Zombacolypse: Day 2 of the Infection

So, if you're just now joining me on this zombie hop, you can find my day one post here. Now, when thinking about what I wanted to do today, I decided to post my first ever author interview with the author of INFECTED, James Schannep. So, without further ado...

So, thanks so much James for stopping by for my first author interview.

Glad to be here. You're the first interviewer to initiate contact about INFECTED, so I guess that makes us even.

So, why don’t you tell us a little about your book?

INFECTED is the first in my new "Click Your Poison" series, a grown-up version of the gamebooks popular in the 1980s-90s (Choose Your Own Adventure, Give Yourself Goosebumps, etc). In INFECTED, you're invited to live, die, and rise again based solely on the merit of your own choices. Find out... Will YOU survive the zombie Apocalypse?

How did you get started writing?

Encouraged by my mother, I started writing at a young age; mostly fan fiction and a few fantasy and sci-fi stories. I never thought I'd make a living off of it, but the urge to write never went away as I grew up. When I found myself using my off-time to write after I'd joined the military, I knew it was a dream worth pursuing. As my dad once told me, "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life."

Why did you chose to write a pick-your-own story instead of a standard novel?

I loved those books as a kid and I was shocked that there has yet to be a mainstream series for adults. I've written standard novels (unpublished), and plan to do so again in the future, but this series idea was too exciting to pass up.

Was it hard to write that instead of a standard novel? I mean, there are 50 possible endings, that’s got to make things more difficult.

To put it simply -- Yes. I encountered so many alternate universes within the book that I couldn't keep them straight in my head anymore. Luckily, I had the foresight to start a decision flowchart and that helped keep me on path, so to speak. Really, INFECTED is three books in one. The stories overlap at points, but if you make it all the way to the end, just know that you've only found one path to survival.

Now out of everything you could have picked to write about, you chose zombies. Why?

INFECTED actually started off as a screenplay back in 2008. It made some ripples in the pond, but Hollywood wasn't willing to take a big-budget chance on unknown material. It was good, I was told, but it needed to either be based on existing intellectual property or be a zombie musical rom-com. Not wanting to compromise my story, I shelved the project. Cut to four years later and the idea for the Click Your Poison series -- I knew right away that INFECTED needed to rise from the dead.

So, what are you working on right now? Got any releases planned, or still writing?

I'm currently working on the next Click Your Poison book, which will be a murder mystery that YOU have to solve.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and let me interrogate…I mean, question you. And thanks for being my first interviewee!

My pleasure! And thanks to your readers for their time as well.

Author photograph © Franze Photography 2011

James Schannep is an American novelist and screenwriter who has received numerous awards and placements for his work. His first screenplay was optioned in 2011 and the Click Your Poison series was launched September, 2012 with the flagship book INFECTED. A United States Air Force Academy graduate with a degree in English, Schannep left the service honorably to write full time. He has personally stopped three zombie uprisings without raising national attention.
 
Web: www.jamesschannep.com
Twitter: @jamesschannep
Facebook: facebook.com/cypbooks




 

Remember, to be entered, all you need to do is comment with your e-mail address on any of the posts related to this giveaway, and each comment counts as an entry, so the more you comment, the better your chances. And don't forget to check out the other giveaways I have going on right now. Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to visit the others participating here.

WARNING! This blog has been infected! Zombie Blog Hop

Yes, the zombies got me. Well, at least the blog zombies have. Yes, I'm participating in 2 blog hops right now, this one and the Wicked After Dark, so stop by and check out both!

So, for this hop, I decided to give away two prizes. Both are zombie books that I absolutely love and read in the past year. Also, don't forget to stop by during the hop to read my interview with author James Schannep and my review of Working Stiffs!

Now, on to my giveaway and my fave books:


INFECTED by James Schannep

3 Unique Storylines. Over 50 Possible Endings. Just one question... Will YOU Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?

Here’s how it works: You, Dear Reader, are the main character of this story. Live, die, and rise again based solely on the merit of your own choices. Each link represents a choice, and there’s no going back, so choose wisely.

Everyone has their plan; what they’d do to survive if and when the zombie apocalypse happens. Now you can see how you’d hold up against the legions of undead—without needing to call the CDC because crazed bath salts users are trying to eat your face off.

"Infected. Is. So. Good." -- A girl just like you.

"Holy $#*% this is awesome!" -- A guy more or less like you.

