)Projected writing period - Possibly end of November -- commissioning cover art now

As The World Dies Untold Tales Volume 3 (featuring Rune's story, the Senator's story, and unknown story) Projected writing period - March for a projected release date in May

Untitled third book in Vampire Bride Series - Projected writing period - June for a projected release date in September

FIGHTING TO SURVIVE AVAILABLE TODAY!!!

2011-11-08T16:26:00.001-06:00

Today is the official release date for FIGHTING TO SURVIVE! I'm so excited. Not only is the book available in trade paperback, Kindle, and Nook, but also as an audio book! Audible.com has released both THE FIRST DAYS and FIGHTING TO SURVIVE today! I'm so glad to have the books available in so many formats. I know the readers all have their favorites.

Remember, this version of FIGHTING TO SURVIVE has a whole lot more scenes and some new plot developments. I had a ton of fun going in and revising the second book in the series and it is better than ever.

Another quick reminder is that the online release party is underway at Bitten by Books. Drop by and ask a question or two!

FIGHTING TO SURVIVE Book Release Online Party at Bitten by Books!

2011-11-07T21:11:00.000-06:00

FIGHTING TO SURVIVE hits stores tomorrow! The book release party is online at Bitten by Books!

Make sure to RSVP at this link for a chance to win a $50.00 gift card from Amazon.com!

I'll have a guest post tomorrow and will be answering your questions about the AS THE WORLD DIES series and my writing career. Make sure to join in the fun and pick up your copy of FIGHTING TO SURVIVE!

Fangtastic Fridays!! PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES Read-A-Long!!!

2011-11-05T00:27:00.000-05:00

The PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES read-along is underway and I hope you can join us. I'm revisiting the novel, too, since I wrote it oh-so-long-ago in 2007. It is a ton of fun and it feels like I'm chillin' with old friends (and foes).

I wrote a guest post for The Bookish Brunette that is up at her site where I talk about how damn hard it was to write Amaliya, the protagonist of the novel. Yet, she is definitely one of my favs. I hope you will read PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES. It has vampires, necromancers and zombies. What more could you want?

I've decided to answer the questions the bloggers are listing every week for fun. Please feel free to make comments or join the read-along! There is still time! I have cut and pasted from The Bookish Brunette blog the information on the four bloggers hosing this event and the other bloggers following the discussion at the bottom of this post.

Enjoy!

Discussion Questions for Chapters 1-6

1. After reading through Amaliya's 'awakening'... So realistic and freaking horrifying right? *shudders* What are your reactions to such a vivid scene?
I dreamed it! And it wasn't pleasant. In fact, I was Amaliya in the dream so I experienced everything first hand. I woke up just after she realizes she has killed everyone in the orgy and her creator is speaking to her. I was disoriented and horrified that I had murdered people and jumped out of bed. Only after walking around the apartment and settling back into my own reality did I feel relief that it was only a dream. Of course, Amaliya did not get that same luxury.

2. I know it's EARLY on, and we've only gotten a glimpse of him, but... In YOUR opinion, the man who made Amaliya into a vampire... friend or foe?
At this point in writing the book I had a good idea how things were going to go down between Amaliya and her creator, but I was really surprised by a few things that did occur later on. In the dream I did find him amazingly appealing, handsome, and downright sexy, but what he was saying just filled me with rage (both me and Amaliya). I remember thinking "You killed me!" over and over again. Not a good moment.

3. Amaliya's family are some PIECES of work aren't they??? While I HOPE no one has a family as freaking crazy nuts as hers... We all have a few nutjobs in our family tree right? Tell me about a crazy member of YOUR family... Or a time when you thought, "Please, NO... I am SO not with them!"
I am going to take this chance to say that the Vezoraks aren't supposed to be a representation of rednecks, Texans, or East Texans, but of a dysfunctional family. When I was growing up I did know about a family where the husband married the dead wife's niece (the niece was close to her in age) and it freaked me out.

As for my own family, every time my brothers get together they sound like mobsters. In a restaurant one time I'm pretty sure that everyone really thought they were Italian mobsters.

4. Pete... Awww, Pete... He confesses his unending love for her, then everything goes to hell in a hand-basket! Who is/was YOUR Pete? Did you have a guy who was hopelessly in love with you for years that you never even knew about?
Doesn't Pete just break your heart? He's so sweet! I did have a few guys tell me after my husband and I announced we were a couple that they had liked me, but had been pretty sure that my hubby and I were destined to be together (we were best friends at the time) so they didn't ask me out.

5. Have you started connecting with Amaliya? What specific instance stands out the most for you? (hopefully you are LOVING her hardcore by Chapter 6!)
As I wrote at The Bookish Brunette I struggled with Amaliya. She is so far removed from my own personality it was very, very hard to write her. But I did feel for her and often winced when she did things that I was sure was going to backfire.

Please join in the read-a-long and enter the discussion! Other blogs following the read-a-long are:

1.	Christy @ Love of Books	4.	Crystal @ Elegantly Bound Books	7.	Francine@BooksAndBeyond
2.	Amy @ bookgoonie	5.	Kristi-The Book Faery	8.	Amber @ Just a Little {Para}normal
3.	Andra @ Unabridged Andra	6.	Lindsey @ Feasibly Happy	9.	Hannah @ Once Upon A Time

Discussion Schedule for Fang-tastic Fridays:
a Pretty When She Dies read-a-long
11/4: Kick off and Chapters 1-6 hosted by The Bookish Brunette (check out the post here)
11/11: Chapters 7-12 hosted by On a Book Bender (the questions for week two are here)
11/18: Chapters 13-18 hosted by Geeky Blogger's Book Blog
11/25: Chapters 19-Epilogue and wrap up hosted by The Unread Reader

San Antonio Book Signing This Saturday-November 5, 2011!!

2011-11-03T13:51:00.001-05:00

Here are the details for the San Antonio Book Signing this Saturday. If you're in the area, I hope you'll come out and say hi! If you have any of my older books, bring those for me to sign, too!

Time: Saturday, November 5 · 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Barnes and Noble15900 La Cantera Pkwy

More Info: Join author Rhiannon Frater at Barnes and Noble in San Antonio, Texas to celebrate the release of the second book in the AS THE WORLD DIES zombie trilogy. She will be signing new copies of FIGHTING TO SURVIVE and visiting with fans. Copies of the first book in the series THE FIRST DAYS will also be available.

