Who knew kissing a corpse would change everything?
Death always hits Xylia Morana too close to home, but she likes it that way. She hangs out with the terminally ill, attends random funerals, and every so often, when the weather is right, she sleeps in open graves.
But after Landon Phoenix, the high school hottie, dies in Xylia’s arms, she sneaks into the morgue to say goodbye. How could she know stealing a kiss from his corpse would wake him up?
With Landon returned to the living and suddenly interested in Xylia, life has new meaning. But what Xylia doesn’t realize is that by kissing Landon back to life, she’s thrown Life and Death off balance. The underworld demands a body, and it might just have to be Xylia’s this time.
GIVEAWAY!!!
Avery is conducting a giveaway through Rafflecopter, so check out the Rafflecopter sign up widget at the bottom of this post. and now for a snippet about publishing from Avery.
Publishing Right and Wrong?
This is strictly my opinion and some of you might not agree with me. And that’s okay.
I’ve learned over the years that there is no right or wrong way to get a book published.
Honestly, there isn’t. It’s all up to you as an aspiring Author on how you want to get your book into the hands of readers.
There is a bad misconception, I think, that has developed, and I think it’s best to say that sometimes this is a case of agree to disagree.
Not all books need agents and a Big six publisher. That might not be what you want, and it might not be what works for you and that’s okay.
Let’s face it, there are millions of writers and even less agents and even less publishers. So getting your novel in front of an agent, to which they will love it, become a die-hard fan and sell your novel in a bidding war to one of the big guys is like winning the lottery. Your chances aren’t always in your favour.
But still, there are gamblers. I was/am a gambler. I wrote novels, polished them to the point that I was blue in the face, and then because I still wasn’t sure if it was good enough I sent it to other people for even more polishing help. And then I sent it out to agents.
Then I realized the entire writing/publishing/reading industry is subjective. There will be people that love your novel and people that hate it, and people that just won’t bother reading it. So, if you catch an agent on a good day, you might get a full request or partial and, well, you might even find yourself receiving a rejection.
However what people don’t tell you is that there are other routes you can take. A rejection from an agent isn’t the end of the line for your novel if you don’t want it to be.
If you’ve weighed the options, you’ve decided that you do want to see your book in print, and have accepted the fact that it may not be with a big six publisher, what do you do next?
Decide how you want to achieve your goal of becoming a published Author, plain and simple.
You can find another way to traditionally publish your novel. There are many—with a little digging—publishers that accept un-agented submission. Sure they may be smaller, but they can still get your novel out into the world. You’ve still got a chance.
Since E-book readers have become so popular, and have taken over the internet, this is another way. You’re novel may not land itself a print version, however you can still have the backing of a publisher, you can still get your novel out into the world and you can still reach readers, millions of them.
But wait! There are also publishers that are a combination of the above. They are smaller presses that do e-book and print versions. The best of both worlds, sometimes they are known as POD (Print on Demand) there is still nothing wrong with that. So, your novel only gets printed when someone wants it. You may not find your book on every shelf in the country, but with sites like Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, the Book Depository and many others, your book for a small amount of shipping (or not) can travel across the globe and into the mailboxes of readers—which, of course is your ultimate goal.
Now, say you want your book published, and getting it done, in print and/or e-book is your only concern. There are presses that will do it, for a price. They say you should never have to pay for anything in this industry, or you are doing something wrong. Not always the case, and not always true. If you have a novel that you think will sell, you want it out into the world, but you need help with some of the aspects, like editing, cover design, promoting, and the like you can use what’s called a Vanity Press. I know the name suggests a certain tone. But hey, if you want your novel out there, and you don’t mind paying a little up front for a la carte services then this may be an option to consider. There’s nothing wrong with it in my opinion.
What happens if you are a go it alone type person? And you want complete control over every aspect of your novel. You want to be able to put out as little or as much funds into making your dream a reality, you want to design the cover, you want to write the back cover blurb and you have what it takes to promote and sell your novel. Perhaps self-publishing is for you. For some, this is an option that outweighs them all because it’s you and your novel against the world. There are many great Authors who have hit it big because their self-published novel made waves and grabbed attention.
Also, like playing the lottery, or finding an agent, or getting a novel published you can still be lucky enough to draw the winning numbers. Any of these forms of publication can still get you and your novel the attention it needs to snag a big guy or an agent. It happens. Maybe not all the time and maybe you won’t be that Author, but there’s still a chance.
When it comes to you and your novel, you know what’s best. Publishing isn’t easy, but you can make the ride smoother if you know what you want and you know how you want to get there.
Short Excerpt from A Stiff Kiss:
No way should I be in the morgue. If I’m caught, I’ll lose my job. My dad will probably get fired, too. He’s been warned to keep me out of here.
The walls are lined with thick, square doors, clearly marked with numbers. I stop in front of the one I want. In the middle of that wall, at waist height, is number twelve. Beyond the door, lying on a sliding metal table, is the body of Landon Phoenix.
I’ve always had a crush on Landon, ever since freshman year when his family moved to Silver Springs. I’ve watched him grow into his looks, no longer a gangly boy with braces. And I’ve longed to hear my name roll off his tongue in that deep voice of his. To press my lips against his as he holds me in a tight embrace. To share the same air as him.
