Recently, Vanessa invited me to chat about my new book, Zombie Rapture, on her blog. (Don’t worry, despite the title it’s not a “zombie erotica” book, although I’m sure someone’s written one. Ugh.) Honestly, before I wrote the book, I thought the whole zombie craze had pretty much been played out. Yet I wanted to try my hand at a zombie tale anyway as I love the original Dawn of the Dead film and The Walking Dead TV series.
But how to come up with something original?
At first, the idea of “zombie babies” excited me. My excitement didn’t last long, though. I realized all you had to do to escape them is step over them. Gah! So much for suspense. So dumb, so wrong-headed.
Zombie animals? Nope, been done numerous times.
Then I had a dream about miniature zombies, the size of toy soldiers. In my dream, a big corporation created small bombs (“bombies”) to destroy the little things. A mass marketing/advertising blitz ensued (I ate lotsa’ cheese and hot sauce that night.) During the dream (as is always the case with me), I thought, “what a cool idea for a book!” Then the cold light of day slapped me in the face and I realized how stupid the whole thing was.
I considered zombie hillbillies. Nah, I thought…too redundant. (Ouch!) Back to the drawing board.
There’s zombie politicians. But I’m sure it’s been done (and if not, why?). Besides, I’m not a journalist.
Then (and I can’t really say when or where it occurred), a very vivid image struck me. A lil’ ol’ lady approaching with hedge clippers, smiling sweetly, but with murder on her mind. Brrr…but how to make this work as a book? And more importantly, why?
At the same time, I wondered, “When is a zombie not a zombie?” When they’re sentient, of course! Combine that with the “hate churches” that are running rampant through my Midwest stomping grounds and I had my book. The zombies in Zombie Rapture are sentient; dead yet fully aware. They don’t eat flesh. Yet they want to kill the few remaining living beings. Why? To “save them.” The undead believe they’ve been favored by God, enjoying the Rapture come to earth. And it’s their duty to save the living by killing them, resurrecting them into eternal happiness.
Strange concept, even wilder ride (I hope). Zombie Rapture is a black comedy, a character-oriented suspense thriller driven by a romantic quest. My hero, Hunter (a teen ready to graduate high school and leave behind his Midwestern roots), has fallen in love with Jordan, the perfect girl for him. But the world has changed and Jordan’s missing. Hunter connects with Scout (Jordan’s wild tom-boyish little sister) and his grandpa (ornerier than a six inch sliver) to travel across the Midwest to find Jordan while trying to stay alive, narrowly avoiding both the undead and the opportunistic living minority.
What starts out as a free-wheeling comedic adventure soon turns dark as the stakes keep rising. Time is running out to save Jordan from the evil, undead Reverend Osgoode and his legion.
Hey! It’s my first book that has all five-star ratings, my personal best! I’m sure it won’t stay that way forever, so get it while it’s still “good!”
Zombie Rapture can be purchased here: Clicky for thrills, chills and zombie spills!
Zombie Rapture giveaway
Fill in the Rafflecopter below to win an ebook of Zombie Rapture by Stuart R. West (format of your choice). The giveaway is open worldwide. Good luck!
