News

I was doing something today...Let's see...picked up the son from pre-school, trimmed the bushes, cleaned the middle child's closet...Hmm.

Oh right!  I finished White Flag of the Dead Book 6 today.  In assembly/editing mode right now, should be off to the publisher before Monday.

Good stuff.  You'll laugh, cry, and freak out all at once.

If things go quickly it may be out close to Halloween.

JT

Update

Okay,so here's the news that fit to print.  Just got done deciding on a cover with the cover artist (very nice guy, BTW.). I am halfway done with book six, and am on a serious roll.  I expect some very good progress the next few days, and I may wrap this up by September 1.  That's the goal, and I think I can do it.  Keep your fingers crossed and your ammo handy!
Reminder: Author chat with me on the 20th at 8:00 for those participating in the facebook Zombie Book of the Month Club.
I have an extra copy of the first book lying around here, I should do a contest for a signed copy or something. I'll figure it out.

Writingly yours,

JT

Book 6 Update

So I got a little bit behind in the writing, and it looks like Book 6 will not be finished for another two to three weeks.  I am hoping for some serious writing time for the next few days.  If that happens, then I may revise that estimate dramatically.  Basically, I am hoping for several hours of uninterrupted writing time, which would put me back into a semblance of a schedule and knock a week or two off my timeline.

Stay tuned, and I should have an update by Wednesday.

Zeus the Cat

I am forever amazed that the one question I get asked more than anything else is what happened to Zeus the Cat.  I nearly started a short story from Zeus' point of view, but had other things to complete.  Therefore, I am here to announce that Zeus is currently being discussed in Book 6, and will likely make an appearance in some fashion.  How I can make it work right now is a mystery, but I'll think of something.

Also, there is a Zombie Book club on Facebook, and they are reading White Flag of the Dead as their August selection!  Thank you Shaun Phelps.  In addition, there will be a discussion/chat at the end of the month, so we'll see how that plays out.  Should be fun.

JT

WFTD Book 6

Just giving an update, I've started Book 6 and am happily typing along.  If I stick to a fairly rigid schedule, I might have the thing wrapped up by the end of July.  That would be amazing, but it can be done.  Full time jobs have a way of getting in the way, but I have discovered I like eating and my children enjoy it, too.
In the meantime, another project has been started, cancelled, and replaced, so there might be some serious entries in the next few weeks, stay tuned.  Or I may send it to Severed to see if they like it.  I didn't, but they might.  Who knows?
Also, a non-zombie story has been started, we'll see where this one runs to.

Finally, if there are any artists out there, I would love to see anyone's rendition of John and Charlie facing off the horde at the gazebo in Coal City.  Just for fun.  I'll post them on the blog if anyone wants their work seen.

Later.

JT

Tommy's Tips

Okay, we're going to go over caliber selection today.  There are those that argue that a .45 is superior to everything because it makes a bigger hole.  Others will make the claim that a 9mm will do any job and have a higher round count in the magazine.  I've heard that anything that doesn't start with a 4 in the caliber department really isn't a gun.  A claim was once made that .357 was king and if the cops had just kept their wheelguns, everything would have been fine.
Well, here's the rule of thumb we've lived by.  Use a gun that fits your hand and is in a caliber you can safely handle for extended periods of time.  No point in stocking up on a .50 AE when the gun that shoots it beats the crap out of your hands.
Stick with a caliber that is common.  9mm, .40 S&W, and .45acp were all used by police departments across the country before the end came.  Chances are you'll find ammo almost everywhere thanks to local LEO's.
Caliber wars are stupid. A .22 will kill a zombie just as dead as a .45 will.  If it works for you and you can hit a volleyball at fifty yards, you'll do fine.  Use what you like and can find ammo for.

Later.

Charlie's Guide

Instincts.
Once upon a time, we kind of took them for granted.  Before the Upheaval we talked about instincts when it came to relationships, or jobs, or that lone guy standing on the corner not moving for thirty minutes.
Because we weren't gifted by nature with usable claws, fangs of any size, the ability to fly, to be able to see in the dark, or any serious boost in hearing or smell, we developed what is loosely termed instincts.  In reality, instincts are a collection of signals your brain is getting about your environment.  Stuff you aren't really paying attention to, but your subconscious mind is waving its arms and screaming "Pay Attention, Idiot!"
Those of us who learned to trust our instincts survived.  When something felt wrong, even though we couldn't see any danger, we stayed away from it.  We couldn't explain why, we just did.
For example:  Duncan and I were checking out a farm house in eastern Nebraska. By experience, there shouldn't have been any problem.  We'd been into a hundred of these places and never had an ounce of trouble.  If there was a zombie, between the two of us, it was toast.  Duncan had checked the upstairs and came down to see the basement.  Right before he opened the door, he stopped.  For whatever reason, he wasn't going to open the basement door.  When I asked him what the problem was, he just shook his head and said he wasn't going to do it.  WE left it alone and went outside.  As we rounded the back end of the house, we could see a basement window open.  When we approached, several gray arms started reaching out at us.  A quick look showed the basement was filled with zombies, and several of them were the little quick kind.  If Duncan had opened that door, we'd have been killed.  Instincts.

