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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

ZOMBIES: Interview with author Michael S. Gardner

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?

MSG - My Amazon Author Page is the best place at the moment: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-S.-Gardner/e/B00C0C28MO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

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!
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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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