Vanishing Wonder

One the most frequent criticisms I receive with my work involves my ending of Zombie Blondes and the ambiguous nature of the final scene. It surprises me how many people can't seem to enjoy an open ending in any form. I was reminded of this yesterday after seeing the new Total Recall movie yesterday and feeling that the ending of this version was much less thought provoking. 

It had been decades since I'd seen the original version of the film, but I clearly remembered that when the movie ended, I was left with a wonderful sense of not knowing which reality was true. The new film didn't capture that feeling at the end nearly as well. It certainly leaned toward one reality more than the other. I can't help but feel that this speaks volumes about the current state of our imaginations. Audiences don't want to think too hard. They want things presented to them neatly, with tightly wrapped endings. It's sad in a way. Part of the enjoyment of storytelling is that a good story stays with you long after it's over.

Zombie Blondes Movie Update

Last week, Smash Media publicly announced that they were going forward with a film adaptation of my book Zombie Blondes. The option for the film rights were picked up over two years ago, so it was exciting to hear the idea was moving forward. Plus, my name got into Variety, which is super cool. Two writers have been hired to write the script, Lior Chefetz and Joe Swanson. Both have written and directed a number of short films which look interesting.

Since the announcement, a lot of people have asked me what kind of input I have in the script. The answer is, that at this stage, not very much. Back when the whole process began, I did have a few conversations with the producer, Harry Winer, about certain additions that would need to be made to the story. I know some people hate it when a book is changed for the movie, but the truth is that it's often necessary.

Books, especially books like mine written in the first person, tend to be cerebral, giving a lot of personal introspection from the character's point of view. A movie on the other hand needs to have a certain level of drama play out on screen. So we discussed possible scenarios that could be added to fill out the story and were on the same page as to what needed to happen. I felt very confident in handing the story over to a screenwriter. It's a very different kind of writing compared to novel writing and that's what they've been trained to do.

At this point, there's still no guarantee that the film will be coming to a theater near you anytime soon, but it's a great feeling to know it's moved onto the next step. And judging from the overwhelming excitement in the horror blog world, I have a good feeling about our chances. Plus, it already as it's own page on IMDb (and now, so do I).

Fiction Friday (2)

When I'm working on a project, I try not to read anything that I think resembles the same tone of the book I'm writing. This isn't because I'm afraid it will influence me. I more afraid it will discourage me from continuing. I'm terrified I'd encounter a book I loved and would always be trying measure up to it. Instead, I read books that put me in the mind for whatever the next idea I have floating around. While writing Afterworld, I read two amazing books that definitely helped me focus my vision for the book I'm writing now. Both of these novels sort of represent the current state of mind when it comes to working these days. Enjoy.

Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer

(1969)

I'd been wanting to read this classic British Children's book ever since I was nineteen and learned The Cure song of the same title was based on it. I recently found a used copy on a rainy day in great NYC bookshop called The Housing Works. I started reading it a few days later. That's saying a lot considering books typically sit on my to read shelf for months or even years. But this was one I just couldn't resist.

When Charlotte wakes up after her first night at boarding school, she discovers she's not quite the same in the morning...and neither is anyone else. In fact, Charlotte is somebody entirely different. Due to a magical phenomenon, skillfully left unexplained, she has swapped places with a girl named Clare who lived fifty or so years before. Switching back every other day, the two girls leave each other notes to help ease their confusion. Then one day, Clare and her sister are moved out of the boarding school leaving Charlotte stuck in the past. The longer she remains in 1918, the less Charlotte seems to remember who the real her really is.

The aspect of this book that I found remarkable was its tone. Penelope Farmer is able to capture the worry and excitement of a character in this situation in very subtle and moving ways. The emotion is restrained, yet powerful. The same can be said about the bigger themes that run through the novel such self-discovery, family bonds, friendship, and the lingering shadow of World War I that hangs over the narrative. They are dealt with in a way that feels natural and effortless. An excellently written novel that I enjoyed very much.