Like the gamebooks popular in the 1980s-90s (Choose Your Own Adventure, Give Yourself Goosebumps, etc), this is a series where you choose how to progress through the book. Unlike any others, this is the first series designed specifically for adults. And as an ebook, you simply click your choice and the story flows forward for you. No flipping pages.

Get INFECTED!

Working Stiffs [Deadzone 1]  by Jana Downs

After the collapse of civilization, Ager Munez finds work as an agent, helping customers with their zombie insurance needs. He’s a bit of a workaholic and a romantic at heart, but the only romance he’s been experiencing lately involves watching his bosses in tight-fitting jeans on casual Fridays.

Jim and Jason Tanner agree they want a third in their relationship, but have never been able to find the right man. When Ager begins working at Deadzone, they know that they’ve found their match. He’s smart, funny, and adorable in a way that should be illegal in at least four sectors.

When a zombie outbreak in Sector 7 requires field representatives, the two know the perfect candidate for the job. Little does Ager know that this mission will test him in ways he’s never been tested and land him not one but two hot men in his bed and his heart.

A Siren Erotic Romance

Now, to be entered, all you need to do is comment with your e-mail address on any of the posts related to this giveaway. Each comment counts as an entry, so the more you comment, the better your chances. And don't forget to check out the other giveaways I have going on right now. Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to visit the others participating here.

As Advertised Blog Tour

I'm super excited, this is my first time hosting a Goddess Fish tour and it also just so happens to be my first time reading one of Jaime's books! So read on to learn about As Advertised.

Blurb:
Tyler’s life perked up when he met Jake. So what if long-time friend Marty can’t stand him and his landlady has no use for his new beau. Tyler’s determined not to see the dark side of his lover. It’s his own fault for believing people don’t go around keeping secrets and lying.

Tyler should know better. He’s an ad executive. He knows the packaging is what sells, and Jake is quite a package. His lover is no slouch when it comes to false advertising, either, and when Tyler finds out the truth, it hurts. Weathering Jake’s lies and secrets gets easier with the help of new friends, Libby and Steven. In fact, Tyler figures that maybe a lot of things would get easier with Steven.

Tyler should have known better. Not even someone as seemingly perfect as Steven Jessop is completely as advertised.

This time, though, Tyler has to make a decision. After all, sometimes, even if what you see is not what you get, what Tyler’s uncovered in Steven might just be what he’s always wanted.


My Review: 4 stars

Now, I loved Tyler. He’s a very caring and forgiving person, almost naïve, and yet he has an inner core of steel. He’s not afraid to stand up for the ones he loves, and I loved how he stuck around and helped Marty when most people would have given up on him. He’s also a very open character. You always knew what he was thinking and how he was feeling, which definitely helped me connect with him. At first, he was a bit of a pushover and naïve, but by the end, he was a strong, confident man and I think he’s a great match for Steven. And now I wish I had a boyfriend like Ty. Now on the other hand, Steven is an enigma for most of the book. I had a hard time connecting with him for a large part of it. When I think of Steven, I think of the Katy Perry song “Hot and Cold,” because that’s what he was for a big part of the book. Part of it is due to his big secret, but I would have liked to learn more about him and thoughts. However, by the end of the book, I liked and admired Steven a lot. He’s a hard worker, a survivor, and an honest man to boot.

For the secondary characters, Marty was a bit of a surprise to me. I totally was not expecting him to be (an apparent) paranoid schizophrenic. I liked his character, but didn’t get to see very much of him, so can’t really say much about him. Libby, on the other hand, is my second favorite character after Ty. Imagine the perfect best friend you have or wish you had. You know, the one that would fight an army to help you, would do anything for you, would wake up in the middle of the night if you called them, etc.? The one that’s not afraid to tell you when you’re being an idiot and who’s not afraid to push you? Well, that’s Libby in a nutshell. She’s a great friend to both Steven and Tyler and I especially liked her because a lot of the m/m books I read, whenever there are female characters, they’re usually the villains or they’re only in the book for part of it, or they’re the annoying best friend. Libby is no one of these, so it’s nice to see a female character portrayed so well.

Now Jake was one interesting villain. By the end of the book, I didn’t know whether to hate him or pity him. My first impression was that he was a jerk and I wanted him to die miserable and alone, but by the end, I kind of felt sorry for him. I think there could be redemption for him down the line, but at the same time I feel like that’s impossible. These are kind of like the ambivalent feelings I had for Loki at the end of Thor, and we all know how well that turned out in the Avengers, so not sure what ending Jake will have.

