We have Glenn Bullion as a guest today on the blog to promote his zombie book, DEAD LIVING. Check out my interview with Glenn down below, where we talk about zombies, his book, and then more zombies. Also, there is a tour wide giveaway going on so don’t miss out on your chance to a copy of DEAD LIVING!
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If you had to create a kit to survive in a world like the one you created in Dead Living, what would you include?
In Dead Living, the zombies have already taken over. So, if you're not bunkered down somewhere, the kit would need to be as light and simple as possible. A bladed weapon of some sort, with a pistol as a last resort. Water is a must, as much as you can reasonably carry. Lighters and matches are no good, so a magnifying glass would be a good carry, for starting fires when able. Society is over as we know it, so if you're on your own, scavenging is the name of the game.
How would you introduce us to your main character, Aaron?
The mysterious introduction would work best with Aaron. I love the visual of seeing him blend harmlessly with a huge pack of zombies, all of them moving around him while he moves freely. That would be a scary sight, if you happened to be a bad guy (or anyone, for that matter).
Who was your favorite character to write about in Dead Living?
One of my favorite pairings of all my novels were Aaron and Samantha, and I loved to write about those two characters. But I'll take this chance to talk about another character, the glue that holds the survivors of Lexington High School together. Richardson.
A lot of zombie stories has that bad guy, the typical leader of the biker gang, the guy manipulating the town for his own purposes, whose true goal is to look out for himself. Richardson isn't that man. He is a good man, who only wants to take care of the people fate lumped him together with. He is older, and remembers quite well what the old world was like, a sort of historian for the younger people. Everyone looks up to him, and for good reason.
Zombies, or the walking dead, seem to be more and more popular in fiction these days. What differentiates your novel from the others in the genre?
It's hard to write a different zombie story. A lot of ideas have been used by other writers J I'd like to think this one is different because of the characters. I tried to breathe real life into everyone. These characters were not just written to be eaten by zombies. I'm hoping as the reader follows Aaron on his journey, that they truly hope for good things, unlike the teens we watch Jason and Freddy chase J
The setting I also think is interesting. This isn't those first few weeks, but far in the future. Society has fallen; the walking dead have taken over. How would things be different? What kind of camps would people form? Zombies are naturally frightening to us, but what if you were a child, and grew up with them? What good things would people do? What evil things?
Dead Living is a fun story that goes on a little adventure that I think will spark the imagination.
What do you want your readers to learn or assimilate from Dead Living?
A lot of zombie stories focus on how bad humanity would turn out to be if the zombies came. George Romero certainly tackles this issue often. Dead Living has its villains as well, but there are plenty of positives. Even with zombies all around, there's always hope. You have to hold on to that.
What do you think is more likely: the walking dead created by a virus or by supernatural forces?
You have to go with the virus. I think that's part of what makes zombies so scary and fascinating, is that they're much more feasible to happen than say a vampire or werewolf. Something that makes a human turn into a wolf is hard to swallow. But some kind of virus or government experiment that could make dead bodies move and jump around? I don't think that's entirely out of the picture.
What is your favorite zombie movie?
There are a ton of good ones out there. Even the zom-coms are solid, Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland. But I have to go with the original trilogy, Night, Dawn, and Day. Those movies are hard to beat. I also liked Land of the Dead, although I think sometimes I may be the only one.
Do you prefer to write on a computer or with pen and paper? Do you have any weird/crazy writing habits?
Computer writing only for me. I'm not sure I'd be a writer if it weren't for the computer. I don't really have any weird habits, I don't think. I like to listen to music, sometimes, but it depends on how focused I am. Sometimes music is a distraction, and has to go off.
What are you reading right now?
I'm actually not reading anything right now. I'm working on my latest book (Demon's Doorway is nearly ready to be released, as of this writing, and typing the words on Witch's Kurse). I try not to mix reading and writing too much. It's not good to have that distraction, when I'm having some bad writing time, to say “Man, I wish I was reading that book”. I try to get my reading done in between novels.
What will I read next? I'll probably try to find a Richard Laymon novel I haven't read yet, or read one of his old ones.
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Thank you Glenn for answering my questions. It was great to have you here on the blog!
More about Dead Living:
It didn’t take long for the world to die. And it didn’t take long, either, for the dead to rise.
Born on the day everything ended, a world filled with the walking dead is the only one that Aaron knows. Kept in seclusion, his family teaches him the basics. How to read and write. How to survive.
Then Aaron makes a shocking discovery. The undead, who desire nothing but flesh, ignore him. It’s as if he’s invisible to them.
The survivors of the old suburb of Lexington call a high school their home. They live day to day, without any of the luxuries mankind used to enjoy. Samantha is a product of the new world. Alone, cold, looking out only for herself. She and the other residents of Lexington feel their hope dwindling. They need change. They need someone who can face the corpses. They need someone who can live in a city of the dead.
They need Aaron.
Purchase: Amazon
Glenn is offering a tour wide giveaway of 3 copies of DEAD LIVING [winner's choice of Print (US/Can) or eBook (INTL)]
To enter the giveaway, obey the rafflecopter.
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About Glenn Bullion
I live in Maryland with my wonderful wife and four cats. I love gaming, computer technology, movies, and of course, reading and writing. I love science fiction and especially horror and the paranormal. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, zombies, anything supernatural, all beautiful subjects.
I’ve been writing since I was twelve years old. There’s just something about creating a story that I like. I always try come up with something that hasn’t been done, or is unique in some way. It could be someone with demonic powers, or something much more simple, such as a person that zombies ignore. It’s fun to create a character, give him or her a personality and background, and watch them evolve through a story.
I’ve tried other subjects, but always drift back to horror and paranormal. There’s a reason why we keep going back to horror movies and books, why they’ve made fifty Friday the 13th movies. People like to be scared, but more than that, I think paranormal and horror stir the imagination like nothing else. We’re all just a little nervous to open that closet door at midnight, or look under the bed.
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Great interview, guys! I will likely be the first to die when the zombies come! haha! I also believe virus - it's actually plausible and I believe it couple happen. There's already some type of rabies virus who are turning animals into irrational beasts - not undead but still kind of zombie-like you know *shivers*
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