Though now, all those things are impossible. Except one. I can pull open the door, slide the table out, and at least for a moment I can share the same air, even though his lungs can no longer pull in that air.
I hesitate, my hand on the handle. Besides my mother, this will be the only other person who’s died that I’ve really known. The others have just been people, random ones at that. The guy from the grocery store who jumped off Whibley Bridge into the icy waters below, the occasional patient of mine who’d succumbed to old age, and many, many others. But this is personal. This is someone I’d known. Or at least, someone I’d held secretly in my heart.
But I need to say goodbye.
About the Author:
Avery Olive is proudly Canadian. She is married, and when she’s not helping raise her very energetic and inquisitive son, she can be found working on her latest novel-where she devilishly adds U’s into every word she can.
When she is looking for a break Avery enjoys cake decorating, losing herself in a good book, or heading out to the lake to go camping.
The release of Avery’s first novel proves to her it won’t be the last. As long as her family continues to be supportive, she can find the time, and people want to read, Avery will keep on writing.
Here at the Zombie Survival Crew, we’re not ALL about zombies. Sure, we make sure we are sufficiently prepared for the zombie apocalypse, but we’re also open to preparing against all types of potential horror scenarios. I have nightmares about furry creatures rising up and overrunning the command center. And then when I awake, I realize it is partially true, Commander Murphy’s obsession with those freakin’ bunnies makes me wonder whether we’ll ever be a fur-free environment again. But today we have invited Sadie Hart to talk about bad guys and villains (and we certainly know a few of those *cough* UGA *cough*). And Sadie knows what she’s talking about—she works with a serial killer on a regular basis…and one that shape-shifts as well.
Sadie has also been gracious enough to offer an ebook and swag pack to the winner at this stop of her tour.
CONTEST
I know we have a few wolf fans in the crew, starting with our very own Yellow Brigade Commander, Jinxie G, so for the contest, answer this question in the comments: If you had a werewolf stalking you on one side and a horde of zombies shambling your way on the other, how would you escape? The winner will be selected based on the creativity of the answer. Show your commanders you are ready to rock ‘n’ roll come the Z-poc. And now Sadie, take it away:
On bad guys/villains…
The bad guy in a story can be one of the most complicated characters in a book, and in my opinion, they should be. Then again, I’m not a big fan of the ‘purely evil’ bad guy. I like motive. Sure, a killer went on a rampage and killed fourteen people…but why? Why did he or she kill them in that way, what about the victims drove the murderer to pick them, what in their past made them who they are? Of course, I might have watched one too many Criminal Minds episodes to drive this obsession of mine, but I find those types of characters the most believable.
But more than that…I find them to be the most relatable. Understandable. And that’s always really difficult for me as a writer, trying to understand why someone could kill or harm another person. Ever heard the saying, “A villain should be the hero of his own story”? In Hounded, the bad guy thought he was saving the world in a sense. He was saving everyone from the ‘monsters’ that had done him wrong. In the end, the killer’s defeat was almost a sad scene. He had loved ones and motives behind his actions.
Even if a villain’s reasons behind his or her actions aren’t the most understandable, there are things that can make them seem more human. The killer in Cry Sanctuary has a dog. He was a very weird character for me to write. The Hunter is a serial killer, he hunts his victims down, and yet, he then goes home and cuddles up to his golden retriever. There were times as I was writing him that I was truly reminded that the Hunter was human. Oh sure, he was a werewolf too, but he was also a person. Which added a chilling element…he’s a guy who could be very normal in day to day society, and yet he’s got quite the body count behind him. Those are the scariest bad guys in my opinion. They’re the ones you never see coming.
After being held captive at the hands of a serial killer, Holly Lawrence is the only one who’s ever managed to escape the werewolf known as the Hunter. As a Hound for Shifter Town Enforcement, it was her job to track and find the killer; instead another girl died the night that she escaped. Now, the Hunter is changing his game and he has Holly in his crosshairs, all he needs is a good chase.
But when he targets the pack of Sanctuary Falls, alpha werewolf Caine Morgan is determined to protect them–and he’s not the only one. The Hunter is using Sanctuary Falls in a terrifying cat-and-mouse-game as he zeroes in on the one prey that ever got away: Holly. As Holly struggles to stay one step ahead of the Hunter, it’s up to her and Caine to work together to save herself and his pack…
But with the body count rising with every full moon, this killer won’t stop until Holly cries sanctuary….and runs.
About the Author:
During the day, Sadie Hart works as a secretary in a library. At night, she writes steamy, paranormal romances revolving around the things that go bump in the night–both the spooky and the naughty kind. She lives in Michigan with two large dogs, both rescues. She writes the Shifter Town Enforcement series, combining her love of all things animals, the paranormal, and an action packed plot, but she doesn’t plan to stop there.
Thanks to Sadie for stopping by. Be sure to check out her links, and don’t forget to comment.
Being a zombie is no picnic and it’s one hell of a handicap in the romance department when you fall in love with a ‘breather’:
Aleta is a breather with short blonde hair and brown eyes – two of them! – and the whitest smile Fred has ever seen. Every day at a certain time she sits at her window, and every day he stands in the rubble across the street among a crowd of zombies waiting to break through the fence and eat her.
‘You are beautiful, like an angel’, he thinks, but all he can moan is, “Braaaiiinss.”
