Keep Calm: Zombies from Dust and Decay

zombie edition
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by MAD of Mary Ann DeBorde Writes (and Reads!)
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Interview With The Undead

Vii: I'm glad you could join us today at vvb32reads.
MAD: It's my pleasure. Thank you for having me.

V: I understand you've recently read Dust & Decay. What did you think about it?
M: I thought it was great. There was lots of running, and screaming. Oh, and people got ate. Definitely a classic!

V: Um … okay. Could you be a little more specific?
M: (gleefully rubs hands together): There's this wonderful place called Gameland. And, some very considerate humans toss food … I mean …. other people, down into these cozy pits where zombies get to eat them. Very efficient setup.

V: (looks aghast): Those poor people! Gameland sounds awful!
M: Oh no. True, the pits are dug in the ground. Maybe a little paint, some curtains …

V: That's not what I meant.
M: (puzzled): You don't like the exercise? Zombies need exercise, you know. Slows down the decay, keeps 'em limber.

V: I guess what I'm trying to get at, is that the idea of a Gameland, where humans trap other humans inside pits filled with zombies, seems rather … cruel. Disgusting.
M: The zombies don't mind.

V: Hmm. What else can you tell us about Dust & Decay?
M: Yeah, okay. Well, there's this really annoying zombie hunter called Tom. He's an adult, so there's no excusing his behavior. And he teaches these teenagers – very impressionable at that age – how to fight zombies.

Dust & Decay
by Jonathan Maberry
V: Who are these teenagers?
M: (yawns): Oh, some snots from the first book, Rot & Ruin. Benny – he's Tom's younger brother. Then there's Nix, Chong, and some freaky lost girl they call Lilah.

V: So what's the plot about?
M: (puzzled): To my understanding, somebody heard a jet and decided to cross the zombie-infested ruins to see if they could track it down. They should have just minded their own damn business.

V: Wasn't there an evil guy called Charlie Pink-eye in the first book? Is he still around?
M: (all happily nostaligic): Good ol' Charlie! Did you know he fed me my first human? Salt of the earth, that guy!

V: (seriously appalled): Are you saying …
M: (wipes a tear from her cheek): Oh, yes. I'd been wandering for days when Charlie found me. Gave me my own pit, and a bit o' human to nosh on. Yep. They don't make heros like that anymore.

V: I think we're done here …
M: Those little bastards tried to kill Charlie in the first book. But, you know the old saying, “it's hard to keep a good man down.”

V: Moving right along, thank you for visiting with us today, MAD.
M: (drool forming on her lips): Say. Is somebody cooking a roast?

V: (edging away): Uh, no. Well, until next time …
M: (stumbles out of her chair): I'm pretty sure I smell meat.

V: Go away!
M: Yup. That's meat, alright.

V: (pale, terrified): I thought we were friends?!
M: (grins wide, exposing a mouthful of pointed teeth): Uh huh. And that's why I'm gonna give you a pit of your own. You'll love it. Low overhead – get it? (zombie-styled giggle snort)

V: MAD! Don't do this! MAD …
M: You'll love Charlie. Salt of the earth, that guy …

~end

Guest post created for Keep Calm and Carry On: Zombie Edition event by MAD of Mary Ann DeBorde Writes (and Reads!)
© 2012. All rights reserved.

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by MAD of Mary Ann DeBorde Writes (and Reads!)
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--~ Zombie Craft Giveaway courtesy of MAD ~--
WIN a Keep Calm and Carry On: zombie edition magnet crafted by MAD!

Open to all.

Offer ends: October 31, 2012

TO DO:

SPREAD the word - tweet, facebook, blog, etc about this giveaway or Keep Calm and Carry On: Zombie edition event

OR post badge event on your blog sidebar with link to this site (for at least a day)

In comments make sure to tell me what you did.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

~*~
* image source for Keep Calm and Carry On

=== Keep Calm and Carry On: Zombie Edition schedule ===

Zombie update from: Canada

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by Chrystal of Snowdrop Dreams of Books
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Sept 20, 2011

Who knew that one day all of the things I read in Rot & Ruin by Jonathan
Maberry could come true? I honestly, love the book to death, but didn't
really think I'd be put in a position that I'd have to remember the things
I learned about zombie apocalypse survival.

No one can tells us how this started - all of the signals are down - no
TV, no internet and no radio. All we have for information is word of mouth
when we come across survivors here and there. One minute everything was
normal and in a matter of a few hours, all hell broke loose. I just
thought some of the local university and college students were pulling a
prank, since we are getting closer Hallowe'en, but I realized shortly
after that it wasn't just students being annoying during homecoming
parties - it was much worse - people dying, people screaming and people
coming back from the dead. I watched a man get pulled to the ground by
three zoms and within minutes he had turned - I didn't believe it until I
had seen it with my own eyes.