Tor is Giving Away Copies of FIGHTING TO SURVIVE AND FIGHTING TO SURVIVE!!

2011-11-01T04:46:00.000-05:00

Tor is giving away copies of the first two books in the AS THE WORLD DIES trilogy for their All Hallow’s Read Sweepstakes. In fact, they will give the lucky winner TWO copies of both books, one for themselves and one to give to a friend.
To enter check out the blog post at tor.com announcing the contest.

And good luck!!!

Two Awesome Reviews of PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES

2011-10-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

Two new reviews went up in the blogsphere for my modern vampire novel. I'm thrilled! PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES was released in 2008 and has just in the last year found its audience. It appears to be gaining momentum, which is awesome!

I have to say this is the most amazing Vampire book I have read in a long long time. Rhiannon Frater you have blown my mind thank you! This book had me hooked from start to finish.--KZ Book Blog

I seriously hope there will be a sequel, because I love these characters. And if you're looking for a really good adult vampire story, you should definitely read Pretty When She Dies. -- Love of Books Blog

Also, I'm very excited about an upcoming event in November. Four different book blogs will be hosting a PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES read-a-long. There should be an official post soon to give you all the details. Here is the awesome button The Bookish Brunette created for the event.

As soon as the details are released, I will post them here. Meanwhile, you can buy PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES at Amazon.com and prepare for this fun event.

Paperback Kindle

Los Angeles Fan Meetup??? Sunday, October 23rd??

2011-10-20T09:00:00.001-05:00

This is extremely last minute, so forgive me. I will be appearing on a panel at the Aliens to Zombies Convention in Hollywood, CA this coming weekend. I'm a last minute addition to the event, so there wasn't time to put together a book signing.

BUT...

If there are any fans in the Los Angeles area that are interested in meeting up so I can sign your books or chat, let me know. I know this is seriously last minute and may not fly at all, but someone asked me if this would be possible.

The meetup would be in Hollywood at around 5pm on Sunday, October 23rd.

Please let me know if you're in the area and would like to meet. Email me at rhiannonfrater at gmail.com.

Next time I'm the West Coast, we'll have a proper book signing.

Thanks!

An Italian Review of THE FIRST DAYS

2011-10-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Italian version of THE FIRST DAYS

I received a very nice email from Germana Maciocci recently. She translated THE FIRST DAYS into Italian for Delos Books, my Italian publisher in Italy. She asked me for an interview for the online magazine she writes for and listed a link to her blog where she had reviewed THE FIRST DAYS. She was also kind enough to provide a translation of her review and said I could post it here for your reading pleasure.Enjoy!!

Texas, present day / the near future. Jenni and Katie's lives intersect one day by accident and they decide toescape together, fighting tirelessly for survival, while the world that until afew moments before had been familiar to them is suddenly overwhelmed by aninvasion of ravenous undead. At a first trivial glance, it seems to be aterrifying but contained pestilence but it turns out to be, as the journey oftwo women proceed, a worldwide catastrophe, an atypical massacre where thereare no victims in the usual sense of the term but zombies devouring the living,infecting them, creating more zombies, in an endless spiral of horror thatcannot only be defined but more than creepy.
Like in Stephen King’s novels, to whom the author was, in my opinion, morethan rightly compared, the reader faces the more traditional horror that startingand taking hold in daily routines, thus making it even more incomprehensible,but at the same time, paradoxically reasonable, profoundly human, and monstrouslylogical, breaking and spreading in the lives of the two protagonists and of thevarious characters crossing the two women during their desperate flight.

Jenni is a young housewife who has seen her husband and two young childrentransforming under her eyes, and herself she had risked to become a zombie. Shehas been planning to leave since a very long time, from a husband abusing herand who already made their family life a living hell. She is saved by a miracleby Katie, who gets by chance in front of Jenni’s house and sees her out the maindoor, still in her nightgown, while she stares under shock at her family tryingto reach and devour her. This vision accompanies Jenni throughout the journey towardsa possible salvation, dwelling in her heart like a worm, making her feel tornbetween the grief for the loss of her children and the profound sense of guilt arisingfrom the relief the woman feels, for the first time in her life, feeling freeand no longer burdened with an husband or a chauvinist and overbearing father. Theinstinct to go forward and to survive is strong in her, thanks to her hope to savefrom that awful fate at least her stepson, in a camping holiday on Texas’s mountains.

Despite her young age, Katie is a successful attorney, accustomed to thinkwith her heart but at the same time with a logical and firm mind. Unlike Jenni,her family, especially her father, has always supported her, even when she haddecided to marry a woman. And it is her beloved wife, one of the first victimsof the infection, that terrible first day is assaulting Katie: her transformed imagehaunts the few hours of sleep that Katie is able to enjoy now, and the regret ofnot being able to protect and take her away with her. The background picture toher mobile, showing her wife as sweet and smiling, clashes with the memory ofthe monster that has tried to bite her, confirming further that, the total declinearound her being not enough, her world is now at an end, and nothing will everbe like before. Jenni and her instinctively trust each other, with aninstinctive empathy going beyond the emergency situation, and Katie’sprotection brings Jenni to express a stronger and self confident side of hercharacter, a side she did not even know she had, while the sweetness and theplain helpless appearance of Jenni consoles and encourages Katie to go aheadand to seek a way out, as it may seems impossible, from their apocalypticsituation.
During their escape, the two women cross their lives with many types ofpeople react to tragedy in different ways. Some people surrender and give up tohorror, if only because they cannot bear the loss of loved ones or because, nowcontaminated, consciously choose not to perpetuate the infection and decide tosave their own kind, while they are still able choose. Others, like Jenni andKatie, although well aware of the danger and irrevocability of their presentand future times, choose to fight and adapt themselves, as it is in the deepestnature average human beings.
And in this new world, in which every natural rule must be rewritten, thetwo women find refuge in a small community where people decided to barricadethemselves in a sort of a makeshift fort, where they do not passively accept tobe conquered by the living dead, but to fight for life and solidarity. Thedrama of the story written by Rhiannon Frater is also in her intelligent andaccurate description of the other side of the coin of a situation in which agroup of people is compelled to choose, in a circumscribed space, between whatis good and what is bad in a scenario which already confuses ideas easily: Homo Homini Lupus.
Desperately looking for a balance between what things used to be and arenow, Katie and Jenni are struggling with all their forces together with theirnew companions, trying not to kill permanently a world which now is completelyout of joint, in a never-ending battle where dramatically one cannot see nowinners nor losers - even humans who became zombies are just the victims ofsomething or someone that in this book still has no name. As already written inthe foreword to this review, this first volume of the saga of As the World Diesthrows us without a parachute into a world which is unlikely but notimpossible, considering for example all the experiments which are supposedlysupported unofficially in laboratories of large world powers, and with outmostability it invites us to read the subsequent volumes following the desire tosee "how it will end," or rather, how it's going to start the new eranarrated by Rhiannon Frater.

