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AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES VOLUME 3 Release Day Online Party Details

Join me on June 11^th for the official release day party (online) for the final book in the AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD universe. There will be giveaways, webcam chats (I’m the only one on camera, so no worries about getting your hair done), and plenty of fun.

TO RSVP for the event, just click here.

WEB CAM CHATS  

These will be on tinychat, so make sure you download the program before the big day. Download the program here http://tinychat.com/ and make sure you create an account via Facebook (the easiest way).

Chats will be discussions about the AS THE WORLD DIES trilogy and the Untold Tales. They will be FULL OF SPOILERS. This is your chance to ask me questions, discuss your favorite (or least favorite) parts of the books, tell me how much you hate me for killing________, and whatever else you want to discuss. I’ll even discuss what comes AFTER the final story in the trilogy.

• The first chat is at 2PM US CENTRAL time. This is scheduled with the overseas fans in mind and for people who work in the evenings.
• The second chat is at 8PM US CENTRAL time.
• If people want a third chat, I will schedule it for Midnight US CENTRAL time, but you’ll have to let me know if this is a good time or not.

GIVEAWAYS

 These will include the original trilogy in paperback (US & Canada only), the Untold Tales in paperback (US & Canada only), eBooks of the Untold Tales (worldwide), and bookmarks and bookplates (worldwide).

Throughout the day I will be asking fans questions, so be warned of spoilers.

THIS IS NOT A SPOILER FREE EVENT.

World War Z Early Review- Yes, I Saw the Movie!

If you've read this blog over the last six months, you'll have noticed that I head out to screenings in Austin on a semi-regular basis. My friend, Kody Boye, and I are full-time writers so it's fairly easy for us to go sit in line for HOURS to see some of Hollywood's best films.

I was excited when I scored early passes to see World War Z on June 18th, but then Kody scored passes to the fan screening of the movie on June 6th. I was thrilled out of my mind, because this was the official screening and Brad Pitt has been making surprise appearances at some of them. Plus, as a zombie fan, I've been dying to see this film!

So, Kody and I showed up for the 11:00 PM showing at 6:30 PM in the afternoon and were fairly close to the front of the line. There were probably only ten people in front of us. We settled in, both of us whipping out books to read.  I was amused by the fact we ended up sitting under the poster of the movie.

We noticed that they were setting up photography equipment and a big green screen. It took awhile, but finally they started to invite us out of line to get our photo taken. I wasn't too sure what was up, so I took a peek and liked what I saw.

Now, I'm super camera shy and despite losing twenty-five pounds since the beginning of the year, I tend to be self-conscious. Then I thought, what the hell. This is a once in a lifetime experience and I'm tired of self-hating. So I jumped in front of the green screen and...

I'm off to save the world.

My zombie shoes disappeared into the green screen. LOL. They're green with zombie teeth and eyeballs, but oh, well. My t-shirt came out looking awesome!

A little after ten they started escorting people into the theater. Now, I had seen the press going in, but when a whole lot of people who weren't at the front of the line started going in, we started to get nervous. Apparently, Ain't It Cool News was hosting and they had a list of winners that got to go in first. Then the 101X winners (radio station) got to go in. Kody and I were really worried at that point. It seemed so many had gone in that we might not make it into the screening.

At last, we were handed out wristbands and we hurried inside. We sat at the very front of the theater, directly in the middle in front of the set up microphones.  Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News came out and spoke for awhile, handed out swag to people dressed as zombies, then seemed to hem-hawing a whole lot. 

And then...

Brad Pitt!!!!!

BRADDDDDFREAKINGPITTTT

Yeah! We were all screaming. My phone was nearly dead and I was trying so hard to get good photos. He came in, introduced the movie, then jogged back out, but WOW! WOW!!! And you know what? He's so good looking in real life! Better than the big screen!

Almost immediately after he left, the movie started and...

NO SPOILERS AHEAD

Basically, you get no respite in this movie. There are a few minutes in the beginning of the film to establish the family and then BAM! It's relentless. Absolutely relentless.

Zombie fans for years have been wanting a movie where you see it all go to hell on a world wide scale. This is it. Seriously, it's absolutely terrifying. The scenes of sheer chaos were done very, very well and you're left with a sick feeling of "I'd never survive this."