When something in the back of your mind tells you to stop or run, do it.  Now.  Better to look the fool and be wrong, then be stubbornly dead.

You best weapon is your mind.  It pays attention to every detail you miss and puts the picture together into a mural called instincts.

That's why we made it to the top of the food chain.

Charlie out.

Don't get mad...

There is a time lapse in Book 5 and there are plans for a two part series on the Zombie Wars to be arriving sometime next year. Hang in there!

Dead Surge

Just a note that Dead Surge, the fifth book in the White Flag of the Dead series, is now available in the Amazon Kindle store! Hope you like it as much as I liked writing it! Book 6 is outlined and nearly ready to go!

Dead Surge - WFTD Book 5 Sneak Peek!

          On the far wall, another map had been placed over the original.  This one was a large representation of the states just west of the Mississippi.  Dozens of pins dotted the landscape, and they were all red except for six of them, which were black.  They designated six small towns in the far western section of the state, just a little south of Omaha.  The biggest of the towns I could see was Red Oak.  The black dots were nearly a straight line from the west to the east.  I had a creepy feeling I knew what they meant.

            Dot saw me looking and came over to the map.  “Six weeks ago, we lost contact with these towns.  On the surface, it didn’t seem like much.  We chalked it up to bad communication lines.  But they happened one after the other, in succession like you see.  What do you think?”

            I looked at the map again.  “Based on what I have here, I’d say you had a new spreading contagion or a group looking to establish themselves in the Breadbasket of America.”

            “That’s what our assessment was, too.”  Dot said.  “We figured it had to be something that was interfering with communication.  And these days, the only thing that could do that was lack of people to communicate with.”

            “So what was causing the problem?  I assume you sent someone out there to check.” I asked.

            “We did.”

            “So?” I didn’t like the way she said that.

            “So they didn’t come back.  Everyone we sent out that way has not communicated with us in weeks, and we’re not sure why.”

            Captured or dead. I thought. “Who did you send?” I asked instead.

            Dot sighed. “Jane Coswell, Brian Hernandez, and Bill Osbourne.  Each one went with ten people.”

            I was stunned.  I knew all three of them and they were solid, steady people.  None of them were likely to screw up a fight or walk into an ambush.  I looked back at the map.  What the hell was out there?

            “Thirty-three people gone.” I mused.  I looked over at Charlie and I could see he was as shocked as I was.  “What do you want from us?” I asked pointedly.  I knew what the answer was and I could see Dot knew that I knew.  But I wanted to hear the request, just so I could tell myself I had the right of refusal.

            Dot looked at me square in the face.  “I need to know what’s going on, John.  I need a crew that can look at a situation and know it for what it is.  I need someone to let me know if I have to mobilize the army or send in a crack crew to stage a rescue.”

            Dot looked away.  “I know you’ve done your part for the country, and no one is more grateful than I.”  She looked back at me. “I need the best, John, and you and Charlie are it.”

            I didn’t say a word.  I stared hard at Dot and she matched me unblinkingly.  I knew I was going to lose this fight, but big chunk of me didn’t want any part of it. 

            Finally, I said, “Christ, you don’t make it easy, do you Dot?”  I looked over at the rest of my companions.  “This one’s not on me.  We need to talk.”

            Dot nodded and left the room, leaving the four of us to stare at the maps and the pins and what mysteries they represented.

            I started the ball.  “All right.  We’ve heard the pitch and we know what is expected of us.  The question we have on the table is whether or not we take up the challenge.”

            Charlie looked over the maps then back to me before he spoke. “Something is seriously wrong out there.  We know that area, and we know the people that were out there.  We know the people that went out there and stayed to settle.  None of them could have just been blown over, and none of them would have just up and given up without a fight.”  He ran a hand over his knife hilt.  “Doesn’t make sense.”

