TDWS Author Interview. Mark Tufo, Zombie Fallout Series

TDWS: Tell us a little about you. Hobbies, schooling, favorite teams , etc.

Mark: Hi George, thank you for having me on your page it is greatly appreciated. Well crap is facebook considered a hobby? Actually I really like to go shooting with my son, we usually set up competitions like Top Shot and have some fun with it. I did graduate college but I went more for an advanced partying degree than anything else. BOSTON RED SOX need I say more?

TDWS: What inspired you to become a writer?

Mark: I've always enjoyed writing but never thought more of it than putting my thoughts down on paper and never ever did I think to put those thoughts out to the world for viewing. It was my wife who sort of 'dared' me to write a book, I had been laid off and I had been reading a lot to help with the stress. After one long night of reading I came downstairs and half kidding said I thought I could write a better book, she told me 'Then why don't you?' I'm not really sure if she thought I would, but if it kept me out of her hair for a few days it was worth it. The rest is history.

TDWS: Why write a zombie book?

Mark: I've loved (and feared) the zombie genre since I was 7 and my cousin who was babysitting thought that Dawn of the Dead was perfect viewing material to pass the night away. I remember how scared I was watching the zombies attack that house in the middle of nowhere, that left an indelible impression. I've been reading and watching zombie related stuff ever since.

TDWS: What is the title of your most current book and what is it about?

Mark: The most current book I am working on at the moment is Zombie Fallout VI, it is the continuation of the Talbot Saga. I'd like to say more than that, but I left a pretty big cliffhanger in ZF5 and I don't want to give anything away!

TDWS: Would you put your book more in the action, comedy, or horror category? Is there another category you would add?

Mark: Definitely horror but I always try to throw some humor in to balance it out, which might even make the scary parts that much more frightening.

TDWS: What sets your book apart from the thousands of zombie books out there?

Mark: The people, the characters in the books, they have dimension, they have hopes and dreams of a future free from zombies. Readers become attached to some of them, they root for some while hoping for the demise of others.

TDWS: What if anything do you want the reader to take from your book?

Mark: I want my readers to come away with a connection to the characters. I obviously want them to enjoy the story and feel that the time and money they invested in me was well worth it.

Just wanted to say thank you again for having me on your page.

TDWS: Where is your book available?

Books

Zombie Fallout http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003A022YO/

Zombie Fallout 2 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045UABFA/

Zombie Fallout The End… http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004S2L21C/

Zombie Fallout 3.5 http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Fallout-Hugh-Prequel-ebook/dp/B005710Q7O/

Zombie Fallout 4 -- The End has Come and Gone http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005R2NR1U

Zombie Fallout 5 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007FJF2GQ/

Indian Hill http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HWSLVO/

Indian Hill 2 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006TQV6PW/

Indian Hill Conquest http://www.amazon.com/Conquest-Indian-Michael-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0082PXS9K/

Timothy http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006POAS2U/

TDWS: Where can you be contacted?

Web Site www.marktufo.com

Facebook Profile http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Tufo/133954330009843

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/ZombieFallout

Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0? rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3AMark+Tufo&keywords=Mark+Tufo&ie=UTF8&qid=133 8680351&sr=8-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B002I7PJ68

Goodreads www.goodreads.com/author/show/2990843.Mark_Tufo

TDWS Author Interview: John Obrien New World Order: Taken

TDWS: Tell us a little about you. Hobbies, schooling, favorite teams , etc.

John: There's not really much to tell.  I enjoy the outdoors tremendously so when there's not too much of the liquid sunshine coming down, that's where I like to be.  When the sun is out, I have a difficult time staying at the keyboard and writing.  When it's nice out, I enjoy throwing the kayak in the water and exploring the islands in the Puget Sound, taking my road bike out and pedaling down the scenic roads, or taking the mountain bikes out with my son.  There's also just cruising around in the Jeep with the top down and the music up.

I graduated from Oregon State seemingly a lifetime ago with a Bachelor's in Business Management and proceeded to do everything except business - Air Force, Firefighter/EMT, IT executive, writer.  Yep, that degree came in handy.  I mostly only follow the NFL and, get ready folks, I am a huge Dallas Cowboys fan.  Yeah, I probably lost quite a few of you right there.  Probably should have put this question at the end.  I've been a Cowboy fan since I was five.