Scenes of mayhem: check

Scenes of zombies everywhere: check

Scenes of people completely freaking out: check

Scenes of massive battles between zombies and military: check

Now, these are not Romero zombies. They're a lot like 28 Weeks Later zombies in that they're very, very fast. The bite is lethal, killing the host in seconds, and turning them into a new carrier. Now, these zombies don't EAT people. They bite to infect. In that regard they remind me of the Inferi Scourge in my novel, The Last Bastion of the Living. They are carriers of a virus that wants nothing more than to SPREAD. And the infected are RELENTLESS. Completely, 100% relentless.

We don't get to see the undead up close and personal until the mid-way point and when we do...ugh...They're ugly, they're nasty, and they're terrifying.

SLIGHTLY SPOILERY

Brad Pitt's character, Gerry, once worked for the UN as an investigator, but you suspect he may have been a bit more.  In the opening of the movie, Gerry actually counts down from bite to infection while still rescuing his family. He's incredibly observant, which is seen throughout the movie. He sees the little things other people might miss. He has a keen eye and that helps him survive some truly horrible situations.

The opening sequence is truly chilling and later in the supermarket scene I really felt anxious for all the people raiding the store. Another thing, people you see doing things like getting baby food are later seen as the infected. Again, a great way to punch you in the stomach with just how awful this situation is. 

Gerry is a family man and he is a compassionate father. His love for his family compels him to help solve the mystery of the zombie infection because his family will be removed from the air craft carrier  their airlifted to if he's deemed non-essential personnel.  (Gerry and his wife also take in an orphaned little boy named Tommy, which I thought was an awesome touch.)

I liked how Gerry slowly stitches all the things he's observed together and comes up with an idea how to deal with the zombies. I also like that they USE the word zombie.

Gerry felt like a very well-structured character in my eyes. I cared about him. I cared if he'd succeed or fail. I cared if he lived or died.

HOW DID THE FEMALE CHARACTERS FARE?

After all the crappy sexism stuff floating around the last few months, it was a huge relief to see some strong women in the movie. Mireille Enos as Karen, Gerry's wife, comes across as delicate and kind at first, but when a zombie is after her husband, she unleashes. She's also a fierce protector of her children and fights to save them. She's not seen much after the first third of the movie, but I still felt she was a fully formed character that I cared about.

Segan with Gerry

Daniella Kertesz is Segan, an Israeli soldier, that was fuckin' AWESOME! I loved her so much. She was just epically bad ass from the first moment we see her with her shaved head and clad in her gear. Through the rest of her time on the screen, she remains just as amazing. Daniella did a great job in the role. Segan comes across as strong, sympathetic, smart, and very capable, but still very female. When both she and Gerry are wounded, they help each other as equals. I really loved that touch.

The Zombies

As I stated before,the zombies are fast, relentless, and terrifying. They'll do anything to get to their prey and spread the virus. Anything. And once someone is infected, they move on. In the first part of the film we didn't get to see the zombies really close up. A lot of action is going on, so it's just hard to absorb everything (which is why I'm going to see it again when it comes out). We see one guy after transformation, but he's freshly dead. His eyes are messed up and his face is mottled, but he's not a decaying corpse.

 Later on, we start to see what they REALLY look like and it's not pleasant. They LOOK like moving corpses. Because these zombies don't eat the living, they're pretty intact. Yet, they are most definitely dead.

In the last half of the film, you get to see the zombies and their behaviors and it is very creepy.

I did like the rules for these zombies. I liked how they moved. I liked the concept of infection. I liked everything about it. The swarming they do is really, really terrifying. They just run over each other to get to their prey. I thought they were a bit too fast, a bit too flexible, etc, but...what the hell? They were different from the norm and I was okay with that.

The Gore Quotient

Now a few people have been complaining that it's PG-13. I didn't have a problem with that.  This is a zombie movie on an epic scale. There are massive scenes of mayhem and destruction unlike any we have seen in a zombie movie before. I'm okay with the payoff. Less gore, more action. 