http://www.diariodipensieripersi.com/2011/10/recensione-il-primo-giorno-di-rhiannon.html

#Torchat with Me!!

2011-10-18T17:44:00.000-05:00

‎#Torchat is happening tomorrow and I'm one of the three authors participating! Join me @rhiannonfrater, Joseph Nassise (@Jnassise), and Jonathan Case (@jonathan_case) and Tor moderator, Laura Fitzgerald (@Laura_FitzG) tomorrow at 4 – 5 PM EST.

Make sure to track the hashtag #torchat and follow the authors and moderator involved. This is a really fun lineup and you can read more about it at the Tor/Forge Blog.

Read more about Joseph Nassie at his website.

Read more about Jonathan Case at his website.

My Podcast Debut!

2011-10-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to have joined Evil Ed this season on his podcast to talk about THE WALKING DEAD. I'm joining Scot Thomas from Zombie Apocalypse Preparation, Mark Dooley from Digital Chocolate, the company behind Zombie Lane, and Marque Cornblatt of Guns & Gardens in the co-hosting duties and so far it's a ton of fun.

Check out our premiere episode and leave us some zombie love on the official facebook page.

Review: THE WALKING DEAD Premiere

2011-10-17T02:26:00.000-05:00

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed THE WALKING DEAD premiere tonight. I absolutely loved it. A lot of the things that had bothered me in the first season were absent in this episode and what I had liked in the first season was back in spades.

WHAT I LIKED

The Zombies
The zombies were amazingly well done just like they were in the first season. Gruesome, terrifying, and deadly, their mere appearance is enough to make me want to look for shelter and weapons. Seriously, the zombies in this TV series are just the best zombies I have ever seen. Tonight's "herd" was perfect.

The Characterization
I finally felt like I actually got to know the characters. Last season they felt superficial and not well-drawn out except for a few that weren't mainstays of the series (Duane, Morgan, Jim). There was a lot of exposition from the characters that never revealed who they really were. In this episode, I finally felt connections to these characters. A good example of this was Carol and Rick's prayers in the church. This was a great way to peer into their souls. Shane's conversation with Lori was also well done because it gave us a clear idea what is going on in both their minds about their situation.

Andrea was the best of the lot tonight. She was so amazing in her confrontation with Dale. I really liked how she stood up to him and called him on the B.S. he was dishing her. The way she said "gratitude" sounded like a curse, which was just great acting.

I also liked how we got a glimpse of Dale's penchant for manipulating situations to get his way because he really does believe he knows best. I'm curious to see how this plays out with Rick.

Plus, the women were treated like actual people and the sexism that plagued a few episodes in the first season wasn't present.

The Plot
The story line actually progressed in a way that made sense. No more tents, cans on strings, sitting around campfires talking about watches when in full view of downtown zombie-infested Atlanta. This time around the survivors were being proactive and actually doing things that made sense: trying to make it to a safe place, scavenging for supplies, repairing vehicles, cleaning weapons. Even Sofia getting lost felt like something that could really happen and opened up a great opportunity to explore group dynamics.

The Gore
Any zombie story is going to be gory. It just has to be considering the dynamics of a zombie-infested world. The gore on the show was so well done it made me squirm.

WHAT I DIDN'T CARE FOR

T-Dog and Glenn
Both of these characters were given very little to do in this episode.

T-Dog (I hate that name! C'mon, give him a real name!) somehow managed to survive despite slicing through his artery when trying to escape the zombie herd. As Evil Ed of THE WALKING DEAD Podcast said tonight while we were taping the new show, T-Dog is the clumsiest guy in the world. He drops the keys in the first season and nearly kills himself in the second by being a klutz.

Glenn really didn't do a damn thing in the whole episode. I barely remember him being in it.

So the sexism was absent in this episode, but so were the minority male characters sadly.

Zombie Rules
The zombie rules in the show continue to be inconsistent. I noticed in the first season that the zombies couldn't climb ladders, but in the same episode could scale fences. In one episode we were told that the zombies mostly came out at night. Yet all the following episodes had the zombies very active during the day until the last episode of season one when they went to the CDC when again zombies were not active during the day. Last season the zombies ran, this season they shamble, sometimes very quickly.

Tonight, again, the zombies seemed to be either extremely fast, or very slow, super stupid, or scary smart.

They really need to make a zombie bible and stick to it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I loved it. I really did. The show held my attention and had me jumping.

I'm definitely on board for the rest of the season.

Rhiannon Frater Joins Evil Ed's The Walking Dead Podcast & Fan Page as a Co-Host

2011-10-14T21:29:00.000-05:00

"Rhiannon Frater, author of "...As the World Dies" Zombie Trilogy, will be joining the Cast of "Evil Ed's The Walking Dead Podcast & Fan Page!" Let's all give her a warm welcome! ...Thanks for joining us, Rhiannon!" ~Evil Ed on the Evil Ed's "THE WALKING DEAD" facebook fan page

With those words, I am officially part of the popular podcast that covers the AMC show THE WALKING DEAD.

Evil Ed had asked me to guest on the show a month or so back and we had a chance to chat this last week about all things zombie. We had a blast just talking about THE WALKING DEAD show and webisodes and he was kind enough to ask me to make it a regular gig.

Therefore, every Sunday after the show airs, I will be joining Evil Ed and my other co-hosts to talk about the only zombie show (at this time) on TV.

