New Collection in the Works

I realized today that I've been sitting on a whole bunch of horror stories that have never seen the light of day. Most of them were accepted to various anthologies that were never published. I figured I'd put them together and release it on Smashwords.

Want to write horror? Here's a book you may want to check out.

Requisite Thanksgiving Blog Post

So it's Thursday, it's Thanksgiving... I feel that calls for thirteen things. Here are thirteen things I'm thankful for on this Thanksgiving Thursday.

1. Alliteration.
2. My husband who worked with me on my days off this week to build a new coop for my chickens.
3. Yellow Dog, who is the stray that lives among the weeds and rubble of the vacant lot next door. No one can catch him, he won't let me get within ten feet of him, but he is our first line of defense! Right now he's standing sentry at the front gate, facing the street, ready to attach any bicycles or cars that dare threaten the block.
4. My own dogs, Zato and Hamlet. They are getting on and years, but still make a good team in home protection, plate cleaning, and snuggles.
5. Fashion inspiration at five a.m. I now know what to where to opening day at the track today.
6. This flippin' weather. It's been outstanding.
7. Winter break is less than a month away.
8. Hot tea.
9. An east facing front porch in winter.
10. Work, work, and more work.
11. My readers, if any are still out there. I promise to finish and publish something soon. Really.
12. My friends, family, and coworkers. Their kindness, generosity, and good cheer constantly amaze me!
13. Whatever is coming next!

Where I have been?

Writing and editing have always been my second job. Or sometimes third. What I did in the evenings, early mornings Saturday and Sunday.

We bought a house to renovate last November, however, and that's been taking my time. It had to be redone from top to bottom -- from flooring to roofing, and we aren't even halfway done yet. This is why I haven't sent out any new short stories or worked on any new novels.

Currently, in the few moments I have here and there, I am working on revisions of Storm Summer, a young adult historical set in Louisiana during World War II. I'd like to start sending this out to publishers in the fall. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Interview with Armand Rosamilia and Contest!

Today I'm welcoming horror writer Armand Rosamilia, author of Dying Days.

Tell us about Dying Days.

Dying Days is my extreme zombie series, centered around Darlene Bobich, a regular woman trying to survive. So far three books have been released, and there are many more to come. As long as readers keep responding to them. While the themes might be dark and graphic, at the core of the stories is a human just like you and me, who cries, has panic attacks, and isn't superhuman. Unless you're superhuman, in which case, ignore what I said.

What is up with pop culture's obsession with zombies? It doesn't seem to be waning at all. Why do you think that is?

Eventually (sooner than later) it will go away, but right now we're in a great time as a zombie writer and reader. With the end of the world coming right before Christmas (and we'll have already spent all our money on presents - nice job, Mayan Calendar!) the apocalypse is in our thoughts, on every History and Discovery Channel program, and in our videogames. But, like everything else, it will fade. The Walking Dead season seven will be lambasted for not killing teenage Carl already, there will be three network comedy shows starring zombies, and Brendan Fraser will make six bad zombie movies in a row. Then the world will indeed end.

Who do you look to for inspiration as a writer? The great masters of horror? Or is there an incongruous author you cite as an influence?

My favorites growing up were Dean Koontz and Robert E. Howard. I read a ton of others but those two set the foundation for me as a writer. But I read all the time, and not just horror. Mostly horror. Writers like Scott Nicholson, Joe McKinney, Brian Keene, John Everson, JA Konrath, and W.D. Gagliani are my favorites right now, but who knows what new author I'll discover?

Your site says Dying Days is going to be made into an independent film. What is that process like?

It's like pulling teeth, and that has nothing to do with Reality's Edge Films. When we decided to work together on the project, one of the stipulations was for me to write the first draft of the screenplay and then have final say. No big deal, right? It would be around 100 pages and I wrote a dozen pages of fiction a day with no problem. Plus, it was only taking the basic story of Dying Days and making it into a script. The plot and dialogue were all there! All I had to do was cut and paste the book into a screenplay format and we have ourselves a movie. Only it doesn't work that way. Script writing is so alien and different for me that I had to step back, study it, and start from scratch. I find it harder to write, but in the end it will be great. I hope.

What book of yours do you love the most? Why?

If I had to pick one, it would be Death Metal. It was my first release through another company in January 2009, right before the explosion of Amazon and eBooks. It was only sold on the company's website and a defunct horror book selling site, so it didn't do well. But for me it was a great experience to write it, edit it, and have a print copy in my hand. It was promoted as an urban horror novella, but I'm not sure what that is. It's horror but there's nothing supernatural and it's more of a horror thriller, if I had to tag it. I re-released it through Rymfire Books last year and its still available and doing quite well with sales. Someday I'd like to swing back around and do the sequel to it. Until then…

 Music when you write or no?