Still, as zombies go, Fred’s quite a catch. Underneath all the gangrene and rot, Fred is different. This girl will probably turn out to be yet another dead end, an infatuation, someone whose image he cannot get out of his mind and whose taste he cannot get out of his mouth, but the heart wants what the heart wants.
For breathers, it is always only a matter of time, however beautiful they are and whatever the government is assuring people.
Which makes Fred sad because he has a beautiful 11 year old son called Timmy, and Timmy may still be alive.
Excerpt Chapter I
Commute
Fred’s ruined face stared back at him from a fractured, mold spotted mirror. The remains of breakfast pooled around his feet and a pair of lace panties clung to his shoe, glued there by God knew what.
Bits of flesh were stuck between his yellow teeth, along with the sodden remains of a hand-wash-only label. There was no denying that he’d seen better days.
Being a zombie is no picnic.
Compelled to pause and take stock of himself, he wiped his gore stained hands on a filthy shirt, unsure if he was cleaning the hands or the shirt. His right eye looked like a crushed egg yolk and his left leg was broken in two places. A large splinter of bone poked through the nskin above his thigh, fine dark lines etched across the surface like a bad piece of scrimshaw. The open wound on his neck had started leaking again, but at least the fluid was mostly clear now.
No use dwelling on negatives. Time to get to work. He turned away from his reflection, and limped out of the men’s room of the Vince Lombardi rest area.
An overly bright morning sun assaulted him as he stepped outside.
Fred gave a mental wince, wishing yet again that he could blink.
Sunlight had no adverse effect on the undead, but he had never been a morning person. Rain or shine, today he had to shamble over to Terminal C of Newark Airport, where eight breathers were making their last stand. Zombies were lone hunters and rarely worked together.
Every so often, however, a kind of collective broadcast signal went out over the undead grapevine, announcing the newest brain buffet – in a shopping mall, a church, or an airport – with predictable and satisfying results.
Dozens were already making their way down the New Jersey turnpike. By their mindless, movie-slow pace, he knew they hadn’t fed.
Zombies weren’t Jesse Owens on the best of days, but they tended to move a lot faster with a little brain in the old furnace.
If Fred could breathe, he would have sighed. There’d be hundreds of zombies, all ready to fight over eight brains and assorted bits. The breathers would probably take out ten to twenty percent of the attacking hoard before being overwhelmed. That left about ten zombies per breather. With luck, by the time he got there he would still be the brainiac of the pack.
Having his wits about him gave a zombie an edge in the hunt. The effects of the virus or whatever it was that put the mojo in their mortified flesh varied from corpse to corpse. Most became textbook droolie ghoulies, but some could reason and even remember who they were as breathers. So far Fred hadn’t come across any other thinkers, but he doubted he was the only one.
By mid-afternoon he found himself enjoying his walk down the turnpike. Most of the fires had burned themselves out and although the air still reeked of burning gasoline, the skies were more or less smoke-free. He might be a walking corpse, but he appreciated a warm spring day like this one. He pulled his lips up in what should have been a grin.
Death, ruin and destruction improved the New Jersey Turnpike.
Not that there wasn’t a black lining to be found around Fred’s own little rainbow of a life. Most of the zombies were a few hundred yardsdown the road, but two lesser undead doggedly tagged alongside of him, putting a bit of a damper on things. The virus left them as nothing more than … well, nothing more than zombies. They were about as interesting as slugs and moaned so much that, were Fred alive, he’d be sporting a hell of a migraine.
All in all, however, the day was turning out quite well. He almost convinced himself being undead wasn’t so bad. Sure, it was bad luck that he was forty-five years old with a rather large potbelly when he had been bitten by that damned clerk. Being cursed to wander the earth in search of brains was bad enough, but why couldn’t it have happened when he was twenty years younger and thirty pounds lighter?
He was imagining wandering the earth in search of fresh brains as a slimmer, sleeker and younger Fred, when the head of the zombie on his left exploded.
About the Author:
Lawyer, Writer, Zombie Man
I have no real interest in anything and therefore write about everything. Think of the funniest person you know. I’m just a little bit funnier. Same goes for humble and good looking. Stick around. We’ll have some fun.
We managed to catch up with Bisi Leyton during her busy tour with Bewitching Book Tours for the release of Wisteria and had a chance to ask her a few questions. Keep reading below the interview to find out how you can win a Kindle Fire!
Blurb: Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to survive among the hordes of living dead.
Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen before, but somehow knows.
Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies.
Interview
When did you first begin writing, and what inspired you to write your first book?
The first novel I wrote was when I was twelve and I was inspired by the Sweet Valley High Series. So I wrote some ‘interesting’ fan fiction called Beach Landers. I started writing it because I liked the SVH stories, but never liked how the stories ended and also because I only owned one book. My classmates seemed to have hundreds.
What books and authors have most influenced your life?
Roald Dahl and Jeffery Archer really got me to love reading.
Tell us a little about your main character, Wisteria Kuti. Is she based on any real-life person, or entirely from your imagination?
Both: She’s named after my niece, but a lot the bullying she goes through is from my teen years. In some ways Wisteria is who I wish I was in high school, even with all her baggage.
Faced with a world infested with flesh-eating biters, what would be your go-to method of defense and why?
Select an island with only one bridge in or out and with some farm land. On my way in, fall in love with an army Major and convince him and his company to come to my island (they’ll provide security and organise the workforce). Getting to the island blow up the bridge and trade with pirates.