The Little Girl Who LIves Down The Lane by Laird Koenig

(1973)

I opened this book not knowing anything about it and was completely blown away. I literally couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. It follows a 13 year old English girl named Rynn who has recently relocated to Long Island in the '70s. Now I must confess that Rynn is my favorite type of character, a strong willed, intelligent young protagonist who refuses to bow to the unfairness of the adult world. In that sense, the book reminded me of some of my all time favorites like Paper Moon and The Demon Flower. But in addition to creating such a wonderful character, Laird Koenig is able to build suspense in such a clever way. In the past, in regards to my own novel Zombie Blondes, I've written extensively about my appreciation for what I've termed 'slow-motion' horror. This books is a perfect example of the genre. The suspense comes from the reader's concern for Rynn, not from the fear of something. Most of the fear happens behind the surface, keeping the reader guessing all the way to the end...and the actual ending is phenomenally handled, leaving the reader with a joyously evil grin on their face as they turn the last page.

There are some powerful scenes in this book. And besides Rynn, there are other unforgettable characters. Frank Hallet has to be one of the creepiest characters I've ever encountered. The mood and dialogue in this novel are pitch perfect. I'm amazed sometimes that books this good can be forgotten by the world. It's more than a simple suspense novel, it's also an incredible, and unconventional, coming of age story. An absolutely fantastic read. If you ever come across this book at a used book store, do yourself a favor and snatch it up immediately.

Cyber Traveling

Over the past couple of weeks, I've done a few guest posts and interviews here and there. Some of them have been quite fun and I thought I'd share the links in case anyone feels like adventuring into unknown blogs this weekend. Enjoy.

My Advice to Alice as She Wanders Wereland: This is piece I did for vvB32 Reads, one of the most creative blogs out there in my opinion which mixes reviews, book information, and online storytelling. One such theme was werewolves and cleverly putting Alice in Wereland. I wrote a little verse in the Cheshire Cat style, giving Alice a warning of her predicament. I also created a piece of art for it, also found in the post.

My Commentary of Zombies: For the fabulous review site Paperback Dolls, they asked me to write a little piece about my take on modern zombies. Here my English Literature degree pays off as I can talk topic with the best of them.

BONUS: Here's their review of Zombie Blondes.

A New Interview Where I Discuss Pure Sunshine and Perfect World: The blog Actin' Up With Books has decided to do a series of interviews with PUSH authors and I'm honored to be the first one. In this interview I discuss my road to publication and some of my experiences from when I was a writer just starting to discover myself as an author.

Peeking Under Rocks

The entertained public is a puzzlement to me at times. Routinely, the confusion stems from the unexplainable success of indescribably awful trash. Other times, I find myself amazed as to why some pre-packaged piece of trash, which all indicators and marketing experts predict hit status for, fail so miserably. Don't get me wrong, this pleases me. But I don't get it. If you liked the last turd, what made you suddenly develop aesthetics?

There are also times when the entertained public rewards something stellar. Inception is one of those times. After seeing it, part of me is thrilled that a complicated story could continue to do well at the box office. Nolan has intriguing way of telling a story that's very literary in nature, but translates wonderfully to film. It's nice to see people interested in it...even if most of them are only interested in seeing cities fold in half or people walking on walls. Which brings me to the point of this post:

I'm amazed at the overwhelming inability of many people to grasp a layered story.

In every article I've read and most online reviews, there is this prevailing theme of having to see the movie more than once to get everything that is going on. The majority opinion is that the movie is 'soooo confusing'. Huh? It was? I mean, it was complex and layered, but it wasn't confusing. If you paid attention, it wasn't hard to keep track of the plot. You had to think, but they were constantly reminding you visually or directly of where you were and what was happening. It wasn't Finnagens Wake for crying out loud!

So while the movie's success is pleasing, the revelation concerning the public's lack of comprehension skills, ability to think on multiple levels or understand inventive storytelling is very upsetting. I see this all of the time in book reviews too, where people only read the action on the surface and not any of the under layers. As someone who obsesses about the under layers, the extended metaphors, and importance of the moments in between action, this trend disturbs me.

Am I expecting everyone to see that the pace of Pure Sunshine mirrors the peaks the valleys of an acid trip? Not really. Do I think readers will pick up on the fact that the ever diverging interpretations of the same moments by Henry and Catherine in The Heights are symbolic of how fate is pulling them apart? I hope so. Did I expect people to pick up on the metaphor of the appeal of fascism in Zombie Blondes? I did and I expected too much of too many people apparently.

