by Bowie Ibarra
ZombieBloodFights.com is pleased to have with them today another author who is a part of this great modern wave of zombie authors. Please welcome Michael S. Gardner.
ZombieBloodFights.com - Let’s start with an important question here. The Evil Dead ‘rebirth’. Yes or no?
Michael S. Gardner - I would have to go
with a strong yes. The market is flooded with remakes, and there will be plenty
more down the road. I honestly feel that it’s about time someone brought this
movie back to life. After seeing it, I feel they did an excellent job.
ZBF.com - We followed ‘TheWalking Dead’ thru this season. What are some things you’d would do
differently if you ran the show?
MSG - I do believe the only
thing that I would have changed would be offing Andrea a little sooner, like
right when she was about to stab the Gov’na all naked and whatnot. I’m probably
one of the only people you’ll find that’s been satisfied with everything so
far. Too many people, I think, are expecting more and more and more, and
they’re not getting what they want. I set my standards pretty low and have yet
to be disappointed.
ZBF.com - What are some of your favorite zombie movies out there?
MSG - Favorite zombie
movies… Hmm…
Okay, I’ll start with
the 90’s remake of Night of the Living Dead. Had I not seen that flick as I child, I might not have been into
zombies at all. It’s got great conflict, believable characters, and awesome
effects for its time.
Another one I’m a big
fan of is Land of the Dead. Okay,
hold on, hear me out. It’s often been labeled that movie which points out we
are zombies and zombies are us a bit too much. Okay, I get that. But, putting
that aside, look at such a vast and detailed world Romero has given us with
this story. Zombie fights, take your pic with a zombie, street vendors, and hot
prostitutes. I feel that this one is one of the pivotal movies that show life
after the dead have claimed the world. It’s by far not the only one; but it’s
one of my favs.
I would say 28
Days Later, but that’s not a zombie
flick. I’d actually walked out on it in the theaters when the movie was first
released (big mistake!). They’d advertised an epic zombie movie, and that’s not
what it is or was. That said, it’s one hell of a movie.
ZBF.com - Let’s talk a little bit about your books. Tell us a little bit about ‘Betrayal’ and
‘Seller of the Dead’.
MSG - First, thanks for
allowing me to spread the word about my work. It’s much appreciated!
Betrayal is a zombie
novella (currently $0.99 on Amazon) which takes place a few years after the
dead have destroyed most of humanity. An old farmhouse and adjoining property
has been cordoned off, effectively keeping the hungering dead at bay. The
survivors are lucky enough to have a squad of marines and a pilot to forage for
food by traversing the fictional metropolis, Stryker City. But things aren’t as
they seem – as they often aren’t – and the marines find themselves in a tight
spot, abandoned by their pilot.
With the failed
mission and winter approaching, there is only one shot left before all is lost
and the refuge has to be abandoned. But this time, the new squad of foragers
discovers that the city beholds much more than they’d ever anticipated. A
doctor has found a “cure” which will transform the world as they know it. He
has the ability to control the dead, and is out to change the face of humanity.
Seller of the Dead is
the first installment of my Working Class Zombie series. It follows Nathan Parsons, a living-challenged man who is
simply trying to find his place in the apocalypse. After attending a seminar,
he decides to take his chances and prove he is worthy to live among the living.
This is definitely not
an ordinary tale. But, you’ll find references to a few of our favorite movies
if you pay close attention to the details. This is by far my favorite endeavor
as a writer, and I’m currently writing the second installment, The
District, which I hope to have out in a
month or two.
ZBF.com - What is your writing process like?
MSG - This’ll probably be my
shortest answer. I just write when I have time and when my muse strikes. I know
that’s not the best way to approach things, but I do what I can.
ZBF.com - What can readers expect from these books?
MSG - Conflict and
characters you can relate to. The one thing most of my readers will point out
is that I write about people. People you and I both know and like/hate. There
is much more action in Betrayal, yet
it’s not overdone. Seller of the Dead
is a slower story, as I want my readers to feel what it’s like to be my
protagonist. That said, Working Class Zombie will be a series with much action and conflict as the story
progresses.
ZBF.com - Where can readers find out more about your books?
I also blog at www.atasteofterror.blogspot.com
ZBF.com - Let’s ask the question that needs to be asked: Zombies, Blood, or Fights?
Ooh, that’s a tough
one, man. I guess I’d have to go with Zombies, because then we’ll get to the
Blood and the Fights. Hopefully!
=================
BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster. His latest book, 'The Cruel Fate of Dr. Brewster' McGill' is a weird western tale of snake oil, Aztec Magic, and the dead rising from the grave to attack the living. It is available in
Kindle and
paperback from Amazon.com.
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