            Rebecca spoke next.  “We don’t know what happened, or what’s happening.  For all we know, whatever is out there is headed this way and we don’t have any way of stopping it.”  She walked over to Charlie and held his hand.  “I guess my fear is not going out, and then wishing we had when we had the chance to take on whatever it is when it was just starting out.”

            I didn’t say anything, but Rebecca had just voiced what I was thinking.  While it was easy to say this wasn’t my fight, if it was something that stood a chance of wiping out everything I had fought six years for, how could I stand back and just let it go?

            Sarah made the point clearer. “No one says there has to be a fight, all anyone is asking is for someone to take a close look and then high tail it back.”  Sarah stood in front of me.  “I know what you’re thinking John, and I understand.  Whether we like it or, we have to take this one.”

            I nodded slowly.  “We just figure out what’s going on, and then we bug out.  Agreed?  We let the ones whose job it is now to fight take care of it.” 

            The rest agreed and we called Dot back in.  It took a minute to fill her in on the decision, and I could see she was happy about it.  For a second I thought she might have been worried I would say no, but I was probably wrong.

            When we took our leave, Dot asked me to stay behind for a second.  I told Sarah and the rest I would catch up with them in a minute.  We watched them walk further up the hill for a second before Dot spoke.

            “Thank you, John.”

            “You’re welcome.”  I hesitated, and Dot caught it right away.

            “Say your piece, John Talon.” Dot said kindly.

            I gripped the porch rail tightly.  “Got a bad feeling about this one, Dot.  Got a feeling this one is gonna make the rest of the shit I’ve been through seem like a vacation.”

            Dot looked out over the river for a long moment before she spoke.

            “Me, too.”

Need a favor...

Been looking at some reviews on Amazon and I'm getting slammed pretty hard by a couple.  If anyone out there hasn't posted a review, I would be very appreciative if you would.
Also, since everyone here has been very patient, I have decided to give a little sneak peek into Book 5 of White Flag of the Dead - Dead Surge.
I'll post it tomorrow.

JT

Phew!

Haven't been here in a while, and I have a reason. Book 5 is now done, and will be off to the publisher in a couple of days. Should be available soon! I've managed to get a decent routine down with writing, so there should be more coming sooner.
Book 5-
It's been several years since the Upheaval, and John Talon and his friends have settled into an almost normal life. The Zombie Wars are over, and there is little left to do but live.
In the farmland of Iowa, however, a new threat has emerged that will test the limits of John and Charlie's skill, and send them hurtling towards a showdown with the darkest form of the Enillo Virus.

Charlie's Guide

I've been asked why I use tomahawks. When the so called "experts" have said that crowbars and other things make better weapons, why would I use such an old weapon?
First of all, keep in mind most of those "experts" are dead. When the end finally came, all those people who secretly hoped for a zombie apocalypse finally got their wish, and all their rhetoric was good for exactly squat. Second, anyone who claims their way is best or their preps are better than anyone else's is a half wit. Everyone's circumstances are different, and no one's advice is a good thing for all. Go with whats good for you and use some simple common sense. If you haven't got any common sense, no advice will save you.
Back to the 'hawks. Why do I use them? They give me reach, they have both a cutting edge and a hammer side (both good for cracking skulls), they can hook things, and if you practice, you can throw them with good effect.
I think I've finally won the debate with John, but he'll never admit it. He loves his mini pickaxe too much.

Charlie out.

Tommy's Tips

One thing people seem to never appreciate is rope. Even if it's just ten or twelve feet in length, being able to tie a gate shut or a door is sometimes a life saver. You can use it like a trap, tripping zombies for easier kills, or you can use it to tie up your stuff. You can also use it to lose some weight on a climb, then haul your stuff up afterwards. The best kind I've found is the stuff they use for rappelling. It's strong, lightweight, and you can carry a lot without sacrificing too much space. If you're creative, you can use it to trap and contain animals. Finally, you can use it to rig a hammock if you would rather not sleep on the ground in zombie territory.
Lesson? Make sure everything you carry has more than one use.

Chance for questions

At The Zombie Inn, this was posted so I figured I'd pass it along.
Grace Guerra 6:45pm Jan 10
I'd like to get readers to participate in author interviews... Can you guys get your fans to submit questions, they'd like authors in general or a specific author to answer? I'll then collect them all and set up interviews. Have them email me at grace@book-junkies-library.com, I'll credit the questions to them (have them include name and city/state).

*Update*

Book Five is well under way, had some issues with time, but they are done and I'm rocking