For more information, click on the links below.

www.thewalkingdeadpodcast.com
www.thewalkingdead.mobi
www.facebook.com/thewalkingdeadpodcast

The Italian Cover of THE FIRST DAYS

2011-10-11T20:13:00.001-05:00

I love it so much!! What are your thoughts?

The article about the Italian version is here--in Italian.

Review: The Walking Dead Webisodes

2011-10-10T23:45:00.000-05:00

I am often asked about THE WALKING DEAD by fans of the AS THE WORLD DIES Zombie Trilogy. I suppose it makes sense since both works are about a group of people surviving the zombocalypse. Though I had never read THE WALKING DEAD, when I heard about the TV show, I was very excited just like all the rest of the zombie fans.

I eagerly tuned in and was...disappointed. Though I loved the zombie makeup, gore, and the setting, I found myself struggling to invest in the characters. Though Morgan and Duane captured my heart, they vanished from the show after the first episode. Later, I rather enjoyed the gang in Atlanta, but they, too, were only on for one episode. I did end up liking Glenn and Daryl enough that I worried about them dying.

But I didn't like the treatment of ALL the female characters on the show and most of the minorities. When all the women did was the laundry, cooking, and screaming, I was ready to kick my TV.

BUT...that being said, I had high hopes for season two anyway. The first season felt rushed and crippled by being only six short episodes. I think it takes most TV shows around six episodes to usually find their footing (unless its LOST). Some episodes were freaking awesome, while others somewhat bored me. The trip to the CDC was incredibly annoying and boring (and I understand its not in the comics).

Yet, I was still so happy to see a TV show about zombies at last.

When I saw the link about the webisodes a few weeks ago, I watched all six in one sitting. And I have to say right now that if the second season of THE WALKING DEAD is anything like the webisodes, I'm in heaven.

The webisodes are about the iconic "torso zombie" from the first episode of THE WALKING DEAD. She was heavily featured in most of the promotion of the show (see the ad above as an example) and was probably one of the most graphic and disturbing of all the zombies. In fact, the torso zombie was the one zombie that broke my heart. By her appearance it was obvious to the viewer that something just terrible had happened to her.

And now we know...

Episode one "A New Day" opens with the introduction of Hannah as she awakens in her car after an accident. Stunned, wounded, and terrified by the disappearance of her children, she rushes through an Atlanta neighborhood seeking them out.

Hannah in a still from the show.

Of course, the world has been turned upside down and she is quickly in danger from the walking dead roaming the streets. Scenes of carnage are everywhere, from a birthday party gone terribly wrong to a mail carrier being eaten on the sidewalk, it is clear that the world has come to a bloody end.

The rest of the webisodes follow Hannah, her children, her ex-husband, and his wife through a terrible day of death and destruction. No one is safe in the tale, and of course, Hannah's fate is already sealed. Yet the show has plenty of thrills and chills despite the short length of each episode.

Though Hannah is going to die, her character is the strong female we did not see in the actual TV show. She is a devoted mom who is determined to save her children no matter what it takes. She is never shown as weak and is the most well-rounded character in the entire webisode series.

In the end, even Hannah's death is not because she is weak, but because she is strong. I won't lie. I cried.

So if this is what THE WALKING DEAD season two is going to be like, I'm more than a happy camper.

Check out the preview for THE WALKING DEAD Season Two.

How To Support Your Favorite Author

2011-10-10T20:43:00.001-05:00

Over the last six years, I have personally witnessed the power of fans. If not for their almost rabid support when I was writing AS THE WORLD DIES as an online serial, I may never have finished the story that would eventually lead to a three book deal with Tor.

If not for fans, I would not have won the Dead Letter award two years in a row.

If not for fans, I would not have had the sales that drew the attention of a producer from Hollywood.

If not for fans, I would not have reviews on Amazon.com and other online book sellers.

If not for fans, I would not have...more fans.

Fans are extremely important to any writer's career. They wield the power to push you to greater heights -- like bestseller lists -- and better and bigger book deals.

The reality is that fans can enable a writer to keep writing and churning out books they will enjoy. Though inspiration and dedication are a huge component to writing a book, any writer needs sales to keep them on the writing path.

Most writers have day jobs (either full-time or part-time), families, and social lives. Writing is often something they do after everyone else is in bed, or early in the morning. They struggle to carve out time to take hold of their inspiration and wrangle it into a cohesive story. Most of the time, writers are not making one red cent off that writing. They're doing it because they love to write and are probably hoping it will lead to some monetary reward in the future.

I doubt there isn't a writer out there that dreams of writing full-time. But it is very hard to get to that point. Hell, I'm trying to make my own full-time writing gig stick.

So here are some tips on how to keep your favorite writer(s) doing what you want them to do....write.

1. Buy their books.

This seems like a logical way to support authors, but a lot of people don't realize how important sales really are. On more than one occasion I have had someone tell me "I'll buy your book at Half-Priced Books when I find it" or "I'll get it from the library." Though the initial sale DOES count toward an author's royalties, all second-hand sales and library loans do not.

If your favorite author is published through a major publishing house, sales will dictate whether or not that publishing house will buy the author's next project.

If your favorite author is an indie author, most likely the money they make off of self-publishing is going to fund their next self-published work. Cover art and editing are very expensive.

So when you buy a book (not second-hand), it really does help your favorite author.

Note: I totally get buying second hand when you don't have the funds. I've done it myself. Later on when I had money, I bought my favorite authors latest books at the bookstore.

2. Write reviews (on goodreads, amazon.com, etc)
A lot of readers don't understand the power of their opinion to influence other readers to read their favorite author. With so many books being published every week, people look to reviews by other readers to help them decide which book they should buy or avoid. If you love a book, write a review. Even if it is a short one, it does help out.

3. Loan your books to friends.
You may think this contradicts #1, but it actually doesn't. If you're trying to convert a friend to your favorite author, chances are they would rather read a borrowed book then risk spending money on an unknown author. If they like the book you loaned them, maybe they'll buy a copy of their own, or later buy the author's latest work.

4. Spread the word on your social media sites (or your blog!)
I was turned on to the JENNI POX series by J.L. Bryan when I saw the Bookish Brunette twittering about the books. I read up the reviews on the series on goodreads and purchased the first book. I loved it! I know I have gained new readers because they saw a fan talk about my books on facebook, twitter, or other media sites. Blogging has also brought me a slew of new fans.

