Guest Blog!! TW Brown chats about.....

I stumbled across TW Brown in the autumn of 2013 at the time he was meerly a named editor in another much loved authors book series; give it a whirl I thought. I love the apocalyptic genre AND series, so imagine my delight when I discovered TWB!

I was soon suckered in and the next DEAD become something I waited for and relished. At book 10 I started to realise that this must come to an end, TWB had made it very clear that 12 was the magic number.  Yes, there were add ons, other series he was writing (Zomblog and That Ghoul Ava are amoung my favourite worlds) and bonus content BUT in two books time THIS world was ending.......

However, it seems TWB has more to give his fans (horah) and this is him (yes really!) on MY blog explaining why, how and what to expect. So, read on and enjoy!

Oh, but before I go here is his Newfoundland "pup" !!

Returning to the DEAD world

When I sat down and began writing the original DEAD series, I hoped that I would be able to put together a 4-book series. As the story unfolded before me, I realized there was so much going on…and that led to my producing 12 books (that was over 1,000,000 words!). The truth is that I could have gone on MUCH longer. There is a gigantic ten-year time jump for example. But I knew the ending, and to reach it in 12 books, I had to skip ahead.

I found that I skipped over a lot of details as I plowed ahead to that ending. Yes, I could’ve easily discarded my 12-book total announcement. However, I’d made that announcement publicly. I know of one writer that ended a series at book 6. This person went on to other projects that I was hired to edit. One day, book 7 of that series arrived in my email. I sent back a query. 

Me: “Hey, I thought you were done with this one.”

Reply: “Yeah, the other stuff isn’t making the money like “Series X” so I am gonna extend it.”

I thought that was unfair to the fan base. And while I admit this is a business, I just thought it was playing dirty. However, true to the hopes of this writer, the fans scooped up the additional books in large numbers. So, I guess that is okay. I just feel that I gave my word. I wasn’t going to be like The Who and have twenty Farewell Tours” when it came to the DEAD series as the fans knew it.

To that end, I have produced the DEAD: Snapshot—{insert town here} collection of standalone novels. To date, Portland, Oregon; Leeds, England; and Liberty, South Carolina have all received the DEAD treatment. I think the Leeds, England book is some of my best writing. It is one of the books that I truly felt good about. As a writer, I often feel my stuff is lacking.

So, all of this brings me to the real reason I am here with you today. On October 31, 2016, the DEAD world will be the setting of my new series. It begins with DEAD: Onset (Book 1 of the New DEAD series).

So, what makes this different? For one, this series will be through the eyes of one man: Evan Berry. No rotating chapters with Geeks and Vignettes; just the story of one man trying to figure out what is going on and then how to stay alive.

Evan is just a regular guy. I think that resonates more with readers than some military super-soldier packing an arsenal and having a way to rig every situation to his liking. Evan will make mistakes. Sometimes, I am betting that the readers may not like him very much. You will be inside his head, and we all know that we’ve thought things that would cause those around us to be shocked or think badly of us. You will be privy to those thoughts when they cross Evan’s mind.

The real Evan!!

What I hope to do with this series is to explore the world a bit more closely. One of my favorite twists in the mythology of the zombie is how children are different after they turn. I was inspired along this track when I was in a college psychology class. The topic of how much more active the young mind is, how open it is to learning gave me the inspiration that my child zombies would have a degree of sentience. That makes them a bit more frightening. While not actually holding on to their humanity…they are somehow different. They don’t just walk into a storm of bullets. They lurk. They wait.

Additionally, I think I was one of the early writers to explore the idea of possible immunity. That comes from Stephen King’s The Stand. The human immune system is a mystery. Some people just do not get whatever bug or virus is making the rounds. SO why shouldn’t there be those who are immune to the bite? However, once bitten, why not make that person a carrier? Imagine the schism that would eventually arise as the survivors had time to get past that first shock. And now, a person bitten but immune could infect another through fluid exchange. Think back to the hysteria and societal over-reaction to HIV and the AIDS virus. Strip away law and order, toss in those who feel they are now “The Chosen” as well as those who see the immune as dangers and abominations.

It doesn’t take long in my zombie books for zombies to become the least of people’s worries. DEAD: Onset (Book 1 of the New DEAD series) has no set number of volumes. I will write this story until I have nothing left to say. I am not in a hurry to reach an endgame. I want to suck the reader into this world and make them feel every emotion possible. Happiness, sadness, anger. I hope you enjoy it. I have said it before, but it bears repeating: I feel that every new book is my audition. 

