Category: author interview

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: To Die, or Not to Die, that is the Question…

Posted on May 30, 2018 11:58 pm by

Ever wonder what authors would do in the case of a zombie apocalypse? On every Thursday, I’ll be posting the answers to that question on my blog…

This week, author Jane Alvey Harris weighs in on her zombie apocalypse survival plan.

I already have a ‘Zombie Contingency Plan’ ready to go

My good friend James asked me to write up a guest post about what I would do in the event of a ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE. I bet he wasn’t expecting to hear that I already have a ‘Zombie Contingency Plan’ ready to go. But I totally DO.

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Here’s the thing. I don’t like zombies. Like, AT ALL.

“Well, duh, Jane,” you might scoff. “Nobody likes zombies!” Yeah, yeah. So you say. But I know some of you secretly can’t wait to get out there and dust up some undead. I for REALS want NOTHING to do with them.

Anyone who knows me well knows what I would do in the event of a zombie apocalypse. I think it’s an important disclosure, and one that can tell you a lot about a person.

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Do YOUR loved ones know about your Zombie Apocalypse Contingency Plan?

XLLS

Mine do, and it’s pretty simple: I would off myself. Immediately. 

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Trust me, I know this isn’t a popular plan, and you’re welcome to try and change my mind. But you won’t.  I promise: I would only choose this plan IF there were an apocalypse, and IF that apocalypse produced brain-eating zombies.

IF, PEOPLE!!!

SLXL Because, (sorry, James) why would anyone want to survive a Zombie Apocalypse?? The living turn into MONSTERS, and like, strap strangers to mattresses for their snacking convenience, (I’m still traumatized after reading Cormac McCarty’s “The Road”) and all the undead are gory, gross, brain-eating machines.

I see no tenable future in that scenario.

Emily, the main character in my current series, the My Myth Trilogy, would XLL Shandle things quite differently. She’s a caricature of my own personality, which makes her simultaneously stronger and weaker than I am. Emily would survive to save her siblings Jacob, Aidan, and Claire (whereas I would kill us all). They’re her whole purpose, her reason for striving, her reason for facing her demons, her reason for doing really difficult things that almost paralyze her.

Emily may joke about zombies, but if they ever threatened her brothers and sister, she would decimate them with her masculine and feminine Fae powers of Blaze and Keen.

Bottom line:

You absolutely want Emily on your side in a zombie apocalypse.

You just want to be very careful not to get to close…

and you definitely never want to piss her off.

As for me? I’m guessing you probably don’t want me on your side.

Jane

I have a Humanities degree from Brigham Young University with emphases in Art History, Italian Language, and Studio Art. I’m CRAZY about the visual and performing arts! I enjoy playing classical piano, painting & sketching, singing & acting, and especially writing poetry & prose.

 But my real passion is PEOPLE. I love to watch and study what makes us tick as human beings. I’m definitely a dreamer, and my favorite thing to do is weave together sublime settings and stories for characters to live and learn in…myself included.

 I currently live in an enchanted fairy-princess castle in Dallas, Texas, with my three often-adorable children and their three seldom-adorable cats.

Zombie Apocalypse: Heavy Metal Zombies

Posted on May 24, 2018 1:00 am by

Ever wonder what authors would do in the case of a zombie apocalypse? For the next several weeks, I’ll be posting the answers to that question on my blog…

This week, author Arthur Slade weighs in on his zombie apocalypse survival plan.

What is your best skill in a zombie apocalypse?

Headbanging. Now some people perhaps laugh at my joyful love of 80s heavy metal. Perhaps they even look down their collective noses at me. Well, they won’t be doing so during the zombie apocalypse.

I have well over thirty years of headbanging in my system. My neck muscles are like steel bands. My ability to shake my head at great speed (the true skill of headbanging) will come in handy when those hands and fingers of the rotting dead reach for me. Twist head  to the left. Twist head to the right. Escape their grip! And if they corner me in a room with no escape I will just begin to shake and dance and play air guitar channelling Angus Young of AC/DC (look him up on YouTube you young ‘uns).

The zombies will all shake apart from the pure “metalness” of my performance. And finally, if an army of the dead approach, I will hit the high notes of Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and Rob Halford (Judas Priest) combined and the zombies will be incinerated.