5. Email your favorite author.
A short email to your favorite author really does help. Writing is a lonely endeavor and hearing from fans about how much they like your work is very energizing.

So to sum up this post, if you want to keep your favorite author writing, buy their books, spread the word about them, and let the author know you appreciate them.

The Shreveport Zombie Walk is this Weekend!

2011-10-05T12:53:00.002-05:00

This weekend I will be the guest of honor at the Shreveport Zombie Walk in Louisiana. I'm so excited to see all the awesome zombies converging on downtown Shreveport to bring awareness to world hunger. The shambling undead are always hungry, as you know.

If you're in the area, please join the zombie hordes this Saturday, October 8, 2011. For full information on this event, please make sure to visit the official website.

The local Barnes & Noble bookstore will be selling copies of THE FIRST DAYS at the event. Please come by their table and snag a copy. I'll be signing books at the table next to them, so make sure to say hello.

Hope to see you there!

Images courtesy of the official site.

Guest Blog Post at The Unread Reader!!

2011-10-04T14:26:00.001-05:00

Missie is a fan of PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES and she asked me to write a guest post for her blog The Unread Reader to celebrate Halloween.

In the post I talk about both my vampire series and why I chose to embrace the traditional vampire instead of opting for the new breed of vamp that has gained popularity with the advent of TWILIGHT.

Missie is also hosting a giveaway of my vampire novels.

Check it out today and give Missie some Halloween love!

Reduced Price on THE VENGEANCE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE!

2011-10-03T18:42:00.003-05:00

THE VENGEANCE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE trade paperback is on sale for $9.32 on Amazon.com! This is a great deal!

Get your copy today!

Winners of the VAMPIRE BRIDE Giveaway!

2011-10-03T09:15:00.002-05:00

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Entry #33ami blackwelder

Entry #633Richard Commander

Thank you so much for entering and keep an eye out for a new giveaway coming soon!

Public Speaking -- Part of the Writing Job

2011-09-30T02:19:00.000-05:00

I'm a published author with a well-respected publishing house (Tor), and I'm working very hard to make this writing gig stick. A lot of writers believe that all they need to do to be a successful writer is just write a book, but that is not the true reality of a modern day author.

I work hard at promoting my published novels by doing everything from podcast interviews to guest blogposts to book signings to speaking at events.

Yes, my dear fledgling writers, I do the one thing most writers dread doing: I speak in public.

Yep, this is how I feel right before a speaking engagement.

I really never imagined that public speaking would become a part of the writing gig until I was invited to my first author panel in 2009 at Horror Realm. I wasn't even sure how I would fare. Even though I had done a lot of public speaking for my previous day job, I did not realize I would have to transfer those skills to my writing life. I was relieved when I survived that first panel and realized that despite my dread of the event, I could speak about writing and my career before an audience and do just fine.

In fact, I have come to enjoy sitting on panels. Panels are fun because I get to sit with other people in the industry and listen to various points of view. I do have to remind myself to shut up and let the others speak because once I get rolling it's hard for me to stop. I am passionate about writing and get carried away. I have learned to get to my point and keep it as short as possible.

I am now starting to participate in workshops and other speaking engagements. Strangely, people have been contacting me to do these type of events, not vice versa. It is very flattering to be asked to speak at events and I take these gigs very seriously. It's a great opportunity for me to connect with other writers and hopefully encourage newbie writers as they embark on their careers. I also enjoy meeting fans and speaking to them about my work.

I am told I'm very good at these type of events and I do enjoy them immensely.

Except for the first five minutes...

The first five minutes of any speaking engagement is sheer hell.

I am always terrified when I stand before a group of people (large or small) and I literally have to force myself to start talking. Despite my absolute fear and anxiety in the first moments of a speaking engagement, I make the mental choice not to let myself freeze up. I concentrate on positive thoughts before I so I have a genuine smile on my face before I start. And I basically fake it for the first five minutes or so when I start talking. I pretend that I am capable and able to speak intelligently and that I am not scared out of my mind. At some point, I relax and my negative emotions vanish. I then enjoy the rest of my time at the engagement.

Though I was originally afraid of public speaking engagements, I have no come to embrace them as an opportunity to give back to starting writers and the fandom.

THE VENGEANCE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE is Now Available in Ebook Formats

2011-09-23T05:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I announced that you can order the paperback version of the second book in the Vampire Bride series through my estore. If you like having a physical copy of your favorite books, you need to snag this one. It's absolutely beautiful with a glossy cover thanks to Philip Rogers and a lovely interior layout thanks to Kody Boye.

Today the ebook versions are starting to go live. At Smashwords.com you can order most ebook versions of the book.

On Amazon.com there is a listing for a Spanish version of the book, but this is an error. There is only the English version. You can order the Kindle version by clicking the widget.

The Kindle version may become unavailable when they fix the listing error, so grab a copy quick.

As soon as the paperback version of the novel becomes available on amazon.com, I will post an update.

I hope that all the fans of the original enjoy the sequel! I look forward to your thoughts.

THE VENGEANCE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE Available Now!

2011-09-22T04:01:00.001-05:00

I have good news! The paperback of THE VENGEANCE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE is now available at my estore for $12.95. It will most likely become available at Amazon.com within a week and at other retailers soon thereafter. Please disregard the estimated arrival dates that are listed on my estore. They are greatly exaggerated. Most people who purchase from the estore get their books within a week's time or less. I get a 20% higher royalty when books are purchased through my estore, so I definitely appreciate it when fans order from the estore.

The ebook versions should be available in the next few days. I will keep you posted.

Also, don't forget to enter the VAMPIRE BRIDE giveaway! I'm giving away two sets of the vampire bride series. Make sure you enter by the deadline.

You can also purchase my other vampire novel, PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES for $10.95 at its estore. I'm offering a 15% discount off the regular $10.95 price. The code is 7AGHXRZA. Feel free to post it on your blogs or other social network to share with your other vamp loving friends. The discount only applies to my personal estore. The code will be valid until September 30, 2011.

On The Other Side of "THE END"

2011-09-21T07:07:00.000-05:00

This morning I finished with the final tweaks on my latest novel THE VENGEANCE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE. At last it is truly finished. No more revisions, no more touch ups, and no more test reads.