In this ever-changing world, it behooves us to be prepared for disaster to happen at any moment. The Zombie Survival Crew members have a “go-bag” filled with items essential for their survival should disaster strike and they must flee to survive. What are the most essential items for your go-bag and why?
A crowbar – good for fending of zombies and marauders and breaking into places
Rat trap – Because face it, we gonna need a practical source of food and I can’t kill a deer.
Water purifier – For obvious reason, we need clean water
Map of whichever country I’m and how to get to Norway – lots of island and a very small population, so hopeful won’t be dealing with a lot of infected
A tool kit and instructions on how to use the tool kit – because you’ll never to what I’ll to break into
Book on Neuro Linguistic programming – so I can brainwashing anyone I need to help me and ensure in the survivor camp people don’t (a) plot against me (b)use me for food.
Having lived and worked in several countries, how do you feel that has shaped the person you are today?
Totally, because I’ve travelled some much right from when I was a kid, I don’t feel I can write about the normal world because I don’t know what that’s like or where anything is.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in writing for a young adult audience?
My worry is to make sure I’m not patronising my readers. I don’t really feel I should dumb down my writing. I know my readers are smart (and I’m learning they are a lot smarter than me). I also worry about the amount of violent, swearing and sex include and how to talk about it.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
If you have an idea, start writing and find people who you can talk to about your ideas. You will be surprised how much that helps you develop your story. Also, be clear who your audience is, it helps you focus.
What are you working on now? Can you tell us your latest news?
I’m working on two things. First will be the second and third book in the Wisteria Series. I hope they will be out mid-October and Early December respectively.
The second project is my new Young Adult Paranormal Series that I’ll launch in 2013. This will also have zombies, but will include a re-imaging of Frankenstein’s Monster.
Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?
I just want to thank them for reading the post and taking the time to check out my book. They can find out more about Wisteria on my facebook page or my blog. And of course can email me at bisileyton {a t } gmail dot com
Wisteria Book Trailer
Author Bio:
Bisi Leyton was born in East London in 1978. She grew up in London, Nigeria and the States, listening to the stories life and love from aunts, cousins and big sisters.
She lives in London, but has worked around Europe including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Czech Republic. She has a fondness for reading graphic novels.
We’ve all seen zombies as they shamble after their prey, moaning and groaning all the while. It is scary enough without this thought … what if those moans and groans are a method of communication. We’ve taken the fast track from scary to downright terrifying. Communication is the first step toward coordination and the idea of zombie’s acting together as one is petrifying. If they can communicate, then we are one step closer to being—lunch!
Today we are delighted to host the Zombified tour, where author Lyra McKen discusses her novel, Zombified, and her take on zombie language.
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Slopar
‘A Zombie Language’
In my novel the Zombies can actually communicate with others in their hoard. They talk to one another with noises, groans, and slow moving hand signals.
The language of the Zombies is a simple yet effective one. They can alert each other that there is fresh uninfected meat nearby. They can warn each other of impending human gun fire or explosives. The fact that they can’t move away very quickly usually means the warning comes too late.
In the beginning of the novel Cassie is attempting to explain to the man she is eating that there shouldn’t be any hard feelings. To him it sounds like she is moaning in pleasure over devouring his leg. She names him Neil because she doesn’t know his name. I think that she forgets that humans can no longer understand her.
When Rose first turns Cassie cannot understand her either. The art of Slopar comes slowly to the infected, and they eventually will understand it when they are completely transformed.
Through the use of their Zombie language they discover that they work better in slow moving hordes than groups of one or two.
Thanks again for allowing me to post on your blog. I hope everyone who reads Zombified enjoys it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Cassie is a typical teenager. She’s crushing on a boy and trying to make it through high school. It’s a typical day of classes when all hell breaks loose. Forced to run and hide the situation just keeps getting worse. She makes a mistake and soon becomes infected. She meets others like her and together they sent out to find a cure. Is their fate already sealed? Can they find a cure before it’s too late? See what happens through the eyes of the infected when Cassie tells you how Zombies are people too.
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About the Author:
Lyra McKen (aka, Emily Walker) resides in the mountains of North Carolina. She lives on top of a mountain quite literally with her other half of nine years and her fur baby, Rebel. After a couple of jobs ghost writing for other successful authors she embarked on her own journey to write a novel.
The command of the Zombie Survival Crew would like all members in the path of hurricane Isaac to take safety precautions as necessary. Please check in and let us know that you are safe or if in need of assistance. Once we have gathered the information, we will keep all crew members apprised of the situation and whether any help is required.
If you are in the path of Isaac, please check in with command either via this post or via Twitter or Facebook. Stay safe out there. More information will be posted tomorrow.
Biggest shopping center in the area is Crossroads Mall at 2060 Crossroads Blvd. (It does have a Scheels in there) [***Note*** For the uninitiated, Scheels is a sporting goods store which carries items which will be necessary during a zombiepocalypse] There are also several hardware stores in the area, such as the Menards on 1051 East San Marnan Drive, which is the one I’d go with when it comes to accessibility, it’s at 1051 East San Marnan Drive, there’s a Home Depot very close by though, at 1050 Southtown Drive. And at 1051 East San Marnan Drive is a Target, close to that at 1334 Flammang Drive is a Walmart Supercenter. Literally just up the road from Target is a CVS Pharmacy at 1825 East San Marnan Drive.