Plus, I can run pretty fast for a middle-aged man.

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Arthur Slade was raised on a ranch in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan. He is the author of eighteen novels for young readers including The Hunchback Assignments, which won the prestigious TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and Dust, winner of the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature. He also co-created the graphic novel Modo: Ember’s End.  He lives in Saskatoon, Canada. 

P.S. He does all of his writing on a treadmill desk. And he listens to heavy metal. At the same time.

Zombie Apocalypse: Fast Food Zombie

Posted on May 17, 2018 1:00 am by

Ever wonder what authors would do in the case of a zombie apocalypse? For the next several weeks, I’ll be posting the answers to that question on my blog…

This week, author Jane Whittingham weighs in on her zombie apocalypse survival plan.

What is your best skill in the case of a zombie apocalypse?

 

MY SPECIAL SKILL

On first glance I might not appear to be the best person to have on your team in the event of a zombie apocalypse. I’ve never held a gun. I’m not particularly strong or fit. I have no outdoor survival skills. And I’m not exactly a dab hand with a baseball bat.

What I do offer, though, is a very special skill set gained by watching countless hours of cooking competition shows on television.

Stay with me here. In the aftermath of a zombie attack, food will likely be scarce and hard to come by. As the saying goes, though, an army marches on its stomach. How are we going to feed ourselves with no fast food outlets to rely on?

Friends, this is where my special skill set comes in. Thanks to all those episodes of Iron Chef and Chopped, I will be able to take the most random assortment of ingredients and turn them into something (somewhat) nutritious and (hopefully) delicious (or at least edible). I’ve seen chefs turn ground beef into delectable desserts, so I think I’m well prepared to handle even the most challenging culinary scenarios.

Now, this might not seem like the most vital skill in the face of global annihilation, but nutritious meals will help survivors keep up their strength (and avoid disastrous food poisoning), while tasty dishes will help build morale.

So hand me that tinned asparagus of questionable age, those bags of squished marshmallows, that bottle of cola and that squirrel you just trapped and let me work my magic!

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Jane Whittingham is a children’s book author and librarian. Her debut picture book, Wild One, was published by Pajama Press in Canada in November 2017 and will release in the United States in March 2018.

In addition to books, she’s also passionate about travel and does share the occasional travel-themed post on Raincity Librarian. She also adores anime, Korean dramas, strong black tea, sushi, and her home city of Vancouver (aka RAINCITY).

 

Zombie Apocalypse: Long Legs as a Weapon of Choice

Posted on May 10, 2018 7:00 am by

Ever wonder what authors would do in the case of a zombie apocalypse? For the next several weeks, I’ll be posting the answers to that question on my blog…

This week, up and coming author Laurie Crookell weighs in on her zombie apocalypse survival plan.

 

 WHEN ZOMBIES COME TO TOWN

 Warwick Castle. Warwickshire, England. 2018.

The castle’s walls rise from the ground like oversized tombstones. Majestic towers guard each corner, as if giant knights carved from stone. An entrance way beckons, the drawbridge extended like a hand of greeting. I stroll into the courtyard, where overgrown rose gardens soften the harsh, stone walls.

Thunderous clouds loom overhead. Lightning bolts flash through the sky. Gnashing teeth clatter. Are prisoners still languishing in the dungeons? I glance about. Augghhhhhh!

Zombies! Everywhere. Clawing at me. Grasping for my limbs. Has the apocalypse arrived? Blood oozes down the zombies’ decomposing faces, their matted hair hanging like rats’ tails dripping in sludge. The stench of rotting flesh and putrefied skunk spray rushes up my nose. The zombies moan. Low. Deep. Guttural. Spine-shivering.

Fear slithers through my body, squeezing my insides with gut-wrenching dread. My heart plunges, thumping to the erratic rhythm of panic and fear. Thud-thud. Thump. Thud-thud-thud. Pound. My heart flips inside out.

I run, feet hammering the ground, my brain racing like a Formula One race car. What am I going to do? How do I get rid of zombies? They didn’t teach that in Economics 101. Help, I’ve never even seen a zombie movie. Quick. Think. Wait, that’s it. My long legs! I can outrun and out-climb those zombies any day. To the towers!