My husband finished yesterday and gave me some great insight into one small troublesome spot. I wholeheartedly agreed with him and tidied up the scene last night. After triple-checking the formatting, I uploaded the files to the publisher. We need one minor tweak on the cover and then the book will be ready to publish.

I am so happy to be finished, yet I will miss the world of Glynis. My only solace is that I will return to her world again.

For My Vampire Fans...An Update, A Giveaway, and A Special Discount Offer

2011-09-15T05:23:00.000-05:00

The publication date for THE VENGEANCE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE is drawing ever closer. I received the proof copy of the novel this week and it's beautiful. The cover art by Philip Rogers looks extremely beautiful. The trade paperback is really stunning. My jaw literally dropped when I pulled it out of the box.

My husband, my final proof reader, is making good progress on the proof copy. He has always helped me with this final step to publication and I value his opinion. I have to give my husband major kudos because horror is not his thing. He loves science fiction novels. His support and help with my novels is very appreciated.

Hopefully, the book will be for sale in the next week or two. It will first be available at Createspace and Smashwords (in most ebook formats). About a week later, it will become available in Kindle and Amazon. It takes a little bit longer for it to become available at other online retailers like Barnes & Noble.

I am holding a special giveaway of both the first and the second book. Two winners will receive a copy of both books in the Vampire Bride series. For more details and to enter, click here.

The Vampire Bride series is not my only vampire series. I also have a modern day vampire series that takes place in Texas. I wanted to write a very different vampire tale from the gothic world that Lady Glynis Wright inhabits and found the perfect story to tell when I had a very vivid dream about Amaliya. In many ways she is the opposite of Lady Glynis, but both ladies are strong young women determined to find their own way after being savagely changed into a vampire.

The first book in my modern vampire series is called PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES. The second one, that I hope to write by the end of the year, is called PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS.

PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES not only has vampires, but necromancers and zombies. The Fatally Yours blog described it as "Pretty When She Dies is a bloody good time filled with violence, vampires, passion, Texans AND zombies...Rhiannon Frater has crafted an engaging and addicting novel that I HIGHLY recommend!"

As a special treat to my fans, I'm offering a 15% discount on PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES through my personal estore. You will need a special code to get the discount off the regular $10.95 price. The code is 7AGHXRZA. Feel free to post it on your blogs or other social network to share with your other vamp loving friends. The discount only applies to my personal estore. The code will be valid until September 30, 2011. A quick word about the shipping date estimates: they are totally off. Most fans who have ordered from my estore were worried about the estimated arrival times, but were pleased to get the books usually within a few days.

Thanks again for all your support!

A Review of the Novel JENNY POX--Which Blew Me Away!!

2011-09-14T00:27:00.000-05:00

Where do I start? I guess with "WOW!!!"

I'm wasn't too sure what to expect from this book. It was highly recommended by the Bookish Brunette Blog and I was intrigued by the premise. There is a glut of books out there with teenagers with special powers, so I was a little leery. But this novel is something altogether different and refreshing.

I would not define it as a young adult novel, or paranormal romance in any way. I wouldn't call it Urban Fantasy either. Honestly, it reminded me of Stephen King in his heyday. I'm sure people would compare it to the novel CARRIE, but I like this book so much more. It resonated with me in a very deep way, whereas CARRIE never really did.

The lead character's power is terrible and devastating, not only to her own life, but the lives of others. Seeing her suffering and struggling to survive the pitfalls of her life AND high school was quite painful at times. Anyone who has dealt with bullies will sympathize with her immediately. She not only suffers from her gift, but also the isolation caused by it. Her father, though a loving man, is also an alcoholic, so Jenny's life is not ideal in anyway. Her character development was very well done and I enjoyed how she evolved from a girl who tried to disappear from view, to someone who stands up for herself and the people she loves.

Though the villain of the piece is the popular girl in school, she is not a cookie cutter creation. Ashleigh has a power of her own and wields it with cruel intentions while hiding behind the guise of a beautiful, perfect, angelic Christian girl. I knew a few girls just like her growing up, so I found Ashleigh particularly frightening. She so effortlessly plays those around her while using them it is quite disturbing. I liked her as a villain and I never felt her character was a cliche.

Seth, the boy both girls fall for, was a little more difficult for me to connect with at first. But as the book progressed I came to understand why as he broke away from Ashleigh's influence and began to show his true character. Seth suffers from being manipulated by Ashleigh and it alters his personality significantly at times. There is one particular scene where she uses her power to ensnare him that was chilling and disturbing. But Seth does show his true colors and by the end of the book, I really did like his character.

The supporting cast of characters in the book are also well-defined. The description of the town, the school, and the people that surround Jenny was very well done. I was completely engrossed in the narrative and reluctantly put the book aside a few times when I needed to eat, sleep, or take care of my own writing. I finally gave up reading the book in increments and devoured it in one big reading marathon. It was worth it.

Though the book does feature teenagers, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 17. There is drug usage, sexual content, and graphic language along with some very intense, violent, and horrific scenes that stole my breath away. This book is a powder keg of vivid imagery, wonderfully drawn out characters, and superb plotting.

I highly recommend it.

Buy the paperback

By the Kindle

THE VENGEANCE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE GIVEAWAY

2011-09-12T18:01:00.000-05:00

To celebrate the upcoming release of the second book in THE VAMPIRE BRIDE series, I'm hosting a book giveaway of the two books in the series. Good luck!

How 9-11-01 Influenced Me and AS THE WORLD DIES

2011-09-11T17:17:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to write anything about 9-11 today. The last ten years since the fall of the two towers has had a devastating toll on this country. As the recaps on the news of that terrible day play out, I'm not watching. I don't want to see people dying again. I saw that ten years ago, and I will never forget the footage of people jumping from the towers, or the planes crashing. Those images are forever burned in my mind.

Thankfully, so are the images of firefighters rushing into the doomed buildings to save the lives of complete strangers, or of shopkeepers handing out water and food to people covered in ash trudging out of Manhattan. I read an article just today that reminded me of just how amazing the people in the armed forces are and how proud of them I am. It was the noble heart of ordinary people who did extraordinary acts of heroism beyond the call of duty, or were willing to give their lives to save others (Flight 93) that I feel is the true legacy of 9-11. Never have I felt more proud to not only be American, but human. In the face of terrible evil, good stood its ground and stared it down.