I would stay with these locations for resupply, simply because they’re so close to each other in proximity, and close to I-380 which is a main thoroughfare, but also crosses just north of Highway 20, which runs east-west. There’s a Dick’s Sporting Goods close to the Wal-Mart at 1411 Flammang Drive.
As for routes there, some might say I-80 but that’s WAY south of Waterloo. For those coming from the south, I-380 is a good route but it’s pretty open, it’s the main north to south route in Eastern Iowa. Highway 63 is a good north-south alternate, it runs straight through Waterloo. Conversely, those coming from the north or south could take I-35 to 20 and go east. East to West I would go with Highway 20. It’s well traveled, but not as large as 380 is.
But just so you know, there’s a National Guard Armory in Waterloo as well, 3106 Airport Blvd, in Waterloo. It’s about 8 miles north though, of the various stores and such I listed above.
Thanks again for the information, Chandra, you have done your brigade proud. Waterloo has a lot to offer for Zombie Survival Crew loyalists. Plenty of places to stock up supplies, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a National Guard facility in the backyard.
To read more on all resupply stations, please go to our (for members only) Key Links under the Escape Routes/Resupply Stations section
MISSION: Rescue one Moira Jones from 6th floor of over run hospital. OBJECTIVE: Search for and rescue Moira Jones and bring to safety. STRATEGY: Rendezvous with fellow members of the ZSC and use skill sets to bring Moira Jones to safety.
Emma’s POV (With Apryl): We moved slowly through the darkened hospital. I tried to steady my frayed nerves and ordered myself to get a grip. Purple Brigade prides itself on the ability to think clearly in any situation, and I needed to be on top of my game for this mission—even if I’d forgotten my go bag in my haste to get to the hotel. Luckily, Jess remembered hers and so I’d been able to receive a bit more information from the Purple Brigade leader, the Oracle. No one knew how many walkers there were, but the situation didn’t look good. Walkers had easy prey in a hospital, and so far there had not been one single report of anyone making it out alive. Still we had two powerful zombie-killing positives on our side: Blue Brigade Leader Norman Reedus and the Leader of Special Forces, Michael Rooker. With them leading us, we had hope. But each moment intensified the danger Moira faced, and there were so many questions swirling through my brain: Where did she end up? How much food did she manage to grab? Were there other survivors with her? Had she been bitten? I shook my head. I needed to make sure we got the first level clear before we could really begin looking for Moira. Out of the whole group, I was probably the newest and greenest. Sure, I’d taken on walkers before, but nothing of this magnitude. Frankly, in terms of combat skills, Luna, Jess’s zombie-killing dog, surpassed me by far. I was glad I’d been paired with Apryl. The woman could wield her Desert Eagles like no one’s business. She made that clear when she took out a walker reaching for Norman by firing an impossible shot right over his shoulder and directly into its head.
Purple Brigade
I tightened my grip on my full Tang 440, twenty-inch blade. At least I knew how to use the thing. It was light, easy to swing, and razor-sharp. We couldn’t get in and out of the hospital without a fight. Our entrance alone made that quite clear. “All right people,” Michael whispered, loud enough for us to hear but quiet enough to keep any nearby walker from hearing us, “you all know what to do. You still have your walkie-talkies; so don’t forget to keep us informed as to where you are. We can’t help you if you get pinned down by walkers and we don’t know where you are, and we’re not going to go running all over the hospital looking for you when we’re trying to find Moira, got it?” We nodded. He looked each of us in the eye, and I held his gaze, drawing encouragement from his determination. We were usually a light-hearted and cheerful bunch, especially amongst each other, but not now. Finally, Michael gave a satisfied nod. “Let’s go get her. Just remember to watch your partner’s back, and if one of you gets bit…well, you know what to do.” I swallowed and glanced at Apryl, who nodded to Michael. I knew that if Apryl got bitten, I’d have to put her down, but I wasn’t sure if I could bring myself to do it. Cross that bridge if you come to it, I told myself. “Take out any walker you see as quietly as you can, if it’s in your way.” Michael whispered, lowering his weapon again. “And don’t forget, we’re headed for the sixth floor, ward six. If you find her before the rest of us, let us know and we’ll hurry up there.” We all nodded again. Everyone began to split off into their respective groups: Michael and Tiffany, and Apryl and me. But as we started to move apart, spreading out, our phones suddenly crackled to life and we all stopped short, looking at each other, then hurriedly each of us scrambled to answer. There was only one possible explanation for all of the phones going off at once: news from HQ. The ZSC managed to set up a fairly stable system of communication that allowed a single call to be made to up to sixteen people, so no doubt Norman’s crew were receiving the same call. “You have Rooker, Tiffany, Apryl and Emma,” Michael said into his phone. “Go ahead.” “And you have Norman, Eve, Jess and Rebecca. Go ahead.” Norman’s voice came in over the phone. “Rescue team, this is Yellow First Lieutenant Sean Patrick Flanery.” Each of us looked sharply at each other. A sense of foreboding settled itself into the pit of my stomach but I tried not to give in to it. “We’re reading you, Flanery,” Rooker said. “What’s the problem?” “ZSC HQ just received a call from Moira.” Sean responded, and I felt my breath suddenly cut itself off. Moira called? She was alive? “Moira contacted HQ?” Norman asked, sounding as relieved as I felt, “Is she all right?” “I don’t know.” Sean said. I could hear the tenseness in his voice, which made me worry. He wasn’t one to get