I look forward to hearing how you feel about this book. I don’t go out seeking a flurry of 5 star reviews. It is impossible to be all things to all people, especially in the entertainment world. And I often learn things from well thought out critical reviews. If you can’t take those 1 star stingers that come every so often…you are in the wrong field. Do they feel good? No, but as long as you are seeing more love than pleas that you never take up the pen again, you should feel like you are on the right track. Let’s hope I am with my new series.

DEAD-Onset

Jane The Hippie Vampire: Hair by Leigh M. Lane

Jane is ironically a vegan vampire with a knack for getting into trouble.

Needing to head to warmer climes she heads South into Bible Belt country, the weather maybe warmer but the hospitality is not; at least for an outwardly appearing teenage vagrant.

When a purple dog runs past her during a routine police stop you are already drawn back into Jane’s strange world and you can feel the magic carpet ride coming.

Whilst she knows that she must feed and she often disgusts herself with the berserker like frenzy when this occurs she knows it was not her that started to rip the Officers to pieces in the woods, even though she does not turn down an easy meal.

LML has a wonderful skill of explaining the pain that Jane feels during these feeds giving you a sense of the gnawing hunger vs the need to preserve all life.

As she hides in the forest she is found by the local Ranger, Bobby, and he kindly takes her home for dinner, although he does have his own agenda and what is actually on the menu?

His family are a strange mix of rednecks and homely parents, then LML introduces  the local fruitloop who professes to be seeing lake monsters, werewolves and vampires and you know things are about to go squiffy for poor Jane!

When said fruitloop decides to rid the world of a “stinking leech” he sets in motion a terrible chain of events, killing sprees, hidden bodies and family secret revelations.

Whilst all this is going on LML manages to throw in some horrific flashbacks of Jane’s previous life and her “change”.

Overall another wonderful installment in the undead life of Jane. I am more intrigued by this vampire now; LML is expertly giving little hints of the true horror in Jane’s life whilst telling these little chapters in her life. 

My only complaint is having to wait for the next episode.

Jane: Hair

The Peeling Series by Iain Rob Wright

I have been looking forward to more of this gruesome, yet riveting, story since it was hinted at as a freebie at the end of Animal-Kingdom: An Apocalyptic Novel (a fantastic read!).

This tale gives you a little glimpse of the horrors inflected upon a variety of individuals, which are unfolding all over the World by a new plague which literally peels the skin off its victims, IRW manages to describe this in glorious technicolor!

For such a brief tale, you cant help but be totally absorbed and taken over by the characters and they have such depth that you miss them at the end... and as always, the IRW,  the ending is not what you think....

Jeremys Choice

The second instalment of this gruesome new world that IRW has imagined and brought to life (or death) a ghastly new disease of unknown cause but very known consequences.

He continues his absolutely stunning grip on the real horrors in the world as superbly illustrated in his novel ASBO: A Novel of Extreme Terror and manages to bring forth the true nature of people in stressful situations and make them the real horror in the mess of apocalyptic terror.

As usual, the characters are rounded, with short but fulfilling back stories, you feel at ease with them instantly and are soon engulfed in their world.

As no-one is safe from the Peeling you are in full trepidation as to what dread is around the next page turn (or button click for us ebookers).

As always I was captivated by this new chapter and sad that it ended, but Mr Wright is consistent in his fabulous endings.

The Stadium

The focus is on a supermarket takeover, and not by Tesco!

Two sets of army teams fight it out with the "civvies" in the middle. Good vs Evil basically, yet so well done.

Attention to detail as always from this perfectionist author.

Some very attention grabbing defence plays; very apocalyptic in nature... makes for a "fun" read.

Now, the ending... OMG what a way to leave it!! amazing!

I cannot do spoilers... but you wont see this one coming!

Warriors

So IRW takes us to the heart of hell and the possible start of the virus, or is it?

The journey into this new pit is coldly scary and unnerving in its possibilities.... how do a group of intelligent people keep a hostage for so many years?

The creeping terror sensation you get with this book is very, very dark.

Classically done! Faultless in its editing, as usual, and amazing writing!

Patient Zero

A nice fresh setting to end the series, with some great new characters that have enough of a back story to be believable and cared about.

In such a short and horrific tale IRW still manages to inject some brilliant British humour!

I really loved the reality check of how the group felt and reacted, no movie style theatrics, no overt hero stuff, it all felt so real.

The tension and build up as IRW drags you to the finale was exquisite, I really felt myself squinting and half looking at my kindle, I'm sure if I had been listening on audio book I would have had my hands over my eyes or been hiding behind the sofa!

The ending is abrupt, but totally satisfying.

As always with IRW the editing is perfection, not a comma out of place.

The Peeling Book 4:The Lights