So while I hope that Inception's success will spawn more complex movies with the budget for visuals currently reserved mostly for garbage, I won't hold my breath. Because let's be honest, most people just wanted to see cities fold in half and people walk on walls. I will just have to take comfort in knowing that those people probably suck at checkers.

Young Adults Keep Getting Younger...

In the ten years since I wrote my first YA novel Pure Sunshine, the landscape for the genre has changed drastically. So much so, that I question if that book, a semi-cult classic, would ever get published today. Probably not.

At that time, the "teen" tag was a kiss of death for a book. However, the publication of a few high profile books started to renew the genre. Smack (or Junk as it's known in the UK), Speak, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower brought booksellers tenuously back into the fold. These new books were being written for that 15-20 year old reader, writing about their experiences. And guess what? It worked. Those readers gravitated to the books. Then a funny thing happened...

With the success of books like Twilight, the genre rapidly started to skew younger. The 11-13 year old girl became the target audience. Given that they read a lot more, it was natural that their tastes would soon dominate the YA shelves in book stores. In response, the more successful books in the teen category became safer and cleaner. I understand that. Publishers have an obligation to respond to a changing market...the question is, does the writer?

The answer is tricky because writing with an audience in mind can be dangerous. It's always better to tell a story the way it needs to be told and then find an audience for it. However, as a writer of fiction for children, there is a level of responsibility that comes with that. There's also a bit of savvy that comes with being a professional writer that requires you to know the market if you have a hope of being read. AND TRUST ME, all writers want to be read regardless of what they might say.

So what does one do?

I can only speak from my own experience and I know that when my first few novels came out, the majority of fan mail came from teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17. Then I noticed a trend. The letters started coming from younger and younger teens. When I got my first email from an eleven year old reader of Zombie Blondes, I have to admit I was a little surprised. Though definitely younger than some of my books, there's definitely some difficult and troubling scenes in there. I imagined an 11 year old reading the scene in Hannah's zombie boyfriend's bedroom. It certainly gave me pause to think.

I wouldn't say that I really changed anything drastically. I haven't changed the way I write and I don't sugar coat because of a younger reader. I trust that if they've decided to read it, they are mature enough to. What I have done though is to bring down the age of my characters. Instead of writing about 17 years old characters, I'm writing about 13 and 14 years old characters. That probably doesn't sound so significant, but it is. These characters see the world through a different lens. I haven't compromised anything. I believe I'm still giving an honest view of the world, I'm simply exploring from a different starting point that is more relevant to the audience.

One day, I hope there is room on the shelves again for edgier fiction. I have plenty of ideas still in the tank. But for now, I'm more than happy writing about the issues facing the actual readers.

Louras Zumbis

- MORTE!

- MORTE!

- MORTE!

I received Brazilian copies of Zombie Blondes (Louras Zumbis) in the mail recently and I don't know why, but it's almost more fun looking at your own books when you have no idea what they say. The idea of not being able to understand words that I wrote intrigues. It's kind of a thing that truly only Bugs Bunny would comprehend.

It will be curious how this slowcore horror story of iconic Americana fascism plays out in a country that is culturally so different than ours. The book has done well in Australia, but that makes sense to me. I've always seen that sub-continent as a kind of young America, plus there isn't the always tricky translation issue to contend with. I certainly hope the story reads well in Portuguese...who knows, maybe I read like Andre Gide when read in that language. One can hope.

Reading is Wonderful

I had heard my mother and father discussing me one night when they thought that I was asleep. My mother told my father that she didn't think it was normal for me to be happy without friends. -from Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth.

Last fall, I spent $3.00 at the local library book sale and walked away with a treasure stack of children's books, one of them being an early edition of Jennifer, Hecate,...Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg. I'd been aware of this book for years, and was always intrigued not only because of its fine author, but also that a book could be published with such a clumsy, yet endearing sort of title. What I discovered between its covers was a beautifully written story about two lonely ten year old girls who find friendship in the most unusual way.