worried easily. “What happened?” Rooker asked. “Is she in a secure location?” “She said she was, but now I’m not so sure. While I was on the line with her something happened, it sounded like glass breaking and I think something grabbed her. I couldn’t make out much more before the line went dead.” Silence fell. No one said a word. Finally Norman spoke, softly, but determinedly. “We’re going after her, anyway,” he said. “Did she give you a position?” “She said she was still on the sixth floor, and she said the only way up was the stairs.” “Then we’re taking the stairs.” Michael said, “Can you give us any more info? “Sorry, that’s all I got before the line went dead,” he answered. “Stay safe. Flanery out.” He hung up and we slid our phones back into our pockets. We split up and hurried off in different directions while I conjured up in my mind the map of the hospital Jess showed us. The nearest stairwell lay beyond the critical care ward, through another hall. Apryl unsheathed her hunting knife and I readied my blade as we fell into step beside each other. Power was out in the building. Very little light illuminated our path. We peered into darkened offices and patient rooms as we passed, ready to strike if we saw any movement or heard any moaning. Dark smears of blood covered the walls and floor. I could dimly make out what looked like dismembered limbs littered across the cold marble floor and occasionally a shredded corpse. Luckily the corpses in the corridor were just lunch, no coming back. I shuddered at the thought that this was the new normal. What was around us—this eerie quiet, this feeling of apprehension…of being hunted, this was our reality—a dark new world extending towards a grim a future we were hard-pressed to escape. Unless we could stop the outbreaks. That was what the Purple Brigade worked on. If Jess and I made it out alive, we’d have a good field report to make back to The Oracle. We reached the doors to the critical care ward and paused, listening to the hall that lay beyond it. We couldn’t hear anything. Apryl looked at me. “You ready?” I nodded, tightening my grip on the blade. One… She raised one of her silenced Desert Eagles and switched the safety off. Two… I grabbed the door handle and tensed. Three… I jerked the door open and we rushed into the critical ward. I’d never seen such carnage before. Ever. Blood, guts, flesh… all caked on the walls and floor, and strips of something I didn’t care to identify hung from the ceiling. Blood dripped from the ceiling tiles. The emergency exit light glowed red, making the whole place seem to be nothing but blood. The stench was unbearable. The smell of rotten flesh, of death, wafted through the air and I wrinkled my noise, swallowing to keep my stomach under control. “Oh, man,” Apryl muttered. Bodies of patients and doctors alike littered the floor, most torn apart, their intestines strewn across the cold floor, their muscles and organs exposed. Through it all waded fourteen walkers. The one closest to us—missing an arm and an eye—lifted its head and looked at us. A guttural hiss emitted from its disfigured face. The others turned to look. Their soulless, lifeless eyes bored straight through us. The unnatural glint of an insatiable hunger brightened their gaze as they spotted new prey. Together, we rushed the walkers. She took down the one missing an arm with a clean shot through the head. I swung my sword through the neck of what had been a doctor. His body crumpled, but his head clacked its jaws together as it tried to get a bite of my boot. I stomped down, feeling the sickening crunch of bones snapping, and turned my attention back to the others. Apryl felled two more as they approached. I took down two patients and a nurse. Apryl marched forward, duel wielding her Desert Eagles now, putting a walker down with each shot. She took down four more. I got another two, but as I swept my arm back from a stroke, I lost my footing on the slick, blood-covered floor and stumbled against a walker. It grabbed hold of my arms and growled. I tried to jerk free, but it wasn’t letting go of its food so easily. I pulled against it, harder this time, trying to kick myself free at the same time. It wasn’t working. “Down!” Apryl barked and I obediently lowered my head as the walker snarled. Blood and bone fragments splattered all over my face. The walker suddenly dropped, shot through the head. There was no time to wipe my face or thank Apryl. I quickly drove my blade into the face of another nurse and then pulled it free and spun, sword outstretched, and swiped off the head of another’s head. That’d been a close call. Very close. I turned to Apryl, shaken, but alive. “Thanks,” I said, wiping the gore off. “Are you okay?” She nodded, but looked me over worriedly as she approached. No bites on either of us. I needed to step up my game if I wanted to get through this. I looked down at the walkers, now still, on the ground as Apryl took out her walkie-talkie. “Apryl and Emma,” she said. “In the critical ward. Squirrel.” We grinned at each other and hurried back down the hall. Some of my confidence was restored as we made our way down the corridor and the other teams continued to check in. Not one had given the ‘Oreo’ alert, much to my relief. I kept reassuring myself that we would find Moira. She would be fine. There were more walkers in the next hallway, but not as many as in the previous one. I let Apryl handle it and instead pictured the layout of the hospital once again, placing our teams in the wards and corridors they’d last radioed in from. We were all still on the first floor, but judging from where Jess, Luna, and Rebecca’s reports, they were fast moving up. We were making headway. We paused by the stairwell door, hearing a slow shuffling coming from the other side. I nodded to Apryl and she gave a quick, powerful kick. The door slammed back, straight into two walkers. While they were dazed, she unsheathed her knife and took them out. “Apryl and Emma, entering a stairwell. Squirrel so far, we’re going up.” It looked like some debris was blocking most of the doors. We’d be doing a bit of climbing to get