Gore fiends will be disappointed, but this movie doesn't need it to be effective. Seriously, when you see the zombies attacking the high walls of Jerusalem, you don't need blood and guts to be freaked out. I kept sitting in my seat thinking I was such a dead duck in that situation.

This is a BIG summer movie. This isn't a Romero film. This is a huge budget, major movie star film that is about ZOMBIES. Our beloved undead. It's also a film that tweens, teens, young adults, and the general public can see alongside the zombie fanatics.

The audience I saw the film with loved it. Everyone was hyped up afterward. Men, women, children were all excited about it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I expect bitching from the die-hard zombie fans who insist that everything must be like Romero, or that the film didn't follow the book (which is a series of short stories, not one cohesive narrative), but they'll be missing out on a fun, exciting, scary action film that is a love letter to our genre. We don't get the Battle of the Bronx, but we do get epic scenes of zombies versus..uh..the world.

I hope World War Z cleans up at the box office so we can see other big budget zombie films in the near future.

Go see it!

Added 6/7/13
I forgot to show off my awesome shirt!

And, yes, I'm the chick with the crazy red hair that stood up when Brad Pitt walked into the theater. I heard you can see me in some of the footage. *dies of embarrassment*

Yes, I Have Seen The Baby Fingers Photo on Facebook

This photo has been posted on my timeline around 300 plus times.

If you have read The First Days: As The World Dies Book 1 you know exactly why fans of the trilogy immediately tag or post it to my timeline. One day it was posted to my wall so many times I finally went into my Facebook settings and set it so no one could post to my wall anymore. My entire timeline was THIS PICTURE!

I swear to God that when I check my activity every day to approve tagged items for my wall this picture is there over and over again. When George Takei posted it recently, I was flooded with this photo.

Which brings me to this...

What the hell did I do to you people?

*insert cackling evil laugh of doom here*

Have I really ruined baby fingers under doors for you forever? (Please say 'yes') Do you flinch when your toddler reaches for you hungrily from the other side of the door?

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *waggles fingers*

Now someone needs to make a zombie version of this photo.

Wait..no.

That will get spammed onto my wall, too!!

Sexism is Alive and Well in Genre, But Female Writers Are Speaking Out

When I was a little girl I used to love watching I love Lucy. I thought it was hilarious. Lucille Ball was so gifted that just the slightest twitch of her lips would make me giggle.

Years later, as an adult, I decided to sit down and watch an episode with my mother. We were both giggling until this happened. 

Suddenly, we both stopped laughing. The show ceased to be funny. I remember we looked at one another with dawning horror. 

My mother and I talked for hours afterward, revisiting old episodes we remembered and discussing how much things have changed for women over time. The complete dominance of Lucy by Ricky (despite her "disobedience" that was played for laughs) was something I could no longer enjoy. I didn't want to see a man dictating what his wife could or could not do, ordering her about, disciplining her, and then kissing her affectionately when she "learned her lesson."

I haven't watched I Love Lucy since that day. I probably won't ever watch it again.

In the last few months I have had a distinct feeling that there are quite a few in the literary world who'd love to return to the days when men could tell women to shut up. And, honestly, in the face of some very blatant sexism, a lot of female writers have done just that for years.

Finally, we're starting to speak.

One of the most eye-opening articles I've read on the topic of sexism in the writing world was written by Deborah Copaken Kogan for The Nation. She detailed ongoing sexist attitudes and behaviors leveled at her throughout her career. She also spoke of the fear of speaking out and jeopardizing her career. That fear is one many women in the literary world share with her. I know I do.

Soon after that article posted, Maureen Johnson wrote about the gender politics of cover artwork. Though I do believe that covers for certain genres should be aimed at a particular audience, I have also noted that when men and women write in the same genre and address the same themes, their covers often reflect their gender.

Amanda Hocking wrote a blog post about the Gender Coverup, then followed up with an addendum post. I was forced to consider my own views on certain points she addressed. One comment really stood out when I read it "From a very young age, I knew that "girly" meant inferior, so I avoided it like a plague."

She goes on to discuss her own self-hatred and how she tried to alter those things about her that were considered feminine. She notes "Having emotions - particularly sadness and love - are associated with the feminine..."

Of course, that also translates into the literary world. If a woman writes about emotional connections among her characters, its trash. When a man does it, it's literary.