Again, there's not really much to tell.  I am currently settled out in the country close to the south end if the Puget Sound in the state of Washington.  The scenic views here just cannot be beat.

TDWS: What inspired you to become a writer?

John: I have had this story running in my head in different version for a number of years.  I felt it was just wanting to get out and be told so I sat down at the keyboard one day and haven't left it.  I enjoy writing and the story just takes off when my fingers start poking around on the keyboard.  I am an avid reader and it's nice to be on the other side as well.

TDWS:  Why write a zombie book?

John: I am very much into the survival aspect and daydream from time to time about different survival situations.  Throwing zombies into the mix ups the ante to a considerable degree and takes the survival of a post-apocalyptic world to an extreme; it's no longer just about shelter, food, and water.

TDWS:  What is the title of your most current book and what is it about?

John: A New World: Taken

Its the fourth book in the series, A New World, which is a post-apocalyptic horror/thriller survival series.  Written in the first person perspective, it takes you into a world of survival through the eyes of Jack Walker.  The first moments and dawning recognition that something isn't right.  The reader learns what is happening at the same time Jack does.  It's a realistic look at surviving in the aftermath of a world-wide traumatic event, at least in my opinion.

TDWS:  Would you put your book more in the action, comedy, or horror category? Is there another category you would add?

John: I would say it is more in the action/thriller genre.

TDWS:  What sets your book apart from the thousands of zombie books out there?

John: The series is written in the first person present tense.  I think the timeline of the books is one of the things that sets it apart.  The first four books take you only about three months into the apocalyptic event.  Also, the zombies aren't really zombies but more of a genetically altered/mutated species.

TDWS:  What if anything do you want the reader to take from your book?

John: I just want the reader to walk away having enjoyed the story and for it to have allowed a moment of relaxation away from the day-to-day stresses of the world.

TDWS:  Where is your book available?

John: The series is available on Amazon, B&N, Sony, iTunes, and Smashwords

A New World: Chaos
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004W0CL2Y

A New World: Return
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005OSXDE8

A New World: Sanctuary
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006PY6ZAY

A New World: Taken
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007NP3XUE


TDWS:  Where can you be contacted?

John: Facebook
 http://www.facebook.com/JohnWBOBrien

Twitter
 http://twitter.com/A_NewWorld

Web site
 http://anewworldseries.com/

Email
john@anewworldseries.com

John O'Brien
Author of A New World: Chaos, A New World: Return, A New World: Sanctuary and
A New World: Taken
Web site:  http://anewworldseries.com/
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/A_NewWorld
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JohnWBOBrien

TDWS interview with William Rose author of The Seven Habits of Highly Infective People

TDWS: Tell us a little about you. Hobbies, schooling, favorite teams , etc.

William Rose: Well, I've always been fascinated by science and am somewhat of an armchair scientist.  Especially, when it comes to astronomy.  I have two telescopes, a reflector and refractor, and steal away to use them any chance I get.  I also enjoy a lot of outdoor activities such as camping and hiking, but have never really been into sports.  The closest I've come is when I was in my die-hard Battlebots phase.  My son and I actually had plan to build our own robot so we could join in on all the destruction and fun but, sadly, that never materialized.

TDWS:  What inspired you to become a writer?

William Rose: It was partly from writing stories when I was a kid.  I've always had a pretty vivid imagination but really got bit by the author bug when I was in elementary school.  Our school library let students write these little mini-books, which would then be placed on the shelves for other kids to check out.  I loved seeing my books on those shelves.  It was like a drug to me.  I definitely had more up there than any other kid in my school and I could tell other people were checking them out by looking at the cards in the back where people had to write their name when the book was borrowed.  After that, I was hooked.  But the fire was really fueled by my English and Creative Writing teachers.  They gave me the encouragement and guidance necessary to ensure this dream never lost steam and for that, if nothing else, I am eternally grateful.

TDWS:  Why write a zombie book?  