over it, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle. Everyone radioed in that they were heading up. The higher we climbed, the darker it became, and soon we were in almost complete darkness. “We can work around this.” I murmured to Apryl as I heard her stumble over a piece of debris. “We’re to the third floor I think, so we’re half way there.” “I’m all right,” she said. “It’s just annoying. We need to move faster. I’m worried sick about Moira.” “I know,” I answered, trying to see her in the darkness, “I think we could try and go a little—” Something suddenly grabbed my leg. A growl rumbled in the darkness. I yelped and fell back, banging my head against a stair. “What?” Apryl called out. “Where is it?” My head spun. The walker tugged on my leg. I tried to pull free from its grip, and surprisingly, my leg lifted it up, so it was a small walker at least. Apryl rushed over and lashed out with her knife, but missed and slashed my leg. I clenched my teeth to keep from crying out as the skin split apart. Instead, I reached for my own knife. “I got it,” I told her and slammed my leg back down. The walker growled but let go. I spun my knife and drove it into its head. “Are you okay?” Apryl asked, rushing to my side. “Y-Yeah,” I assured her, wincing at the stinging pain in my leg and covering the wound with my hand, “I’m okay. Could you reach into my bag and get out the bandages? I think you cut me.” She quickly handed them over. I wrapped up the wound as best as I could, hoping that the scent wouldn’t alert any walkers or leave a trail for them to follow. I pulled out my flashlight and flipped it on to take a quick look at the walker, to make sure it was dead.
Red Brigade
“Oh my…” Apryl breathed. It was a toddler. Or, had been a toddler. Its neck and part of its leg bore huge bite marks—a little girl with pretty, long brunette hair caked with blood. Her little hands were dirty and covered in blood as well. Neither Apryl nor I spoke for several minutes. We resumed our silent ascent up the stairs. We finally made it up to the sixth floor and approached the door, relieved, but wary. We slid our weapons out in preparation. Apryl went first. There was an odd sound as she yanked on the door. She gave a sort of chuckle and whispered, “You have to push it open.” I laughed a little and waited for her to push it open, but something was wrong. She grunted as she shoved against it as hard as she could, but the door didn’t budge. “Give me a hand,” she whispered. I edged in and shoved against it with her. It was no use. The door wouldn’t budge. “Oh you have got to be kidding me,” she growled. I wasn’t much happier about the situation. “I guess they locked it or barricaded it. We’ll have to go back down and try the fifth floor.” “Such a waste of time,” Apryl said as we started back down. I nodded, not that she could see me, but she expressed my sentiments exactly. If this door was barricaded, what about the fifth floor door? We’d probably end up having to double back and find the other stairwell, which would cost us a lot of time. Time we didn’t have. Both Apryl and I rushed back down to the fifth floor door and tried it. It too was barricaded, but gave way a little as Apryl leaned against it, so I helped her and together we shoved against it as hard as we could. After shoving and grunting for several minutes, we managed to push the door open wide enough to squeeze through. For a moment, I thought we were alone and somehow stumbled across an area that didn’t have any walkers. But just as Apryl started to reach for her walkie-talkie, we heard it. A sickly groan came from one of the rooms. A walker in a hospital gown emerged, staring at us. Apryl started to go for it, but I caught her arm and stopped her as more walkers emerged from the other rooms. Their moans grew louder. More and more began to issue forth. “We’ve got this.” Apryl raised her Desert Eagles while I unsheathed my blade. The thought that one of these things might be trying to get to Moira filled me with disgust and anger. We’re coming, I thought. We’re coming, Moira. Just sit tight. “You take the left side, I’ll get the right, okay?” I nodded, then we both rushed forward. Walkers fell with every bullet Apryl fired and with every swing of my blade. We’re not going to let these things stop us. They’ve taken enough from us already: our families, our homes, and our security. We’re not about to let them take Moira, too.
From the laboratory of the Oracle Top Secret Alert Level: Orange
As you know, for quite some time we’ve been keeping an eye on our Orange Brigade Commander, RC Murphy. Her obsession with zombie bunnies and keeping them in the command center, despite the mischief they do, has been a cause for concern. I banned them from my laboratory last year … the third time they chewed through the top-secret communication lines was the last straw. There was much pleading and pouting, but I stood firm.
You’d have thought I was sending them all out to face a firing squad or something. *rolls eyes* Because of the delicate operations being conducted in my laboratory and all the top-secret communications being processed, compiled, and analyzed, I need a clean room environment and simply can’t have rabbit droppings everywhere. Out they scampered, little ears drooping, while following Commander Murphy as she shuffled in the lead. But enough of that ….
Our concern escalated when RC attended San Diego Comic-Con, ostensibly in stealth mode, but carrying her furry infatuation with her through the crowds. Please note the white fur-ball attached to her waist in the picture to the right. How she managed to pull off incognito while strapping a zombie to her side, even if it was a bunny, is beyond me, but it is a testament to Commander Murphy’s ninja skills. It is a known fact that zombies become excitable in crowds, like a busload of senior citizens when dropped off at a smorgasbord, so on the surface it would seem our Commander carried her fascination to the point of jeopardizing the security of the Zombie Survival Crew. However, there were no incidents. How did she convince the bunny to play dead, instead of undead?