My own 9-11 experience has had a huge impact on my life. I was home sick from work with the flue. At the time I was living with my mother as she underwent treatment for a medical ailment. I was asleep in my room when the door opened and my mother cried out, "America is under attack! They've already hit New York and Washington D.C.!" She vanished from the doorway, hurrying back to the TV in the living room.

Sitting up groggily, holding my swimming head, I sat in shock. As a child of the Cold War and the 80's, I instantly believed that we were under nuclear attack. I felt completely numb and overwhelmed with my impending death. I mentally calculated how far we were from San Antonio and Austin and realized we would probably have just a few minutes after the bombs dropped to live. I thought of my brother in San Antonio, so close, but so far away in that moment, and of my other brothers and their family further away. I remember thinking that maybe they had a chance to survive. My legs could barely carry me to the living room where I collapsed onto the sofa and wondered how long I had to live. I wondered how much it would hurt.

Then I looked at the TV.

To this day, I feel guilt over the immense relief that flowed over me when I saw the plane flying into the second tower. Suddenly, I wasn't facing the end of not only my life, but the world, but a much different crisis altogether. One that neither I, nor anyone else could have ever imagined. I burst into tears as a mixture of horror and relief flooded through me.

A month later, I stood at Ground Zero with a dear friend of mine, the air full of ash, the sound of the machinery the only real sound in the muted, empty space where the two towers once stood. I had been in NYC a few weeks before the attack and returning was both frightening, but important. The subway trip to the stop that would leave us off near the place where the towers once loomed was quiet. It felt like a funeral procession and I wasn't surprised when nearly every person on the subway exited and trekked toward Ground Zero.

It was the strange silence that affected me most that day. Despite the whispered conversations around me, the sounds of the city in the distance, and the machinery at work, there was a stillness and quiet that was disconcerting. It felt as if a wound had been torn into the fabric of the world so violently, that it had yet to recover. Where the two towers had stood,it felt like there was a void. I wiped my eyes on my gloves that were flecked with ash and knew I was on sacred ground. Later, we walked away from the place of so much death and sorrow and reentered a world that was full of life, sound, and color.

Years later, when I wrote AS THE WORLD DIES, I drew on my personal experiences of 9-11. The fear I felt when I thought I was about to be vaporized in a nuclear strike and my conflicting emotions after I found out the reality of the attack would become the foundation I would build upon for individual characters. The goodness and heroics of common people on a terrible day also infused the characters of the fort. My visit to Ground Zero, where I stood in the grey solemnity of a terrible disaster, then returned to the land of the living, became the basis for the fort's inhabitants determination to continue on.

9-11 has had a profound affect on everyone. Ten years later, all of us are living in a world shaped by that terrible day. No one has gone unscathed from that horrific terrorist attack. We have all done our best to move on from the tragedy and rebuild. Of course, some have had a much worse time of it than others. My heart weeps for them.

In the end, it is what we do in the aftermath of tragedy that determines the people we are. Do we rise above? Or fall?

In my own personal life, I have tried to enjoy my life and appreciate those around me. I have also pulled upon my personal recollections to help shape an imaginary world where common people have to overcome extraordinary loss.

May we never forget the goodness and heroism of the people of 9-11.

The Fans Have Spoken!

2011-09-10T13:38:00.000-05:00

The poll results have spoken. As of today, the results are 60 votes to 27 votes in favor of my futuristic zombie novel THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING. It seems I can't escape the zombie hordes!

By the way, this new zombie novel is NOT related in any way to the AS THE WORLD DIES TRILOGY. It is a whole new world, completely different characters, a new setting, and a very different kind of zombie. There will be no crossover between the two worlds.

That being said, I already have around 100 pages written on this novel, so I will be reacquainting myself with that world before continuing. I'm pretty pumped about this idea and the feedback from the people who have read the first part was really positive.

What does that mean for PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS? That book is up next. Once I'm done with THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING, I'll leap back into the world of Amaliya and Cian. I'm looking forward to it.

You can keep track of my progress on the new novel in the right hand sidebar of my blog. At this time, I estimate that the final novel will be around 90, 000 words. If I end up going over this number, I'll adjust the tracker.

Thanks again for voting! You really did help me decide which book to write next!

Rhiannon Frater Book Signing at Barnes and Noble in Round Rock

2011-09-08T17:20:00.001-05:00

Time: Saturday, September 24 · 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Location: Barnes & Noble 2701 Parker Road Bldg. A. Ste. 700 Round Rock TX 78681

More Information:

Award-winning writer Rhiannon Frater, author of The First Days (TOR) and various other novels (The Tale of the Vampire Bride, Pretty When She Dies, The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters, As the World Dies: Untold Tales v.1) will be signing at the Round Rock Barnes and Noble starting at 2:00 PM. There will be copies of THE FIRST DAYS available and you are welcome to bring any other book of Rhiannon's you would like signed.

What Should I Write Next?

2011-09-06T19:33:00.002-05:00

Follow the link to vote on my facebook page.

I'm undecided, so this will really help me out.

Thanks!

THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE - An Update on Sales and Rank

2011-09-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE was a novel that I wasn't sure the vampire fans would embrace. It is a gothic horror tale with a return to old school vampires who don't sparkle in sunlight, drink human blood, have a tendency to be really bad, and cannot venture out in the daylight.

I was pleased when the Library of Horror Press picked up the novel for publication, but I wondered if it would find its audience.

I am happy to say it has!

In the month of July, THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE was in the top 5 selling books at Twisted Library (the parent publishing house of Library of Horror).

1. "Beyond the Dark" - Patrick D'Orazio
2. "Comes the Dark" - Patrick D'Orazio
3. "Into the Dark" - Patrick D'Orazio
4. "The Road To Landsford" - Brad Zipprich
5. "The Tale of the Vampire Bride" - Rhiannon Frater

I was thrilled to find out that a vampire tale was holding its own against all the zombie books book out by the publication.

The amazon.com stats are pretty amazing, too. It has often made it onto the top 100 Vampire novel list for the Kindle and the reviews have me blown away. I finally looked at the stats for the reviews and my mouth dropped open.