Sometimes, if I'm working on a specific chapter or scene, I'll put something on that fits the mood. I'm 42 and grew up on 80's Metal, so there's always Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Manowar, Slayer and Anthrax playing. For really gruesome scenes (especially zombie) I'll put on some hardcore music from my teens like Bad Religion, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains or Dead Kennedys. For love scenes? Light a candle, some Barry White… nah, just kidding…

Thanks for the interview! I hope it piques some interest to actual read some of my work! If not, I hope it piques interest to read another author's work!

I can be found on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Armand-Rosamilia/e/B004S48J6G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

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Want to know more about the Dying Days series? Want to win free eBooks and maybe print books of them? My contest is simple: e-mail me at armandrosamilia (at) gmail (dot) com with DYING DAYS in the subject line and I'll enter you into the daily giveaway… Also, post a comment here and you get another chance… follow my blog at http://armandrosamilia.com for yet another chance, and friend me on Twitter (@ArmandAuthor) and simply post DYING DAYS to me, and you'll get another shot… nice and easy, right? If I get enough people joining in the giveaway there will be a print book given away that day!

Dying Days series information can be found here: http://armandrosamilia.com/dying-days-series/

Under a House

Here are some things you will probably find while doing renovation work under a house in New Orleans. It is supported with anecdotal evidence.

• Car tires, some still on rims.
• Tricycle parts
• Pepsi bottles with the old, foam shrinkwrap labels on them. You remember those? They used to have them at the Chinese place on Palm Street in San Luis Obispo. I used to try to tear off the foam label in one long spiral.
• Chip bags with the graphics you remember from when you were a kid. Man, Chester Cheetah has really changed.
• Broken, antique bottles that would be worth something if they were whole.
• Old pipe that they replaced and then just left there.
• Thousands of plastic shopping bags whose integrity has broken down. They create a sort of distopian mat of dirty, fluttery snow flakes. And they always conceal broken bottles.

Saturday

This Saturday I am performing my first marriage ceremony. It's actually quite easy to be able to do this. Well, I mean to become a legal officiant is easy. What's not easy is getting up in front of the family and friends of the bride and groom and quite possibly botching one of the most important days of their life (I hope they don't read this).

How did this all come about? I think it started as a joke. "Hey, why don't I do it?" "Yeah, that would be fun." "Haha." "Haha." And then somehow I was on the computer, ordaining myself at themonastery.org and ordering my official certificate to take to the notary and parish clerk of courts. About $100 and a few trips to the Sears for their notary services, and I was able to perform weddings in Orleans and Jefferson Parish.

That all happened months ago, but now... Now it's real. I am possession of their marriage license. I have a black leather binder with the ceremony printed out in big font. I have a dress to wear -- I decided to skip the vestments. And on Saturday at 3:30 I will stand up in front of some people and perform a marriage. One of the most sacred acts in all of human ritual, and I am permitted to do it.

What does that say about the state of our culture?

Six Things Sunday -- movies on TV

I'm a bit wonky when it comes to certain movies. I have to watch them if they are on TV -- even when edited for time and content. No matter what, if I'm flipping stations and I see one of these films is on, I have to stop and watch it. So I thought today we'd do a "six things Sunday" of my must-watch movies.

You may question my taste, but these are all great for procrastinating the weekend away. I don't own any of the DVDs, nor would I rent them. There's no need, because they are all on some sort of Spike/ FX/ AMC rotation, it seems.

These are in no particular order.

1. Pitch Black. Damn good sci fi, really, and you haters can keep quiet. I do put my fingers in my ears and say "Lalala" whenever the term "Furian" comes up. Really? That's the best they could do when coming up with a name for a people know for their, well, fury?
2. Chronicles of Riddick. It's got Dame Judi Dench in it... and you know you want to know how Riddick did with his five-year plan.
3. Hellboy. One of the best comic concepts turned movie. Plus, I'll watch anything with Ron Perlman in it. Problem is, he's in everything! (Tangled is great, by the way)
4. Hellboy II: The Golden Army. See above.
5. Constantine. This has been the longest running must-watch movie on the list. Even Shia LaBeouf couldn't ruin this for me. I love Tilda Swinton as the androgynous, really evil angel. I was excited to see on IMDB that a sequel is in the planning stages.
6. Serenity. This one is even on Watch it Now on Netflix, but I'll still watch it on TV. I kneel at the alter of Firefly.