I don't know that a child reading this would necessarily see the sadness that underlies the narrative. Reading it as an adult though, I couldn't help but feel for the main character who is obviously desperate for a friend (desperate enough to do whatever the girl says, including eating raw hot dogs every day for a week). As one who writes about outsiders quite a bit, I can tell you the trick to creating a lonely character is making them someone the reader would want to befriend. Konigsburg does a fantastic job at this. Elizabeth is easily the one character in the book you'd want to get to know, to the point where you wish you could step into the story and tell her so.

-The rest of that week seemed to have a month's worth of days, but Saturday came. It was a golden day full of smells of autumn. I told my parents that I'd skip going grocery shopping with them. I told them that I had some work to do at the library. No argument. I was usually a nag for them to take to the A&P. I wasn't very popular at the A&P either. Once I had rammed the cart into a big mountain of cracker boxes. Avalanche! I told the manager that I'd pick them all up, and I did. I arranged them very artistically; the aisle was blocked for forty-five minutes. I hadn't been very popular at the A&P since.-

Perhaps what struck me most about this book is that Elizabeth felt like a girl who would grow up to be like one of the characters from my books. She's a budding Lacie (from Perfect World) or Hannah (from Zombie Blondes). A girl who, if anyone took the time to know her, would discover she has a lot to offer. From the vantage of experience, to see her younger and know this is going to happen kind of breaks your heart. Yet, the story is hopeful. She doesn't end up alone. Two like souls find each other.

Also like some of my books, I've seen a ton of reviews from readers decrying this book for being "boring". This really gets me more than anything else. An intimate character portrait is not boring! This is one thing a book can do that no other medium can. If you read solely for plot, I suggest you watch TV, you're time will be better served. Plot is what TV does best. It gives you tons of plot. A book that gives you intimate time with a character is a treasure. This is one of those books.

I laughed. I cried. I loved it.

-"Have you ever thought that most people wear their socks on their feet, not on their hands?"

I shook my head, "Yes."

She said, "Will you repeat after me: socks are for feet: mittens are for hands."

I said, "Socks are for feet; mittens are for hands."

She said, "Say it again."

I said, "Socks are for feet; mittens are for hands."

She said, "Now please tell me, where are your mittens?"

I said, "In my sock drawer."-

I'm Not Listening to You...

There's two schools of thought among writers about reading reviews of your own books or not. I've always read them, but lately have been feeling like pitching tent over in the other camp. Here's the thing, I'm big fan of the Book Review Blog culture. I've said before I think it's done a wonderful job of spreading the word about books and reaching teens in a way that conventional book advertising doesn't. But recently, I've noticed some disturbing trends on these sites.

It seems as if whenever a blogger hates a book, there a ton of comments that follow thanking them for their terrible review and "saving" them from reading a book. Now, there's merit in respecting an opinion, but to assume you can never like a book because of what someone else thinks (someone who is typically not even the intended audience in the case of YA books) is kind of crazy. I mean, not to undercut a Book Blogger, but many of them aren't an authority on writing. They are just people with opinions...they carry no more weight just because they took some time to voice their thoughts publicly. They provide a useful service and insight, but to let a stranger dictate your reading choices is insane. It's sad to see people unwilling to think for themselves.

My most polarizing book by far is Zombie Blondes. It seems to be a love/hate kind of book. I find it completely ironic when I see a review that slams the book because they find the main character "obnoxious" and that it's unbelievable anyone would so blindly follow. Yet, they never seem to notice the sheep like nature of the comments following their review.

I've also noticed that most of the bad reviews for this book are being written by adults, many who probably believe Juno is a realistic portrait of teen life. It's not that I don't think they're opinion matters. Of course I do. Whether an artist wanst to admit it or not, there is a part of them that cares what people think--it's human nature. But I've always cared more about what teens think of my books as that is the reader I'm trying to reach and for who's enjoyment the story was structured to entertain. SO, in the interest of balance, let me share:

Nobody could ever describe popularity more than Brian James. This totally declares the populars for what they are. Everybody else is blind because of their beauty but if you've read this book, you know the truth.

Brooke (from Goodreads.com)

Very suspenseful... But a little creepy. I couldn't put this book down. Literally. I red this in the time between school and bedtime.