Most of the area looks like a war zone - buildings in crumbles from the
local military base trying to take down the zoms. It's like walking
amongst the ruins of a different era.

We've barricaded the doors and windows on our apartment (I did learn that
zombies can't turn door knobs or at least MOST can't do it). We've been
scavenging for supplies like water, food and weapons - we live close to a
grocery store and hardware store. So far I've learned that the hospitals
have been swamped by the zoms and are hard to get to - so no sense heading
there for medical supplies - I'll just salvage what I can from my local
pharmacy.

Sept 21, 2011

We've created our own "carpet coats" just like in Rot & Ruin, so that when
we have to leave our shelter we can do so without incurring any zom bites.
We've also accumulated weapons like baseball bats, hockey sticks and golf
clubs - no guns sadly, as no on near us were hunters or carried firearms.

I've learned that if you walk slow enough or mimic the movement of the
wind that the zoms don't notice you as much. Bathing is out of the
question because you smell too clean and the more disgusting you smell the
less likely they are to attack you. These are the things I learned from
reading my zombie books. And my friends said I was wasting my life reading
so much fiction... MUAHAHAHA... who's laughing now?

Sept 22, 2011

Today we brought home tons and tons of food and bottled water. I think we
might be the only ones still alive in our apartment building. It might be
time to start scavenging through their apartments to gather supplies and
look for survivors. The front entrance to the building is broken wide open
- it was solid glass and somehow it was broken... so the only thing
keeping the zoms out is out apartment door. It's getting harder and harder
to leave the apartment - and we don't want to have t move since we've
gathered so many supplies and everything we had worked so hard for is
still here - I guess it just makes me feel safe to be surrounded by
familiar things.

Sept 23, 2011

It's sad to see our friends and neighbors turn into such soulless
creatures. I have no idea how my family is doing, but I come from a line
of survivors - nothing keeps us down for long - so I'm optimistic that
they are all going to make it through this. We are a very creative bunch
and I'm sure my Dad and brother have some MacGuyveresque tricks up their
sleeves that will work.

I have been collecting things that remind me of before - like books,
pictures, knick knacks, dishes, etc. All things that I hope can be
salvaged to make life more comfortable down the road. I am a creature of
habit and dislike change. So the more I can surround myself with everyday
items, the easier this ordeal might be to weather.

I hope this ends soon, or a cure is found for those infected so that we
can start rebuilding our lives. Do you think that since it's so cold up
here in Canada during winter that maybe they would die from freezing to
death or is that just wishful thinking?

~end

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by Chrystal of Snowdrop Dreams of Books
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NOW, head over to Snowdrop Dreams of Books for a zombie review of Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry!

Rot & Ruin
by Jonathan Maberry

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* header image source

=== September Zombies schedule ===

Watch out: Dead of Night by Jonathan Maberry

Dead of Night:
A Zombie Novel
by Jonathan Maberry
Release date: October 25, 2011
Amazon | Barnes&Noble
A prison doctor injects a condemned serial killer with a formula designed to keep his consciousness awake while his body rots in the grave.

But all drugs have unforeseen side-effects.

Before he could be buried, the killer wakes up.

Hungry.

Infected.

Contagious.
This is the way the world ends.

Not with a bang…

but a bite.

~*~
* currently available on NetGalley

=== September Zombies schedule ===

In My Mailbox - 9.4.11

Bought:

Die for Me
(Revenants)
by Amy Plum
-paranormal, YA

Free from Kindle: beware some free offers are limited

The Nemesis Worm
by Guy Haley
-action, mystery, novella

For Review and giveaway:

Zombies Don't Cry
by Rusty Fischer
courtesy of the author
Thanks Rusty!
stay tuned: giveaway for this during September Zombies

Song of the Nile
by Stephanie Dray
courtesy of author
Thanks Stephanie & Shelly!
release date: Oct 4, 2011
stay tuned: giveaway goes up in October

Give Me
by LK Rigel
courtesy of author
Thanks LK!
-fairy tale

Free from Netgalley: got mine, get yours!

Dead of Night
A Zombie Novel
by Jonathan Maberry
release date: Oct 25, 2011

The Black Stiletto
by Raymond Benson
-thriller, YA

Pirate King
A novel of suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes
by Laurie R. King

~*~
Won from contest:

Vampire Bites
by Katie Salidas
Thanks to The Worm Hole

~*~
Bookie Brunch schedule
Now follow me to the second Bookie Brunch meeting for a bit of chit chat and find out my answer to the Bookie Brunch Question of the day at Natalie of Songs and Stories.

Bookie Brunch Question of the day:

What is one book that made you cry, and what was it that affected you about that particular story?