Now, I have one big problem with this book and that’s Steven’s secret. His big secret is hinted at for most of the book, but he doesn’t tell Tyler till the end, which I wasn’t a huge fan of. He told his secret and then a few pages later, the book ended. I would have loved to see more of their relationship and how they proceeded after the revelation. Also, it felt like there were a few loose ends, such as Jake, left to be resolved. Now, it seemed like the ending was leaving it open for a second book, which I would love to read.

All in all, I greatly enjoyed this book. It was a bit of an unusual read for me and a bit of a risk, and I’m glad that I took it. It wasn’t too sappy and corny, and another aspect that I enjoyed is that it’s not full of sex. I’m not a fan of books that throw in tons of sex scenes to show that the characters like each other. Heck, they don’t have sex most of the book, which I thought was pretty neat and unusual. And when they did have sex? H-O-T, HOT! Man, it was intense. Anyways, I enjoyed getting to see their relationship develop and to see them overcome some of their problems. This is a great book that I would highly recommend, and I can’t wait to go read more of Ms. Samm’s books.

Jaime and Wild Child Publishing will be awarding a $10 Wild Child Publishing GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Please follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better are your chances of winning.

October 22:  The Menagerie Authors
October 22:  Reviews by Molly
October 23:  Lori Toland
October 24:  Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
October 25:  Sharing Links and Wisdom
October 26:  Long and Short Reviews: Erotic Romance


BIO:
Jaime has been writing for various publishers since the fall of 2008, although she’s been writing for herself far longer. Often asked why men; what’s so fascinating about writing stories about men falling in love, she’s never come up with a clear answer. Just that these are the stories that she loves to read, so it seemed to make sense if she was going to write, they should also be the stories she wrote.
These days, you can find plenty of free reading on her website. She also writes for Freya’s Bower, Loveyoudivine Alterotica, Pink Petal Books, Dreamspinner Press and Total E-Bound.
Spare time, when it can be found rolled into a ball at the back of the dryer or cavorting with the dust bunnies in the corners, she’s probably spending reading, drawing, gardening (weather permitting, of course, since she is Canadian!) or watching movies. Well. She has a day job or two, as well, and two kids, but thankfully, also a wonderful husband who shoulders more than his fair share of household and child care responsibilities.
She graduated some time ago from college with a Fine Arts diploma, with a major in textile arts, which basically qualifies her to draw pictures and create things with string and fabric. One always needs an official slip of paper to fall back on after all….

Author Links:
Website|Facebook|Twitter

Wicked After Dark Blog Hop

Welcome to the Wicked After Dark Blog Hop! I have 3 ebook prizes to giveaway, open internationally, so read ahead, drop a comment, and don't forget to keep hopping!

Now, I spent a while trying to decide what I would write about and what I would giveaway. I decided to share some of my recent reads that feature some of my Halloween faves.

First up, shape shifters. Shifters are one of my ultimate faves, surpassed only by candy. There are so many shifter books that I enjoy, I don't know where to start. So instead, I decided to share an author with y;all. Her name is Charlie Richards, and I love her series. The Wolves of Stone Ridge and Kontra's Menagerie are two of my faves, but one of her more unusual series is The Gargoyles of Cuchulian. This series features both m/f and m/m couples, and it features various types of shifters, including mainly gargoyles (very Halloweeny). Now, I usually don't like series that mix m/f and m/m pairings (I don't always read the m/f ones), but I don't mind it here. Ms. Richards has done a wonderful job, and I absolutely love the series, though I have to say, I absolutely love Lebanon and he's my fave character from the series. I also like Narcissus, which is saying a lot since I'm not usually a fan of snakes. Her's her book, the first book in the series:

A crumbling castle was the last place Max expected to find his mate.

Maximus, the Huzza of the Cuchulian gargoyle tribe, walked into a trap. He’d planned to get information from a demon, instead, he was attacked, poisoned, and beaten. A clan-mate, arriving late to the supposed meeting, steps in and gives Max the opportunity to flee. Disoriented and only semi-conscious, he loses his way and collapses in a desolate courtyard of a ruined castle. Upon waking, Max discovers the incident may have been the best thing to ever happen to him, because hiding deep within the collapsing building, away from the prying eyes of society, he finds his mate. Now Max just needs to figure out how to claim a chimera snake shifter who’s lost all hope in others.



Now, what Halloween wouldn't be complete without those beautifully dangerous vampires? And no, these ones don't sparkle. And just to make things interesting, let's throw in an obsessive vampire, a determined hero and a bit of angst...but don't forget the happy ending.