Cookie (from Goodreads.com)

At the beginning, the book was good an d it had kept me reading. Toward the end, It was really grabbing. The end was so freaky that I had a nightmare the night I finished it. The end was one of those books that seems like it needs a sequel, but it would not be very long. I highly recommend this book to both boys, and girls if you want a little scare.

Maggie (from Goodreads.com)

Zombie Blondes reads like a really good Twilight Zone episode. The ending literally gave me chills. I have to rank this as one of the best teen horror novels I have ever read.

Katheryn (from Goodreads.com)

brilliant book, loved everything bout it!!!!!!

Jemimah (from Facebook)

read the book it's sooooo good i got freaked out at the end but just love it. ♥

Cierra (from Facebook)

I'm not trying to rant, or even argue against bad reviews. I know the book isn't everyone's kind of story. However, it's never a good idea to read one review if reviews are how you make your choices (which is a whole other subject). And though I think most reviewers do a great job, there are definitely some out there who need to get off their high horse.

Worldwide Zombie Invasion

With the U.S., Canada, Germany, Australia, and Mexico already fallen prey and conquered, the Zombie Invasion has spread to the Czech Republic. Prague is currently overrun with the publication of Zombie Blondes. I tend to be popular in the former Soviet Bloc for some reason or other. It must have something to do with my love of bleak weather, grey buildings, and European military uniform styles.

I got my Czech copies in the mail the other day. They look really cool. It's the first translation that has gone with a different cover, so that's always fun to see.

I've been fortunate enough in my career to have been somewhat widely translated and flipping through a book you wrote and not being able to read a word of it never loses it's absurdest thrill.

People of the Czech Republic, enjoy. (You always be Czechoslovakia to me, thanks to endless map quizzes by certain former nun who happened to be my 7th grade Social Studies teacher).

On Being Fluffy Tuffy

For good reason, a lot of writers swear they never look at reviews. They don't want to see them because for as much as a great review feels validating, a terrible review gnaws at you until you want to find the person and scream at them about all the things they didn't get. Because that's the thing about writers, though we'll accept constructive criticism and concede certain points, in the end, we're sure we're right.

Unfortunately for me, I'm weak willed and not one of these writers that can avoid the curiosity of what's being said about my work. So, I went trolling and came across a review of Zombie Blondes the other day that really upset me. It was on one of the endless book review blogs. Now, unlike some people I know, I don't have a problem with these blogs. In fact, I'm very appreciative of them. I think many of them (especially those run by teens) do a better job of getting information on new books out to other teens than publishers ever have. But with more reviewers out there without a literary background, it strongly increases the the chance for the "Oh my god! I HATED this book" review. And in some ways, those sting more coming from the audience than from some picky librarian.

I guess what really bothers me about the negative Zombie Blondes reviews (and there's a lot of them, though I'm happy to say there's a lot of good ones too) is that so often the review doesn't stem from the book but from the reader's expectations. Being part of a genre trend (though let me point out that Zombie Blondes along with Generation Dead were the start of the trend), doesn't help. The current zombie and vampire books all fit a mold of which my book doesn't belong to, but gets lumped into. 

My books isn't a light-hearted romp. It isn't an action novel. It isn't a romance novel in a goth disguise. MY NOVEL is a novel about the willingness to ignore bad situations, about shutting off that voice inside us that is warning us against certain decisions in favor of temptation. It's a novel about the lure of fascism and the regret of succumbing to its appeal. It's a novel about the cult of popularity and the abuse of power structures. It's about seeing past the surface of society and glimpsing the fettering evil ugliness that makes it run. 

But alas, I know these things shouldn't bother me. Maybe I just to need be more like my cats, fluffy tuffy and let it wash over me. But it's not in my nature, which doesn't bode well for me since it's also in a writer's nature to be overly sensitive. I believe Richard Brautigan summed us best in this metaphor.

I will be very careful the next time I fall in love, she told herself. Also, she had made a promise to herself that she intended on keeping. She was never going to go out with another writer: no matter how charming, sensitive, inventive or fun they could be. They weren’t worth it in the long run. They were emotionally too expensive and the upkeep was too complicated. They were like having a vacuum cleaner around that broke all the time and only Einstein could fix.

 She wanted her next lover to be a broom.

My Other Bloggin' Part 2

My second guest blog is also up at Tor.com.

check it out here.