~*~
* get a heads up on free or discounted ebooks from Books on the Knob

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways to you

* image from Leafcutter Designs - world's smallest postal service and you can get a letter kit at Chronicle Books

* In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. A post where we share books acquired via mailbox, library, store, etc.

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Rot & Ruin
by Jonathan Maberry

Published: 2010
Genre: Coming of age, YA, Zombies
Hardback: 464 pages
Rating: 5

Description from the amazon:
In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half.

Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s):
I enjoyed this coming-of-age story in a zombocalyptic world. The character growth between Benny and his friends and Benny and his brother held my attention.

--/=/=-- Book Giveaway courtesy of author --=\=\=-
signup for giveaway

* part of Zombie Reading Challenge

* part of Zombie Rot event

Zombie Rot: end credits

Zombie Rot
January 21-23, 2011
virtual book event
T H A N K S ! for visiting during the January zombies.

Make sure to come by next month for Zombie Cute, February 21-22!

Special Thanks:

Rot & Ruin
by Jonathan Maberry

AND thanks to fellow blogger:

Kristin of My Bookish Ways

=== Zombie Rot schedule ===

Watch out: Dust & Decay

Dust & Decay
by Jonathan Maberry
Release date: August 2011

Description from the amazon:
Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It’s also six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives.

Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny’s zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny’s best friend Lou Chong are going with them.

Sounds easy. Sounds wonderful. Except that everything that can go wrong does. Before they can even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town. But as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of Gameland –where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits.

Worst of all…

could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

In the great Rot & Ruin everything wants to kill you.

Everything…

and not everyone in Benny’s small band of travelers will make it out alive.

But first, read book one, Rot & Ruin...

--/=/=-- Book Giveaway courtesy of author --=\=\=-
signup for giveaway

=== Zombie Rot schedule ===

Zombie Rot: Maberry on YA and Zombies

For Zombie Rot, here are a some snippets to check out...

Excerpt:
Interview with Jonathan Maberry
by Kristin of My Bookish Ways

MBW: What made you decide to write a YA novel?

JONATHAN MABERRY: I didn’t set out to write one. I was asked to contribute a novella to THE NEW DEAD, a zombie anthology being edited by Christopher Golden for St. Martin’s Griffin. Chris asked the writers to do something a little different –either different in terms of the genre or different in terms of our own writing. I wrote a story about a teenager (which I seldom do) and I set it fourteen years after a zombie apocalypse wiped out most of humanity.

Once the story was finished and turned in, I showed it to my agent, Sara Crowe (of Harvey Klinger, Inc.) She said that it read like the opening to a teen novel. I was surprised, because at the time I had a very outdated view of what teen fiction was like. My agent gave me a list of current YA novels to read. Wow…that was an eye opener. I started with Scott Westerfeld’s THE UGLIES and then Suzanne Collins HUNGER GAMES. Now I devour YA literature. Not just because I’m writing it, but because some of the best fiction going into print right now is on the YA shelves. No doubt about it.

read the rest of the interview here

~*~
Excerpt:
Young Adult Zombie Novels
by Jonathan Maberry

Zombies are today’s hot monster. They’re tearing up the movie and TV screens, shambling through the pages of bests-selling novels and lunging out of the panels of comics books. Now the living dead have begun haunting the Young Adult shelves of bookstores worldwide.

I joined the ranks of YA zombie authors with the release of ROT & RUIN (Simon & Schuster), which just hit bookstores. To celebrate, I asked two of the hottest authors in this new genre to chat with me about what they write…and why.

My guests are Carrie Ryan, author of the red-hot FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and its exciting sequels and Alden Bell, author of the gripping THE REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS.

read the rest his article here

Jonathan Maberry Talks About Rot and Ruin

--/=/=-- Book Giveaway courtesy of author --=\=\=-
Rot & Ruin
by Jonathan Maberry
signup for giveaway

=== Zombie Rot schedule ===

Giveaway: Rot & Ruin

Rot & Ruin
by Jonathan Maberry

Description from the amazon:
In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half.

Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

--/=/=-- Book Giveaway courtesy of author --=\=\=-
Open to all.

Offer ends: January 30, 2011

TO DO:

Based on the description for this book above, what job would you pick if you were a fifteen year old in this world?

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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=== Zombie Rot schedule ===

Watch out: Zombie Rot

Zombie Rot
January 21-23, 2011
virtual book event

Zombies are no longer restricted to September.

They will be creating mischief and mayhem throughout the year ;-D

Books featured:

Half Past Dead
by Zoe Archer and Bianca D'Arc

Rot & Ruin
by Jonathan Maberry

others to be announced during the event

=== Zombie Rot schedule ===