Awesome Review for THE LIVING DEAD BOY AND THE ZOMBIE HUNTERS

THE LIVING DEAD BOY AND THE ZOMBIE HUNTERS was written specifically for my nieces and nephews after one of them complained there were no zombie books (or movies) for kids.  One of the things I love about my nieces and nephews is how blood-thirsty the little buggers are when it comes to zombies.  We usually have zombie movie marathons when they visit and play zombie-themed video games.  Listening to them plan for the zombocalypse is always fun.

"Dad, if you turn into a zombie, I'm shooting you in the head," my one niece informed my brother.

"Uh, thanks," he answered.

Kids are pretty much without mercy, just so you know.

Anyway, I heard their complaint and wrote THE LIVING DEAD BOY AND THE ZOMBIE HUNTERS for them.  I aimed it squarely at 12 and up, but I think some 10 year olds could handle it if they're already horror fans.  I kept the age group firmly in mind while writing, so there isn't bad language and I kept the gore/violent quotient on the low end on the scale though it still has plenty of thrills, chills and scary stuff.

The book is about kids and written for kids, but a lot of adults have really enjoyed the book.   It takes them back to their own youth and it is a solid, fun zombie story.

But, sadly, because it is written for kids, some of my fans have not picked it up.

A review was posted today on Amazon.com that I really enjoyed.  I want to share it with the fans of my other work because I feel it the reviewer really hit the nail on the head.

Enjoy!

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for young teens..., June 23, 2011By
Mr. G. Kelleher "Gerard K" - See all my reviews(REAL NAME)  
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters: A Young Adult Zombie Novel (Paperback)I am a great fan of Rhiannon's adult zombie trilogy and as this is currently on a hiatus I thought I would fill the void. Although primarily aged at younger teens I found it to be a fantastic read (I am 40). 
The story follows a group of young kids from the outbreak, their isolation from adults and the loss of loved ones. Through the journey you can see the growth of characters in the face of adversity, the strength of friendship and acceptance. That said, there is plenty of adventure with, of course, attacking zombies, survivalist tree houses, zip lines and a race to safety. So, if you have ever imagined yourself at school, the arrival of zombies, escape, the race to get home only to find that it is not how you left it and then wondering what to do next, then get this book, if you have not, get this book so you know what to do if it ever happens! 
For anyone wondering who is book is suitable for, I would say anyone from age 12 up, it's a child's adventure encompassing all the emotions that I believe younger teens would feel. There is none of the explicit gore associated with some of the books in this genre and no sexual references beyond a growing sweet first love. 
I believe this book would be a great gift, or additional to, any young horror fans library and for younger boys it is probably a relief from the whole vampire girlie love novels that are saturating the book shelves at the movement. If you are an adult and love the zombie genre, you should also read this book as it is a really character driven and a refreshing short break from the normal end of the world scenarios. 
If you would like a taste of sci-fi/horror for a younger audience, I would also highly recommend the free short book, Flesh and Circuits, which is available in the Free Fiction section of the author's website. 
A great read, highly recommended to all. 

When All That Is Left To Say is Good Bye...

Living Dead Boy, I'm going to miss you.

My terrible little tale of the undead squaring off against a group of kids is in its final stages of birth. Final draft is done. Now comes the proof copy and the last read through before it hits the printers, Amazon.com and all other distribution points.

Yesterday, Kody Boye finished formatting the book and sent me a copy. I scrolled through the pdf, staring at the words laid out in a really cool format, admiring the font choices, etc. I got to the end of the file and thought, "This is it."

A big moment.

The very last part of the equation is being worked on. That is the cover artwork by Dan Galli, the artist behind a majority of the Library of the Living Dead Press covers.


Here is a sketch of the cover artwork.

I absolutely love it and cannot wait to see the final product. I think it perfectly captures the essence of the book.

Kids versus zombies.

Also in my email this morning was a really awesome blurb from David Dunwoody, one of my favorite authors. He loved the book! That really touched me. Coming from him, that is high praise.

All the test readers loved it as well. They are all adults and die hard zombie fans. Knowing they could read a book with child protagonists and enjoy it was an enormous relief. I know my nephews and niece will love it, but I was hoping that adults could invest in the kids as well.

So I'm very close to letting this one go forever. Another child birthed and sent off into the world.

Slicing Up My Outline

Last night I made a lot of progress in my zombie book for the Library of the Living Dead Press called Living Dead Boy.

I felt good about seeing the end of the book in sight at last. It's been rough writing with all the insanity the first part of this year brought to the table (though I'm not complaining). A lot of the changes taking place this year have been very positive, but it feels like my time has just been gobbled up left and right. Finding time to write when I'm not completely mentally and physically exhausted has not been easy. The fact I got TWO chapters done this holiday weekend was a huge relief. Also, the flow was amazing and felt so good.

I loosely outlined the last six chapters of the book after I finished writing the latest chapter. I basically tried to lay out (in order) the scenes I had in mind for the rest of the book. I am an organic writer, which means I write by the seat of my pants, so I don't always know how everything will connect up. I usually go into a novel with the main character in mind, how the story starts, bits and pieces in the middle, and sometimes (but rarely) the end.

The outline also felt solid until I slid into bed and turned off the light. Suddenly, my mind was ticking through the plot points."This doesn't fit.""This doesn't make sense.""This should happen instead of that.""This character should have this happen, not that."It was like watching a movie and seeing alternate scenes being spliced in.

One of the scenes I wanted to write, but has never "sat" just right in the storyline, hit the mental scrap heap last night when I realized it would completely shift the story away from our main protagonist and reduce his heroic role. I admitted that the reason I wanted to shove that scene into the story was because it made a cool action sequence, but came across as a plot device.

So I hit the eject button on the scene, felt the plot shift in my head, and just like that, a new scene, much cooler than the original, slid into reality.Now the book has a slightly different ending and it retains the heroic role of the lead character. It also adds more of an emotional wallop by keeping the focus on the character previously established, instead of bringing in a minor character to steal his thunde

Things are feeling very solid with the book. Hopefully, I will have this first draft done soon so I can start the revision process.

Living Dead Boy-An Update

Tonight, I wrote another chapter for Living Dead Boy and outlined the rest of the book. Six chapters left (approx. 10, 000 words). I'm so excited.

It has been a little rough writing about children dealing with the zombocalypse. More than once I had to sit back and consider what I had written. Had I shown too much? Too little? Was it too violent? Too disturbing? Each time I have decided that what I have written fits the tone of the book and have continued on. The story feels solid with its emotional punch, yet satisfying with its zombie action.