William Rose:  I love zombies.  They're unlike any of the other archetypal monsters out there.  All the other ones require a little down time.  Vampires sleep through the day, werewolves turn during the full moon, and serial killers don't strike every day of the week.  But a zombie?  It doesn't matter what time of day it is, what the weather conditions are, or anything like that.  A zombie will just keep coming.  And coming.  And coming.  Which lends itself to another reason I love the undead.  When you take a group of people who have witnessed their entire reality collapse, there's going to be some psychological damage there.  Nearly everyone they've ever known or loved is dead.  Cities are in ruins and the infrastructure is gone.  These people have went from being masters of their world to nothing more than prey.  And, on top of this, the walking dead are a constant reminder.  If they live long enough, they'll eventually become desensitized but the level of detachment and callousness would have to carry over to the living as well.  Every person you meet could potentially become a threat at any given time.  They're living in a constant state of paranoia and fear that never lets up.  And that is a perfect recipe for interesting characters. 

TDWS:  What is the title of your most current book and what is it about?

William Rose: My latest novel is The Seven Habits of Highly Infective People and is published through Permuted Press.  The plot is split between two time lines, the first of which is set in the present and centers on a character named Bosley Coughlin.  Through experimentation with drugs and the occult, Bosley has inadvertently opened a portal called The Eye of Aeons which causes his consciousness to spontaneously travel through time and space.  On one of these trips, he shares the mind of a fourteen year old girl named Ocean who lives in a world that has completely collapsed due to the undead apocalypse and ensuing food wars.  Ocean was born into this environment and has never known any other type of life.  Her story makes up the second time line and is set entirely in the wastelands of the future.  While sharing her mind, however, Bosley forms an emotional connection with the girl and vows to do anything he can to prevent the suffering awaiting her.  Upon returning to the present, Bosley meets Clarice Hudson, a woman who is beginning to display the seven symptoms of the infection that will level the world.  Through Clarice, Bosley realizes that he may very well be able to stop the coming apocalypse, but only if he is willing to challenge every notion he's ever held about right and wrong.

TDWS:  Would you put your book more in the action, science fiction, comedy, or horror category? Is there another category you would add?

William Rose: There's a little bit of all those things in the book, but if I had to classify The Seven Habits I would say it's a blend of horror and science fiction, as is a lot of my work.  The scifi aspect isn't hardcore.  I don't, for example, go into detail about how the Eye of Aeons scientifically enables Bosley's consciousness to travel through time, partly because Bosley doesn't really understand the process himself.  It's just something that happens which he's come to accept.  Most of the science in the book stems from his theories about the emerging disease in his timeline that eventually reanimates the corpses who define Ocean's world.

TDWS:  What sets your book apart from the thousands of zombie books out there?

William Rose: As far as I know there's not any other zombie novels out there featuring drug induced time travel, so there's that.  But there's also not really a lot of zombies in the book.  It's a story about characters who continually have to make some very difficult decisions in the name of survival, so my protagonists might not be what most people would think of as heroes.  They operate in moral gray areas and in essence are very flawed individuals.  Their weaknesses, failings, and justifications put them into some horrific situations and the tale is more about surviving in a zombie infested world rather than surviving wave after wave of undead attacks.  This had led some reviewers to suggest that even people who don't generally enjoy the zombie genre would like The Seven Habits.

TDWS:  What if anything do you want the reader to take from your book?

William Rose: What I want people to take away from the book, and the series as a whole, is that right and wrong are not necessarily always clear cut choices.  Most people don't simply wake up and think, "Hey, I believe I'll commit an atrocity or two today!"; consequences often dictate the course of action and people have their reasons for what they do.  They might not always be good reasons, mind you, but these decisions are usually justified in their own minds in some way.  And that's truly the underlying theme to The Seven Habits

.

TDWS:  Where is your book available?  

William Rose: It's available from all major online retailers in both ebook and print versions.  The audio book version is available on Audible.com and, of course, links for buying a copy can be found on the Permuted Press website.

TDWS:  Where can you be contacted?

William rose: More information on my work, including a link to download the free novella Apocalyptic Organ Grinder, can be found atwww.williamtoddrose.com  I am also on Facebook and Google+ and love hearing from my readers, so anyone can feel free to hit me up there as well.