Customer Reviews

81 Reviews

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Out of 81 reviews, 67 are five star reviews. I'm just stunned.

THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE has definitely found its audience and I'm so excited. Soon the sequel will be out and I'm anxious to see how fans of the original receive it.

Thanks again for all your support!

My Favorite Reads - The Zombie Edition

2011-08-31T13:07:00.001-05:00

I've been asked over and over again by fans of the AS THE WORLD DIES series to recommend another zombie series just like mine. Honestly, I don't know of any zombie novels that are in the same vein as ATWD. I suspect that is why it's popular.

The other common question I am asked is to recommend other zombie books that I like. Since I've been working on my zombie novels for almost 7 years on and off, I haven't read as many zombie books as people might assume. I tend not to read in the genre in which I am writing at the moment. I usually cram my zombie reading into time periods when I'm writing about other kinds of monsters. But I have read a few books in the genre that I'd like to recommend.

IF YOU LIKE A DASH OF HUMOR

BREATHERS from S.G. Brown was not only funny, but a story with a great plot, sympathetic characters, and a nice dose of social commentary. It was so clever and well-written, I could completely understand why Hollywood snapped it up so quickly.

I had the pleasure of meeting S.G. Browne at a convention we were both appearing at. He is a very nice guy and it was a pleasure meeting him. I was very excited when I got an autographed copy of his novel.

THE ZOMBIE-WILSON DIARIES by Timothy W. Long is just all sorts of wrong. It's just wrong! When I read the original online serial, I busted out laughing too many times to count. When it was later published by a small press, I had fun helping Tim tidy up the book (but not too much..the publisher wanted it to sound like a real diary), and we had a good time giggling over the cute illustrations his daughter did for each chapter.

Timothy Long does a great job making the obscene, macabre, and profane incredibly funny.

IF YOU LIKE NONSTOP ACTION

Once the zombie action starts in DEAD CITY, it does not stop. Literally. I remember staying up all night flipping pages as fast as I could. Our poor hero didn't get a break to take a breath, and neither did I. I plowed through to the end of the book in record time. Seriously, the book never lets up.

I met Joe McKinney a few years ago at a local convention in Austin, TX. It was a great pleasure to meet him and chat about the zombie genre. He was very encouraging to talk to and he gave me some of the best advice on my writing career I have ever received.

LAKEWOOD MEMORIAL is a return to the slow shambling zombies of the Romero films, but it is fast-paced and full of action. The story revolves around a single mother, a nurse at the local hospital, and her two kids on the night the zombies rise from their graves. The kids are home with the sitter since their mom is at work and a good chunk of the story is about the children trying to reach their mother.

Robert Best and I have a playfully adversarial relationship in real life. I mock his enormous head and he loves to proudly proclaim how much I suck. But I have to give him kudos for this book. I stayed up a good chunk of the night reading this book in one fell swoop while attending a convention where he was also appearing. I could not put it down.

IF YOU LIKE DYSTOPIAN FUTURISTIC NOVELS

THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH is a unique take on the zombie genre. It takes place a hundred years after the dead took over the world and our young heroine Mary, lives in a fenced in village controlled by a religious order. The world building in this novel is incredible and I loved the fenced in pathways and villages that inhabit it. The idea of walking down a long path with zombies on either side of the fence trying to get to you is just terrifying. The prose is lyrically beautiful at times, but the zombie action is excellent. I didn't like the lead character in this book at all, but I loved the book as a whole. The two sequels are also very good reads, building on the foundation of the first. The third book in the series, THE DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES is my favorite of the three.

The author, Carrie Ryan, is one of the first women to write in the genre and she's amazing.

Ann Aguirre is the author of one of my favorite sci-fi book series of all time, the Sirantha Jax series (starts with Grimspace), so when I heard she was writing a dystopian novel with zombies, I was like "WIN!" This book also takes place long after the zombies have risen after some sort of terrible event and humans have retreated to the world below. A good chunk of the beginning of the book takes place in the tunnels under a major city as pockets of humans struggle to survive against very fast, very scary zombies. This is the first book in Aguirre's RAZORLAND series, so it does have that cliffhanger feel to it, but it was definitely a good solid read with lots of action.

Both of these books are Young Adult, but its definitely fare adults can enjoy.

IF YOU LIKE SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS

EMPIRE is a very different read, but awesome in every way. Born online (just like my series) Empire was later acquired by Permuted Press (and later reissued by Simon & Schuster

I'm not going to lie. David Dunwoody is one of my absolute favorite authors. He's amazing. Every time I read his work, I wish I had written it. He's just so good.

IF YOU LIKE STEAMPUNK

The strange thing about this novel is that you don't even need the zombies to make this a great book. They end up like a bonus to an already awesome premise. Just the idea of a toxic gas rising up out of the ground and killing people is terrifying. So is the concept of the city being encircled by a wall to keep that gas contained. Add in a woman looking for her teenage son who has gone into that contaminated city to discover the truth about his father, and you have a killer plot to being with. Add in zombies and the story just gets epic.

Cherie Priest does a killer job with this novel and I loved the entire premise. I'm not a big steampunk person, but she really sold me on this world.

IF YOU LIKE NON-TRADITIONAL ZOMBIES

This is the second book in the AUTUMN series, but my favorite so far. The tension, action, and character development are better than the first book. There are some genuinely unique scenes in this book that gave me the shivers. The zombies in David Moody's novels are not traditional Romero zombies. In fact, they don't even eat their victims. They just really, really, really hate the living. I like how the humans' greatest enemy is any sound they make, because it will inevitably bring the zombies down on them.

If you don't mind your zombie fare with a twist of something different, this one is for you.

IF YOU LIKE SHORT STORIES

I love this anthology, and not just because I have a short story in it. I just love the stories in this tome of epic zombiness. There are some truly unique takes on the zombie genre in this tome. One or two of the stories gave me nightmares. This is definitely one of the best compilations of zombie goodness ever.

I have a ton of zombie novels still sitting in a huge stack in my bed room waiting to be read when I'm finally down with the AS THE WORLD DIES series. I plan to read Jonathan Maberry's DUST AND DECAY very soon.

What are your favorite zombie novels?