The zombies surge forward, their ragged clothing flapping against their limbs. I run even faster. The nearest turret rises before me. I scramble through the open four-foot thick, wooden door, pushing it shut behind me. Thud. Clunk. I bolt the door, metal clanking on metal, as the bolt slides into place.

A spiral staircase swirls to the top. I sprint up the turret stairs, two at a time. Up and up, whirling around in a dizzying coil. My sneakers grip the worn, stone steps. Sunlight filters in through narrow slits along the turret walls. I pant. Beads of sweat drip down my face. I push myself upwards, only a few more stairs.

I reach the top, shove open the wooden door, and then bolt it shut behind me. Clank! I stroll to the edge and gaze out at the vista below. Emerald green grass, like velvety moss, stretches before me, masking the battles of historic times and drawing my attention away from the teeming zombies below.

I’m safe. At least, for now!

Nighttime flies in on raven’s wings. Black. Eerie. Ominous. Shadow’s twin, lurking, like a cloak over earth’s noble throne. Zombies gnash their teeth, while moving en mass against the turret door below. I slump to the cold, stone floor. Hunger sneaks in, my stomach churning. Does anyone deliver pizza this time of day? I pull out my cell phone and dial.

“Air delivery, please.”

A deafening crash echoes through the night. The zombies break through the first bolted door. The apocalypse at ground level has begun. Will my pizza arrive before the zombies?

Before long, a helicopter swirls overhead. A rope drops with a pizza box dangling on the end.

“Hey!” I holler. “Can I hitch a ride out of here?”

The pilot nods. I grab hold of the rope. The helicopter lifts up, its propellers whirring overhead. I hang on tight, swaying back and forth as I dangle midair. Zombies burst through the door and swarm onto the top of the turret.

I laugh. “So long, you zombie devils! My long legs will beat you every time.” I fly off into night’s ebony silk sky, luminescent stars twinkling over my victory. “Take that, you flesh-eating zombies! I win!”

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BIO: Laurie Crookell is an up and coming writer, with 13 awards from provincial, national, and international writing competitions, along with 14 published newspaper and magazine articles. She hopes to soon land a publishing contract for her picture books and young adult novel, after which, perhaps she’ll write a movie script about zombies.

Zombieapocalypse: Knit Your Escape!

Posted on May 4, 2018 8:00 am by

Zombie Apocalypse: Knit Your Escape!

Ever wonder what authors would do in the case of a zombie apocalypse? For the next several weeks, I’ll be posting the answers to that question on my blog…

This week, author Eileen Cook weighs in on her zombie apocalypse survival plan.

What is your best skill in the case of a zombie apocalypse?
This is a difficult question to answer. Right off the bat I know my biggest downside- an active imagination. I’m the MASTER at imagining the worst case scenario, which means I would be picturing zombies popping out of every possible dark corner. I would be that person who was always screaming: “ACK Over there! Over there!”  and then once everyone ran over and realized there was nothing but a shadow would start to ignore me, or leave me behind because my constant screaming was both annoying and attracted the wrong kind of attention.
The one useful skill that I could bring is that I can knit. In most zombie shows I can’t help but notice everyone’s clothes look pretty shabby. Not that being fashionable is the most important thing when attempting to outrun the un-dead, but you don’t need to look bad either. Plus, I can make socks. If you spend a lot of time running you’re going to want comfy socks. And, not to freak anyone out, but knitting needles are big giant pointy sticks. I’ve never tried this on purpose, if you stabbed a zombie with one, it would hurt and into the eye would be a sure fire way to kill one. I have managed to stab myself (granted never through the eye) by accident and I can vouch it doesn’t feel great.

 

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Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in eight languages. Her books have been optioned for film and TV. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. Her newest book, THE HANGING GIRL, came out in October 2017. She’s an instructor/mentor with the Simon Fraser University Writer’s Studio Program.

Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two very naughty dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

Thrice a Zombie Weapon…

Posted on April 26, 2018 8:00 am by

Zombie Apocalypse: Thrice a Zombie Weapon…

Ever wonder what authors would do in the case of a zombie apocalypse? For the next several weeks, I’ll be posting the answers to that question on my blog…

This week, author Sylvia Gunnery weighs in on her zombie apocalypse survival plan. And she does so as a story! Sylvia is one of the authors I’ll be doing workshops with at the SD73 Young Authors’ Conference in Kamloops on May 4th.