Zombie Update

Just a little update on the possible Zombie Blondes movie. I had a great conversation with the producer and screenwriter the other day. We were discussing some plot points that weren't included in the book, but feel like might be needed for the movie.

It's one of those cases of 1st person vs. 3rd person storytelling. For the book, I only needed to know what Hannah knew and only needed to figure out as much as she was going to figure out over the course of the novel. For a movie, the bigger picture needs to come more into focus in order to maintain a narrative stream for the screen.

It was interesting thinking about a world that I last really visited nearly two years ago. It was also interesting discussing possibilities for a world I created with other people. But I truly believe the story is in great hands. In fact, after we spoke, I had a great scene idea to solve one of the issues we were discussing. I emailed it along to them, and it turned out they'd come up with the exact same scene basically at the same time. Great minds think alike.

As for now, I will just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope it keeps progressing. 

Developments

Great news! 

I learned yesterday that Zombie Blondes has been optioned for film rights! Now, for any of you that may not know how that crazy business works, that doesn't mean there will ever be a Zombie Blondes movie...but it does mean somebody wants to make one and has paid for the right to try. 

I don't want to give away too much information, but I will say I'm very impressed with the resume of the person who acquired those rights. I've seen many of the things he's done and am a fan. He's also pretty well connected and very excited about the project, which means there's a good chance zombies will be invading theaters at some point. 

More to come on this in the future...for now, I'm just going to enjoy daydreaming about what might be.

Nothing wasted, Nothing gained

Unfinished manuscripts, false starts and deleted scenes are things every writer accumulates over time. Things that just didn't click for some reason. Ideas that were so clear at the time but for whatever reason didn't come together. Or didn't work in the project you wrote them for. I have tons of these. 

I have entire folder on my computer filled with documents that I originally wrote on my SmithCorina Word Processor during my freshman year at NYU. They were saved on hard disks. I've had to convert them through four different software upgrades. They lost all their formating, but I keep them anyway. I also recently found a notebook of things I wrote in high school amongst an entire bookshelf in my office, stacked with unused drafts of every novel I've written. I keep these things because I know there are pieces in them that I can use at some point. I think it's something you have to believe to ever become a writer. 

The process of accumulating these scraps is so frustrating that I think it's what causes most young writers to give up on it. There's this incredible feeling of having wasted your time when you write 250 pages of a book only to realize that you've lost the story. A few years of that will drive most to quit. That's why I always try to think of writing like I do with painting. A painter doesn't finish every painting. Or musicians. They don't finish every song. But pieces make it into later works. You can hear this if you listen several demo versions of songs and then the finished ones. A great example of this is the song The Other Improv on With the Lights Out. It was a one off free form that lasts 9 minutes. But there are lines in that improve that make it into two other songs that appear on In Utero. That's the way I treat writing.

"Morgan puts her hand on my chest and pushes me. Holds my chest flat so that it's hard to breathe and I struggle for air. Impossible for me to scream and the air is filled with so many sounds like the screeching of heavy machines but it is only the grinding of zombie teeth.

It burns when her teeth penetrate my stomach and tear into my flesh. Teeth working deeper like bloody chainsaws, ripping veins and getting thirstier with each new layer. Painfully peeling back my skin like tearing open Christmas paper. Feels like I'm being licked with the fire tongue of a demon as my body is torn open with bones poking out at all angles when the other girls join in. Their teeth too long and too sharp, made for shredding organs and pulling apart abdomens.

I feel them swallow my hands and swallow my feet and I try my best to scream but I cannot hear anything except the gnashing of teeth and the warm breathing against my face." page 91 Zombie Blondes.

That passage was taken from an unfinished novel I'd written three or four years before writing Zombie Blondes. It wasn't zombies tearing apart the main character in  that story, it was some kind of aquatic fishboy monster. It was scene that always stuck with me. As I was writing Zombie Blondes and reached this point in the novel, I knew I needed something pretty strong and graphic. 

I immediately thought of this scene and searched the folder on my computer titled POSSIBLE PROJECTS. It took some searching. It could have been from one of several rather experimental novels that I'd attempted. Luckily I have a fantastic memory and was able to narrow it down to three written during my drinking days at the International bar located just around the corner from my 7th Street stomping grounds.  

