TW Brown Guest Post

Ok so I have special opportunity to have a guest blogger with an even bigger and more exciting opportunity to be in a zombie book!!  

Over to TW Brown!

Welcome to the “Bring-the-zombie-apocalypse-to-my-town” tour…2015 edition.

When did the whole “zombie thing” start for me?

At age 14, I saw the original Dawn of the Dead in its theatrical release. When the girl two rows ahead of me blew chunks into her popcorn during the opening scene at the low-rent apartments…I was hooked. Seriously, what could be cooler when you are a fourteen-year-old boy than to see some Farrah wanna-be let loose with the liquid laughter? But as the movie went on, I was just sucked into that entire world. I had yet to see Night of the Living Dead at that point.

What is the last zombie book that I read?

I just wrapped up Contamination (Books 0-3) by T. W. Piperbrook. I am a firm believer in knowing what is out there in the genre. I hear some people (when asked if they wouldn’t mind giving my books a read) say that they don’t want to read it and then steal an idea. I have so many problems with that answer. For one, we are all standing on the shoulders of Romero for the most part. And if you don’t read, then you WILL become stagnant as a writer. I’ve read plenty of stories and never once “stolen” an idea. Now, I will say that I have been inspired by some as well as seen things that I felt did not work and, thus, should be avoided. However, my stories are my own, and despite any outside inspiration, it is me putting the words down.

What makes my story stand out from the masses?

I believe that it is the depth of characters. The zombies are really just part of the backdrop. I think that I introduce real people who live with the consequences of their actions. There is no reset button, no do-overs. That is also why none of my characters are safe. More than one of my primary characters has fallen over the course of the story. I believe that gives the reader a sense of hanging on to the edge of their seat simply because they understand that nobody is safe.

What will I tackle next? (If you are writing a series, what will you write after the series is over?)

Well, this is actually the spin off from my DEAD series (which only has two books left in the series proper).

Worst reaction I have received about my writing?

Besides the death threats and hate mail that I receive due to the Garrett McCormick character? I have heard it all. I am a hack, unoriginal, Max Brooks, Robert Kirkman, or Mark Tufo do it better. Blah-blah-blah. I would say that for me, it is not the negative reviews or fans of other writers that strikes me as the worst reaction. People like what they like and loyalty is a funny thing. My issue comes from my fellow writers who pound the pavement asking for readers and reviewers (of which I can say that I have been one for many of them) and the lack of reciprocation. That bothers me a bit. It is a toss-up between that and having somebody ask what I do for a living or find out that I am a writer and then have them ask what I write. When I say that I have a couple of zombie series out, they sort of look away and utter, “Oh…m’kay, well see ya.” Or something to that effect.

And on the flip side, what is the best…the one that almost embarrassed you it was so effusive?

I have a reader who is on her death bed, she is in treatment and has a short prognosis, survives day to day on morphine. Let me share a portion of her first email (there have been others since, but this first one dropped me):

“Dear Todd Brown,

Just to say thanks - your Zomblog has got me through the first  two weeks of living with my new best friends - morphine patches.

I've got a life-limiting condition with a side order of physical disability - that's the hand I've been dealt, and fortunately, I've got the disposition to cope with it.

I've got great family & friends & the NHS & voluntary work in my community  (I'm Jewish) - we should all be so lucky.

Your writing - how ordinary people deal with a 24/7 nightmare - has been a great comfort.

Morphine has left a vacuum where my fizz & whizz used to be - I thought I was prepared for 'feeling weird'.

But I didn't expect to feel MIA.

Reading has always been my lifeline - distracting me from pain, when nothing else can.

Some writers sweep me up into their world and onto their timeline -

You're one of those writers.

Thank you for your words.”

What do you say to that? Thank you? That feels so inadequate.

If any of my work was to be made into a film, which piece, and who is THE big star I would love to see in the leading role?

I honestly think that the DEAD series is to epic for a decent screen treatment. Zomblog might go over well, and I would really dig seeing it brought to cable. That Ghoul Ava is actually where I have my screen dreams pinned. And I would love to see Famke Janssen as Ava. That would be sweet. Also, I have no idea where she would fit…maybe as Morgan, but Alyson Hannigan is probably my biggest Hollywood crush…her and Jennifer Aniston, but Jen seems to crash and burn in every single relationship…that is a warning flag. I hate high maintenance women. I am high maintenance enough and don’t need the hassle.

What is the scariest movie I have ever seen?