 

Zombie Apocalypse Challenge

It’s midnight (of course). The wicked winter wind howls around the corners of my house and the angry Atlantic Ocean pounds against the rugged shoreline. Salty spray is hurled at the trembling windows. All dire warnings. But is anybody listening?

Snow swirls out of the darkness like desperate, lost ghosts.

Or zombies.

A sudden knock sounds on the front door. Eerie. Eager. Then again.

Through the frosted window I think I see, in the dangerous darkness, a crowd (more of a small collection, than a crowd, actually) of desperate zombies, huddled helplessly together. They plead with undead eyes for me to let them come in out of the apocalyptic storm. The winter nor’easter, my first weapon, has grabbed the zombie spirits by their fleshy (er..I mean…) creepy throats. They are already faltering in their gruesome intentions!

But the zombies are not yet conquered. (Of course not.)

My second weapon is ready.

I open the door. Zachery (I already know his name because I’m the one writing this scene) stands at the head of this zombie collection. He’s the one who came up with the brainy (yummmmm) idea to appear at Crescent Beach on this winter-storm night. Zachery nods to his nearly dead followers. Like a group of ten-year-olds at Hallowe’en, they crowd into my porch. I close the door against the wild wind and frigid, foreboding night.

Grey eyes stare out of decayed faces. Grey and blistered lips curl across pointed and purposeful teeth.

“Hu…” I stop myself (before it’s too late) from asking if anyone’s hungry.

“Thi…” I stop myself (before it’s too late) from asking if anyone’s thirsty.

My second weapon has begun to work its magic. Silent. Invisible. It oozes into their brittle zombie bones. Finally, their grey and gruesome zombie thoughts slowly begin to melt away in the warmth of the fire in the wood stove. (Note: slowly begin to melt away.) It’s not over yet!

I have one more weapon left! (Three is always a good number in story structure–you know, like three wishes, or three little pigs, or three blind mice. Or, in this scene, three zombie-conquering weapons.)

With my third weapon, I will turn this boney band of beleaguered bodies into a calm collection of curious creatures!

“Sit down, everyone. Make yourselves comfortable,” I say. “Do I have a story for you!”

It was a dark and stormy night…

About the author…

Sylvia Gunnery first took herself seriously as a writer when she attended the five-week Banff Centre writing session in 1976 under the instruction of W.O. Mitchell, Alice Munro, and others. Since then she has published over 25 books for teens and children as well as professional resources for teachers of writing. A recipient of a Prime Minister’s Teaching Award, she has presented at conferences, libraries, and schools across Canada.  In 2016, she was honoured with a WFNS Legacy Membership.  Sylvia lives at Crescent Beach, on the South Shore of Nova Scotia.  Her newest YA novel is Road Signs That Say West (Pajama Press 2017).

Zombie Apocalypse: Fight or Flight?

Posted on April 15, 2018 7:30 am by

Ever wonder what authors would do in the case of a zombie apocalypse? For the next several weeks, I’ll be posting the answers to that question on my blog…

This week, author Denise Jaden weighs in on her zombie apocalypse survival plan.

My Zombie Attack Plan…

My only strength in a Zombie attack is my best friend, Shelly. She has rescued me from car accidents and injuries requiring stitches. She is super-capable in all situations, and all I have to do is say the word and she will come to my rescue.

On my own, I am useless. You know how when some people get panicked, they stand up and fight, or reach for helpful battle or protective items, or even run away? Yeah, that’s not me, I don’t do any of that. I freeze. In fact, I’ve been known to pass out from panic—my heart rate drops, my hands and feet turn to ice, and I literally lose consciousness. I’m not proud of this. I always thought I’d be the person others would turn to in times of extreme stress, but the truth is, I’m the last person anyone should turn to!

 

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Denise Jaden wrote her debut novel, Losing Faith, in twenty-one days during NaNoWriMo in 2007. Jaden’s other young adult novels include Never Enough, A Christmas Kerril, Foreign Exchange, and Avalanche. Her nonfiction books for writers include Writing with a Heavy Heart and the NaNoWriMo-popular guide Fast Fiction. Her latest how-to writing guide is Story Sparks.

For Denise’s latest novel, check out: Outcast: Track One: A Living Out Loud Novel