To be clear—it is not Commander Murphy’s dedication to the Zombie Survival Crew that is in question. Her loyalty is beyond reproach. I have wondered, as the bunny horde has increased, whether or not one or more of them have been plants by the UGA (Unnamed Government Agency), exploiting the Commander’s love of small furry objects for their own nefarious ends. There has been a distinct behavioral change and Commander Murphy is not to be seen outside the command center without one of her pets lashed to her side. Come to think of it, even while IN the command center, she doesn’t move without at least one or two as her cadre.
In order to protect the Zombie Survival Crew and the safety of its members, I have taken matters into my own hands and have begun testing on the zombie bunnies. We need to know with certainty that our actions are not being reported, despite all precautionary measures, through these bunnies. So far, no recording devices, cameras, or anything foreign has been identified, but I will continue my investigation. Hmmmm—I am beginning to see why Commander Murphy has a fascination with them …
… they are EVIL CUTE.
The PROBLEM is that while they are cute, they are ALSO bunnies—which means we are quickly approaching bunny infestation level.
*ACTIVATES CRISIS MODE*
So here’s the deal *leans in and whispers* Don’t tell Commander Murphy … I have been keeping back those which I have vetted and ensured are nothing more than a normal zombie bunny. I don’t want to return them to the regular population—and they are too cute to kill—so the Zombie Survival Crew will let them go to a good home for $16.95. Let us know your brigade colors and we’ll make sure their bandages are brigade specific.
From Walker Murphy as she’s chained to Michonne, along with her furry friend
On July 13th, a large portion of The Walking Dead’s cast and executive producers braved the insane crowds at San Diego Comic-Con. They started the day with a signing in the TWD booth (complete with life-like Michonne and walker mannequins). A horde of fans crowded around to get a peek. Yours truly was nearly trampled by some of the fans on the outskirts of the crowd.
In the afternoon, the cast and producers hit the stage in Hall H, SDCC’s largest meeting hall. Even with the upgrade to the larger room, they still could not fit all of the fans inside. People were lining up at 4 AM just to catch a glimpse of our favorite crew of survivors and hopefully hear some good news about season 3.
I won’t keep you guys waiting any longer; here are the important parts from the TWD panel at SDCC.
First off, The Walking Dead will return to our televisions on Sunday, October 14th at 9:00 PM. International fans will be able to watch starting the day after and throughout the following week.
Secondly, they confirmed the first-person-shooter The Walking Dead game from Activision, starring our favorite pair of redneck brothers, Merle and Daryl Dixon. This is our only chance to get more background on the pair. Robert Kirkman said they prefer to not utilize flashbacks to develop character story arcs on the show.
Lastly, this wasn’t announced on the panel, but we just got word that Universal Studios is producing a Walking Dead maze during their gigantic Halloween Horror Nights extravaganza in October at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando. They plan to drop brave souls smack-dab in the middle of some of the iconic and downright terrifying moments from the show, including Rick’s long, lonely walk down the halls of the hospital and the front window display of the department store where walkers broke through to get to the crew in season 1.
Now for some fun tidbits gleaned from the hour-long panel before we share the 4-minute trailer for season 3.
Executive producer, Greg Nicotero says that, this season the zombies will be even more detailed. They’re decaying as time progresses, hungrier than ever, and gathering in droves to go after Rick and his crew. Nicotero also directed an episode (maybe another this season?) of the show, which they finished filming before taking a few days off for SDCC.
May we ever see a musical episode of The Walking Dead? It is highly unlikely. However Laurie Holden and Danai Gurira have taken to mini-musical sessions between scenes on set. Laurie sings and they both dance and laugh. A lot of that chemistry promises to translate to the screen as Andrea and Michonne are separated from the main cast and struggle to keep going in the rough post-apocalyptic word.
Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan are very excited for everyone to see where their characters’ relationship goes. That is, if Glenn can accept that Maggie loves him no matter what. She will do anything necessary to protect the family she has left and the man she loves. He is finally growing into the man he wants to be, but does that leave room for a love life? And can we say, thank goodness that we’re not in a real Zombiepocalypse? Steven told fans at the panel that he’d only fight to survive if attractive women surrounded him. “If it’s all bros, maybe I’ll lay down and let [the zombies] bite me.”
New cast member, David Morrissey, is excited to join the cast of TWD. He’s a huge fan of the show and jumped at the chance to be involved. David found his home with the cast and crew since they began filming in May and has been pinching himself since then…even if the heat and humidity in Georgia make filming somewhat uncomfortable.
Andrew Lincoln sang the praises of their youngest (and absent) cast member, Chandler Riggs. He says that Chandler, both in and out of character makes decisions far beyond his years and gets to go on this incredible journey. If Andrew could play another character on the show, he’d choose to be Carl so he could go through the experiences that Chandler is. Not to say that Rick’s experiences aren’t thrilling. But Andrew admits that where Rick is mentally is, “driving me bananas.”
There were a lot of fun moments in the SDCC panel discussion for The Walking Dead, but the best moment has to be the amazing 4-minute trailer they played before introducing the cast. Check it out below and let us know which moment you’re looking forward to seeing once The Walking Dead returns on October 14th.
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