Levi is a vampire, villain and tragedy, a monster made rather than born. He was only a teen when another vampire went rogue and turned him.

Jared is on the receiving end of Levi's obsession. He's also in in love with his best friend, Jordan, and has been for years. Jordan feels the same—but it's too late. Jared pushes him away, believing Jordan's in danger.

Jordan is crushed until he discovers Jared's hiding something from him. Something that’s killing him. And in the meantime, Levi's growing stronger every day, drawing Jared in against his will.

The only thing standing between Levi and what he wants is Jordan. And Jordan’s not letting Jared go.


Now, I enjoyed this book. It was moving and let me say, I hope I'm lucky enough to meet someone like Jordan one day. To have someone go through all that for the one they love...Yep, loving Jordan right now. This is a bit of an unusual vampire story, but an enjoyable one all the same.

A special prize for the first person who tells me who this vamp is and where he's from in your comment

And last, but not least, what would Halloween be wihout costumes? Or, more importantly, masks. I like masks. You can become an entirely different person with a mask. You can become a mystery, a famous person, a monster. The sky's the limit. You can hide behind a mask as well, just like dear Bobby in his series, Masked. 

Secret identities and hidden desires unfold between a seemingly straight Dominant and the submissive harboring a deep, long-held onto lust in Masked.

Bobby tells himself the mask he’s been wearing all month is just part of the Halloween theme of Abyss, the alternative lifestyle club he frequents. But it’s not the truth. He’s in lust. He’s in the closet. And, he’s ready to come out. The only problem is, the man he’s interested in is a friend. A straight friend.

Thor knows he’s being watched. What he can’t figure out is why? Every weekend, the man in the black mask has been watching as Thor has flogged, paddled, and whipped submissive after submissive at his play station at Abyss. The man’s heated and unwavering gaze arouses Thor’s curiosity. Is the man a stalker? A jealous dominant or boyfriend? Thor isn’t sure, but decides it’s time to find out.

As he approaches, something in the eyes of the masked man strikes Thor as familiar, but before he can question further, the man reveals exactly what he wants. A spanking. Bare-handed. In private. From Thor.

Masked is the first in a series about the developing feelings between Bobby and Thor.


Now, this is the first book in the Masked trilogy, and let me tell you, it was H-O-T, HOT! This is definitely one wicked read! And it only gets better in the later two books. I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting a taste of mystery and some BDSM.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't want to wait to read them? Here's where you can get your very own copy!

                                          


Don't forget to visit the other blogs participating!

DEAD Memory Review and Giveaway

Now on to book 4 of the DEAD series, DEAD Memory.

Frustrated with her father’s demand she find a mate, Tawny does, but it’s not one that will receive her family’s blessing. Plus, her new love has no memory of his past…even his name.

Discovering an unconscious man who may be vampire, in the neighbor’s yard leads werewolf Tawny Howls down a love path that’s not going to make her father happy. She senses this man is different, but that doesn’t stop her attraction. Werewolves and vampires are traditional enemies, and it doesn’t help when he remembers nothing about his prior life.

Awakening to find a beautiful woman hovering over him, he remembers nothing of his past life. When Tawny decides to call him David, he’s fine with the name and the attention he receives from his nurse. But why does the scent of the prey she hunts excite him more than the food she cooks?

Can the strong attraction between a shifter and a vampire overcome years of distrust for each other’s species? Will the discovery of his true identity ensnare them in a battle that endangers their lives, in an effort to save mankind from Demon rule?

My Review:

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

*WARNING! This review contains mild spoilers, so read at your own risk*

I love the world in the DEAD series. Each book adds more and more details to it and the paranormals just keep growing. Now angels, witches, shifters, and humans are joining the fray.

The overall plot is very interesting. Each book has a resolution to the conflict in it, but also lays the foundation for the overall plot in the series, the war against the demons and evil. Something that interests me is that this series is starting to have more and more ties to religion. Heck, David’s a vampire preacher who was saved when God sent him an angel. Satan and Beelzebub make appearances, they’re fighting evil demons, and David keeps quoting the Bible. In fact, Satan insinuates that vampires don’t go to Heaven, which I have a problem with. We have a cast of good vamps who fight against evil, yet they’re all doomed because of something that happened to them against their will? How messed up is that? Hopefully, future books will provide an answer. This book raises another question for me that I want to see answered. If vamps and shifters and demon hunters live so long, then what happens if they mate a human? If a werewolf mated a human, would the werewolf not age, but the human would? How would that work out? Anyways, moving on.