For example, when a woman writes about complex characters dealing with the difficulties and sometimes tragedies that come with falling in love, it's automatically slotted as a romance novel and disregarded by many.

But when a man writes about the same themes, it's suddenly high art, touching, and fabulous.

If Abbi Glines is a romance novelist, so is Nicholas Sparks. 

Just sayin...

About the time all of this was blowing up, I had my own run in with sexism. I'm NOT going to mention names. I don't want to start a flame war. Honestly, I still don't think the male author realizes how absolutely sexist he was when dealing with me and my fans.

Anyway, here is the story: The Last Bastion of the Living was being read by a group online. A male zombie writer basically said that he liked the book before it devolved into chick-lit and became about who was hogging the bed sheets. There was an immediate response from the people reading the book. I didn't see the initial kerfuffle because I was at Texas Frightmare and had very limited coverage on my cellphone. I became aware of what was going on because of a tweet I saw after we left the hotel and were on our way home. I followed the link, saw the comment, and was just floored.

First off, Maria and Dwayne are both adults in a committed relationship and their love for one another is a major motivator in the decisions they both make throughout the course of the book. There is one very brief sex scene, and the two leads spend a majority of the story apart. Secondly, The Last Bastion of the Living is Sci-fi/Horror.

This is the definition of chick-lit:

Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly.

I cut and pasted the description and told the male writer that I seriously doubted he would have made those comments if I was male and my main character was, too. I then posted on my personal Facebook page and made sure not to mention or tag the writer while expressing my great displeasure at this comment.

Then we dropped out of service for a very long time as we traveled home to Austin. I discussed at length with my husband about how irritating it is to deal with sexism as a female horror (and zombie) writer. I'd already encountered several instances of sexism that I blogged about previously. Whenever I am the brunt of sexism, I'm left feeling dirty. It's almost like I've been dunked in mud and can't wipe it off. 

When I came back into cell service, I was floored. The male writer had unleashed on me and my fans. He accused me of sending my fans after him (which I didn't. I didn't even tag him or mention him by name), and he tagged me in a post I was later told was supposed to be an apology. It wasn't. In fact one of his fans visited my Facebook page after reading that post and dismissed me as a "fan fiction writer." The male writer had also gone onto my personal Facebook wall to respond to my complaint. I was shocked to see him describe me as a "bitch" due to some of the fan comments and there was an offer to beat up any of my fans willing to fly to where this writer lived. I was just beyond words. 

Like most women in the face of sexism, I started to lower my head and go silent. I fought the urge and told him that I had not tagged him in order to keep his anonymity nor sent anyone after him. I also informed that no one speaks for me but me. Any fan comments were their own and I didn't necessarily support them. I continued to stand by my assertion that he would not have labeled my novel chick-lit if not for the fact I am a woman and my lead character is female.

At some point he told me to "pay attention" to what we were really arguing about. I'm still mulling that over, because what I was upset about was his blatant sexism. That was what I was arguing about. I wonder what he thought we were arguing about.

I almost wrote this post a month ago, then decided to go silent. Yeah, I gave into the instinct to lower my head and be quiet. I don't like to fight. I don't like to get into heated discussions. I don't like engaging with someone who calls me a bitch and offers to beat up my fans. Though he accused me of blocking him during the fiasco, I didn't. And I won't now. I hope all my posts about sexism and the fight against it will open his eyes. Honestly, I suspect that he has NO CLUE that he was ragingly sexist that day. 

But like I said...I went quiet. I hate drama. I hate rocking the boat. 

And then...

The SFWA was hit by a huge controversy about the horrible sexism in The Bulletin, it's publication. You can read about it here and here. Outgoing SFWA president, John Scalzi, released his own statement addressing the issue.

"We could spend a long time here discussing whether the offense was intentional or accidental, or whether it is due to a generational, ideological or perceptual schism. It doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, too many of our members have felt their contributions and their place in the industry and within the organization belittled; too many of our members see other members being treated so. If we believe that we represent and serve all our members and not just some of them, then we need to listen and address those member concerns.

That begins with recognizing the problem. And here is the problem: SFWA, through the last few issues of the Bulletin, has offended many of our own members."