I saw The Exorcist when I was supposed to be in seeing a certain Disney movie about a baby deer. I was just a wee tyke and that movie scared me silly. To this day, despite desensitization and everything else, that movie still chills my blood. The “Captain Howdy” flash image makes me nearly pee.

What is something about me that would surprise your fans?

Besides that last bit? Maybe that my wife calls me “The Animal Whisperer”. I seem to have a way with our furry and feathered friends. I have a rescue Umbrella Cockatoo as our newest family member and am slowly coaxing him out of his shell so that he can be the loud and loving bird that ‘Toos are known to be. That is in addition to my two Border Collies, the African Grey that adores my wife and sees me as the parent…in other words, no fun. (Although she does love to play this game where she creeps up on me and as soon as I notice her, she scoots away.)

What is in your “to be read” pile right now?

Too many titles to list, but I always look for suggestions from other lovers of the genre.

Behind the curtain of the DEAD: Snapshot {your town here} series

“THE DEAD WALK!”

You sort of dream about that headline. Admit it. You watch shows like The Walking Dead and think, That would be SO cool! Would it really? I want you to bring your own arm up to your mouth and bite as hard as you can. Now keep going until you rip the flesh. (In the interest of our “sue happy” culture, I am not really suggesting that you do this, and if you already did then can I ask what in the hell is wrong with you?)

So…how cool is it now? And then there is the idea of finding a loved one who had the misfortune of not heeding the warnings and got bit trying to hurry home to take care of you. They are coming at you with filmed over, dead eyes. So grab a gun or something and shoot or bash them in the head. Oh yeah, that includes your precious little Jimmy or Janie. You know, that apple of your eye…the one thing that you love more than life itself.

Not sounding so great anymore, is it?

The reality of the zombie apocalypse is probably more terrifying than we want to imagine. However, reading about it is a blast. On that, I think many of us can agree. Only, when you read these stories, don’t they always seems so far away and remote? Unless you have a local zombie author who loves to set his novels in his or her (and by extension…YOUR) neck of the woods, you have to imagine places you have never been and hope to sink into the story enough to feel like you are “there.”

Well, wait no more. With my new spin off of my successful and best-selling zombie series DEAD, the apocalypse can be right outside your own front door. How? I will tell you later. You don’t think I am gonna give you ALL the good stuff right off the bat, now do ya?

My new series is titled DEAD: Snapshot—{insert town here}. Okay that last little bit is just the generic filler. To be clear, the first book is titled DEAD: Snapshot—Portland, Oregon. I set it in my town because it is someplace that I know pretty well. However, the next book is titled DEAD: Snapshot—Leeds, England. Never been there, but with the help of Google, I can get down to street level and “walk” about from the comfort of my computer.

Each of these books will be a stand-alone novel set in the mythology that I built in the DEAD series. Some of them may see “guest appearances” by characters that you know and love or hate from DEAD. You don’t have to be a reader of the series to enjoy or understand the book. It is zombie fiction, not Twin Peaks. For those totally unfamiliar, my zombies are like those found in Romero flicks. Still confused? (I weep for you, but I will clarify.) The Walking Dead. You know, basically slow and not all that coordinated. I do have a few twists in my mythology that differs from the norm. While I won’t state it as a fact, I had not read (in my VERY EXTENSIVE reading) any instances where the bite was not a catalyst for somebody to turn. Also, children of the younger age bracket might behave just a bit differently. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will leave it at that and let you discover for yourself why my series has allowed me to be a writer full-time and quit my day job.

So, how do you get zombies to come wipe out your town (or maybe the town of an ex, or somebody that you just really don’t like), so to speak? Simple. All you have to do is send me an email at twbrown.maydecpub@gmail.com with “I WANT TO SEE THE DEAD TAKE MY TOWN!” in the subject line. From there, in the actual email, tell me where you are from. Tell me a little bit about your town and what makes it special. Feel free to offer your own name up for use as a character. You are even free to give me a description or photo that I can use to design this character. I even let you specify if you wish to be hero or villain. Sorry, no promises that you will survive in any case, and your character’s depiction may be NOTHING like you in manner and action. It will simply carry your name into the annals of zombie apocalypse history.

So…are you interested? Curious? Or maybe you really dislike those snobs over in Shelbyville? (Simpson’s  reference…sorry.) Well, you now have the power of life, death, and undeath in your hands. What will you do?

SO!!! what do you think guys, will YOU be sending an email Todds way? :)