As for the characters, I liked David. He was an interesting character, a preacher turned vampire who never gave up fighting evil. I enjoyed seeing flashbacks to when he was human and was changed; it definitely helped me judge him character-wise. I will say, out of all the male leads, David is my favorite, though Bobby or Rahund just might replace him. As for Tawny, she’s probably my least favorite female lead. I like that she’s independent yet cares about her family. I just didn’t click with her at all. It seemed like I barely got to spend time with her. David was much more in this story than she was. She wasn’t in this book very much, which is odd seeing as the book is supposed to be about her and David.  As for all the secondary characters, this book introduced a couple of new ones, my favorites being the nephilium Rahund and the werewolf Bobby. I definitely want to read a book about Bobby and Evan, and Rahund as well. Bobby is a sarcastic alpha male who also has been dedicating his life to fighting evil. Sexy, right? And I spent most of the book feeling sorry for Rahund and hoping that he’d get a happy ending (and maybe his own book). I also liked Lila, Tawny’s mom. She reminded me so much of my mother that I just started laughing at things she said or did exactly like my mom. All the characters from previous are still there as well, and are as wonderful as ever.

However, this leads me to a complaint I’ve had consistently. This isn’t romance. It’s a thriller/action book with romantic elements. The blurbs lead you to believe the romance is the big focus, but it’s not. The romance feels thrown in to me, like the author just decided to add it for the hell of it. If you removed Tawny and the romance, this book would still work and you probably wouldn’t notice it was missing, which is a definite indicator that this is more of an action/thriller than a romance. Don’t get me wrong, I love all the action and the fight against evil, it’s just that I was expecting much more focus on the romance, and as the books went on, the romance lessened in each one. On top of that, the main characters, the ones mentioned in the blurb, aren’t the focus either. In this one, poor Tawny got pushed to the side in my mind. David was huge in this book, but aside from the beginning, Tawny wasn’t really in it much. Between all the action, drama, and secondary characters, Tawny and the romance felt like afterthoughts.

All in all, I like the way the story is going, things are getting excited and I can’t wait to see where we go from here. I just think that the blurbs need to be better written and not as misleading as I think they are. I would definitely recommend this series to everyone, it’s a good Halloween read :)

Sound good? But wait, there's more. Because you can also enter to win a giant swag package!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Sound like your kind of read? Here's where you can get your very own copy:

BIO:

Award winning author, Lizzie T. Leaf started life in Kansas, continued her growing in North Carolina, and currently shivers through the winters in Colorado.  She has numerous e-books in varying lengths and her first print book, Struck by Lightning, won dual 2007 Beacon awards, in addition to being a finalist in two other contests.

In addition, Making Christmas, a Christmas Historical novella set during the Civil War won Love Romances Café Best Historical for 2011 and is a finalist in the Aspen Gold for Best Novella.

Beyond Magic, the first book in the Magical Love series won the 2012 Award of Excellence Best Paranormal/Fantasy/Sy-Fi, and is a finalist for Best Paranormal in the Aspen Gold.  Winners are announced in mid to late October.

 Since discovering the fun of writing paranormal, she plays with creating vampires, faeries and other immortals. Her current focus is the DEAD series.  Musa Publishing has re-released the first four novellas in the series and DEAD Hot, a new novella, is scheduled to release in October.  Emerging Magic, the second novel in the Magical Love series will also release in late October or early November with Passion in Print Press.

When not creating mischief for paranormal beings, she can be found exploring the other genres she wants to write.  She also serves as the 2012 President for the Heart of Denver Romance Writers.

Lizzie loves to read, spend time with her family and travel with her best friend husband during her free time, on which most of friends ask…“what free time?”

ONLINE LINKS:

Website  www.lizzietleaf.com

Blog  http://lizzietleaf.blogspot.com/

Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=826769827

Twitter  http://twitter.com/lizzietleaf

 Don't forget to check out the other blogs on the tour:

 

10/18 Harlie's Books

10/19   House Millar

10/19  My Cozie Corner  

10/19  Books, Books and More Books

10/19  Book Purses  

10/20  Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books

10/20  Inside BJ's Head  
10/20  Once Upon A Book  
10/20  The Clumsy Coquette  
10/20  DanaSquare  
10/20  Krystal's Enchanting Reads

And don't forget to come back November 5 for the 5th book, DEAD Hot!