The first line really struck me because it DOES matter. It matters a lot why these self-described "white, old men" felt they had a right to demean women and then mock the people who pointed out their sexist comments.

We NEED to talk about the roots of why this keeps happening.

Ann Aguirre spoke out on her blog on June 2, 2013 about the sexism she has endured in the SFF community. You should read it. It's eye-opening, infuriating, and gut-wrenching to read.  

I am a huge fan of Ann's Sirantha Jax science fiction series, and I have always been bothered by it being labeled Science Fiction Romance.  I have read books by Charles Stross and Ian Banks with about the same amount of romance in them, yet they're not considered Science Fiction Romance.

Ann opened up the comments for people to tell their own stories, and I shared a shorter variation of my own. Afterward, I decided to finally stop being silent and write my own post.

I'm tired of hearing comments like "So...is this a romance novel with zombies" "So is this like girls crying all the time or something" "I read ADULT horror" "Why don't you write a romance novel or something nice like that?" "Does this have kinky sex in it?"

I'm tired of sexist reviews being left on my books because I'm a woman who writes about the human condition in the face of horrific events. "This is a zombie book for twelve year old girls!" "This is Mills and Boons with zombies!" 

I'm tired of being silent. I'm tired of listening to men (and sometimes women) mock me to my face because I dare to write horror novels.

I'm so...so...tired.

Yet, I have many horror fans (male and female) who are amazing supporters of my work. I have had my male horror writers treat me with dignity, respect, and kindness. 

I have seen the best of my community and the worst.

Maybe if we finally start addressing the latent sexism that permeates the various genres we can see effective change. Men and women working together can make a huge difference. If we all speak up when sexist comments are made, then people will learn that sexism is not acceptable.

Sexism is so insidious and all around us that even I sometimes miss it.

To finish up this very long post, let me tell a little story.

My friend, Kody Boye, and I went to see a movie. While we were waiting for the feature to start, there was a behind the scenes commercial...for a commercial. HA! It was for the new Microsoft tablet. Anyway, during the course of the commercial one of the male dancers was highly praised for his abilities. Then they showed a woman. The narrator described her as a female version of the male he just praised.

"Female version," Kody scoffed. "Nice."

I sat in stunned silence for a few seconds, then I got angry. For two reasons. One, the woman had been defined not on her own merits, but the man's. Two, I didn't catch it.

At all.

So...I have a question for you.

Are you paying attention?

I am.

AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES VOL 3 Roars Toward Publication

I'm very happy to announce that the official release date for AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES VOL. 3 is June 11, 2013. It will be available in paperback and all ebook formats at online bookstores.

NOTE: You can currently purchase it in ebook at my online store in all ebook formats. I did this early exclusive release for the fans.

There will be an online release party on Facebook with plenty of giveaways, chats, and other fun stuff. Make sure you rsvp by clicking here.

You can also pre-order an autographed copy of the book. They will be mailed the week of release. The deal also includes a new bookmark designed just for the Untold Tales.  The pre-order is only open until June 8, 2013. 

To pre-order, just click here.

Special thanks to Philip Rogers for another great cover!  Check out the full wrap below.

I also want to thank my friend (and the inspiration for Rune) George Russell for allowing us to use his image to portray Rune. He also provided photos of his Harley!

Remember to add the book to your Goodreads list!

In the third volume of the AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES experience three terrifying tales of those who are forced to face the unrelenting and hungry walking dead.

Returning to Texas after celebrating his divorce in Vegas, Rune, a biker cursed with the ability to see ghosts, discovers that the world is being taken over by the hungry undead. Soon he realizes he will have to depend on all his abilities to survive not only the ravenous zombies, but the dangerous men lurking on the back roads of Texas.

Senator Paige Brightman abandoned the Madison Mall and its inhabitants to the hungry hordes, but her journey did not end there. Her attempt to reach the president’s safe haven called Central has far reaching ramifications for her and the people she abandoned.

The final in the three stories reveals the aftermath of the great battle in SIEGE as one woman faces the ultimate decision whether to live or die in a world of the undead.

Inspirations for PRETTY WHEN SHE DESTROYS (PWSD3)

A look into my brain...