    

I found it, read it, changed a few lines and that's it. It found it's place. Every scene has it's place, but sometimes it's not always where I thought it would be. 

The Price of Popularity

I put the uniform on the bench and stare it.

"Go on already," Miranda barks. She pushes it closer with an anxious shove as time ticks away toward the time we're du out on the field. I stare at the uniform, one hand pinching my lips and the other running my fingers over the stitched M sewn into the sweater vest.

Black as midnight.

Black badge of honor.

A superhero suit that will grant me special powers the instant I put it on. -- page 134 Zombie Blondes. 

I've always envisioned popularity to be more like a costume than anything else. What you wear and what you say is part of what identifies one as popular. More often than not, the concept of popularity is closely associated with conformity. To become popular, one must be willing to sacrifice some things.

The zombies in my book are a metaphor for this concept. Through, I explore this idea of what someone is willing to give up in order to gain popularity and all the benefits that come with it. Giving up your friends and certain hobbies is easy, but giving up your life for it? No way, right. Well, maybe. The lure of being liked, feared, admired, and borderline worshipped is quite attractive. 

These are things that cause Hannah to ignore certain signs around her that warn of danger. I read a review online where someone complained that Hannah seemed clueless. It was so obvious that there were zombies about. This is where the appeal of popularity comes in. 

Hannah's not clueless. She's fully aware from the opening chapter that something in Maplecrest is wrong. She chooses to look the other way on purpose. Because the question remains throughout, how much is she willing to sacrifice? She hasn't decided yet.

The Art of Slow Motion Horror

"My heart races as I make my way up the driveway. The wind picks up, rustles through the branches like the sound of cars speeding by on the highway, as pine needles rain down like matchsticks. A chill runs through me at the thought of peeking in the window and finding rotting corpses with the flesh chewed down to the bone.

I take a deep breath and count to three."  page 106 Zombie Blondes.

There's basically two approaches to horror, be it movies or books. The first is the fast-paced, thrill-a-minute approach favored in most slasher flicks. The other is to create a place that slowly grows more and more strange until the reader/viewer feels uncomfortable in the world that's presented to them. 

The best examples of this type of horror can be found in the Japanese horror films and novels of the last decade. Take the movie Dark Water. The Japanese version is a brilliant movie. It relays heavily on long still shots of hallways or rooftops to create an eerie feeling. There's very little in the movie that you can point out as traditional horror. The horror isn't American gore and violence...it's the unsettled feeling that penetrates as you watch it. In contrast, the Hollywood remake infuses the first approach into the film. The Dark Water remake is ripe with fast-cuts and "creepy" music as tricks to give it an adreline feel that, in my opinion, takes away everything that was clever about the movie. 

                

I find the fast-past approach to typically end in cheap scares while the careful unsettling approach produces a real sense of discomfort. It's the approach I took when constructing Zombie Blondes. I took great care to make Hannah's world and her issues very realistic. The idea is to lull the reader into the story, make them feel comfortable, so that when Hannah encounters moments of creepiness, the reader will feel them too. I think it's because I took this approach that many people have complained that "nothing happens" in the book. I disagree. 

I've never read a book that took the first approach and succeeded in making any sort of lasting impression. Films can use it and still be effective. The shock value of pulling aside the shower curtain in Physco is a perfect example. But that's a visual impact. In my experience, when that approach is taken in writing, it inevitably comes out weak. No amount of exclamation points can make you feel shocked. 

Zombie Blondes's slower pace is what gives its impact. As a reader, you get to know Hannah. You care about her. It's what makes her different from the endless parade of victims in a slaughter flick. But I understand the frustration of those who pick up the book wanting a zombie rampage. They're looking for the Dark Water remake instead of the original. It's probably why Hollywood redid it the way they did. It's in our culture to want things fast. It's a matter of taste, but personally, I prefer the art of slow motion horror.

I didn't set out to write a book that terrifies. I wanted to write a book that first and foremost stayed with the reader. It was more about a person in a situation than it was about that situation itself. The fear in Zombie Blondes is for someone and not of something. Anyone who has yet to read the book, I ask that you keep that in mind. I promise, it will enhance your enjoyment of it.