Interview with Author Armand Rosamilia

 

Author Armand Rosamilia

 

Bec: Armand, welcome to my blog once again! It’s been awhile since I’ve last shared you with the world. For those that don’t know you, please tell us a little bit about yourself –

Armand: No. I am a very private person. Actually, I’m a New Jersey boy currently living in Florida. I write full-time and feel blessed I can pay the bills doing what I love doing. I just got engaged to the perfect woman and can’t wait to be married to her. She supports me and allows me to write and not worry too much about the business side of my career. I like M&M’s, no walks on the beach and air conditioning.

Bec: Tell us about your book/s –

Armand: The latest is Dying Days 4, the next part in my extreme zombie series. The zombies have begun to evolve and now they’re starting to think and outmaneuver the survivors. I think it is one of my best stories, and I’ve written a few so far.

Bec: Not too long ago we were both involved in a charity book (The Carnival 13), how did you come up with your twisted contribution to that book?

Armand: It was easy once I read the nine chapters that came before me. The story flowed, but I had to add a few of my own twists in there to make the chapter ‘mine’ like having a midget involved. It just seemed like it fit.

Bec: Why zombies? Why not space-alien-cyber-sluts or underground-slime-worms or even dirty-shaved-werewolves?

Armand: Those are all for the next book. Zombies are fascinating to me, but I wanted to write all facets of horror. When the Dying Days series took off I felt I had to keep telling the story, but I am trying to expand into other areas of horror.

Bec: What is one thing about your books that fairly screams they were written by you? What’s your signature trait?

Armand: People point out my usage of women in thongs in the Dying Days series. I can’t help it. I have female characters who still need to wear clothing. And undies.

Bec: If you could have a pet zombie, what would it look like (yes, we want details)? What would its name be?

Armand: I hate pets. I am not an animal person at all. But if I had to have one it would be Mark Tufo. Scraggly beard and Red Sox hat and all the rest. It would grunt with a Bahston accent, too.

Bec: If all horrors came to life and you were in one hell of a situation, what would you rather accidentally ingest? Feces or bloody-puss-snot?

Armand: Both options seem so tasty. Can I mix the two and get the best of both worlds?

Bec: Did you gag on the last question, thinking about either of those things flying into your mouth and sliding down your throat?

Armand: I had coffee in my mouth. So I owe you a smack on your ass when we meet.

Bec: What should we be watching for from you in the future? Don’t you have a movie made (or being made) based on one of your books/stories?

Armand: I have a movie made based on a treatment I wrote. It is filmed and being put together, and I’ll go back and write the adaptation for it this summer. I’m working with a Hollywood company and writing stories to be made into movies in the future, but you never know what will happen. I also had an option taken on my Keyport Cthulhu book, so I’m hopeful it will be made at some point.

Bec: Using six words, and only six words, what would your advice be to new writers (yes, you must use a total of exactly six words)?

Armand: I make millions writing because I

Bec: What pisses you off the most about the writing community?

Armand: The sense we are all in competition with one another. As if a reader only reads one book a year. The recently finished Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2014 proved it wrong. 32 zombie authors selling their books and finding new readers.

Bec: What do you like best about the writing community?

Armand: When you meet the cool people like Joe McKinney, Mark Tufo, Robert Chazz Chute, you… the people who will help and give advice to other authors. Promote them with something as simple as a retweet or doing interviews like this. We’re all in this together, not as enemies.

Bec: What was the worst response you’ve gotten from someone when you’ve told them you’re a horror writer?

Armand: I once told a woman at a party I was an author. She was very interested until I said they were horror and zombie books. She turned to her husband and mumbled ‘disgusting’ and walked away. He stayed and got a bookmark from me, though.

Bec: What was the best response you’ve gotten from someone when you’ve told them you’re a horror writer?

Armand: They went right out and bought a couple of my books and then sent me an e-mail telling me they loved them. And to this day continue to buy my books and love them.

Bec: Tell us about your Authors Supporting Our Troops project, and how someone can get a hold of you if they want to contribute –

Armand: I’m collecting author-signed books (not used books or books from another author and not ebooks, videogames, audiobooks, toothpaste, etc.) that I send overseas to remote areas like Kuwait and Afghanistan. Directly to a soldier, who takes the 100+ books and passes them out to his unit. In the first 4 months of 2014 I collected 2,500 books, and more trickle in each week. I haven’t officially stopped taking books. It will take off again starting January 1st 2015 and I hope to make this a yearly event.

Bec: Tell us about the Summer (& Winter) Zombie Tours you pretty much run?

Armand: Summer of Zombie started 3 years ago when I realized June was the worst month for sales. I originally wanted to do a simple blog tour on my own, but after talking to Mark Tufo, I saw the potential for teaming up. It has grown each year and I’ve gotten some familiar faces as well as new faces (to me) involved. The Winter of Zombie will be in November again but only be six authors. Next June I’ll probably go nuts and have 40+ authors involved. It is a lot of work for me but I hope authors and readers appreciate it, and connect.

Bec: Is there anything I haven’t asked you about that you would like to share with us?

Armand: The obvious question everyone should ask me… why am I so damn sexy?

Bec: Thanks for stopping by and sharing your brand of sickness with us! Best wishes with your books and future projects.

Armand’s Bio: Armand Rosamilia is a New Jersey boy currently living in sunny Florida, where he writes when he’s not watching the Boston Red Sox and listening to Heavy Metal music… and because of him they won the 2013 World Series, so he’s pretty good at watching!

He’s written over 100 stories that are currently available, including a few different series:

“Dying Days” extreme zombie series
“Keyport Cthulhu” horror series
“Flagler Beach Fiction Series” contemporary fiction
“Metal Queens” non-fiction music series

He also loves to talk in third person… because he’s really that cool. He’s a proud Active member of HWA as well.

You can find him at http://armandrosamilia.com for not only his latest releases but interviews and guest posts with other authors he likes!

And e-mail him to talk about zombies, baseball and Metal:

armandrosamilia@gmail.com

Armand’s Blog: http://armandrosamilia.com

Armand’s Books: Dying Days 4:  http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Days-4-Armand-Rosamilia-ebook/dp/B00L5LCBMI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1403659082&sr=1-1&keywords=dying+days+4#

All of my books on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004S48J6G

 

 @Rebecca Besser & Armand Rosamilia, 2014. All rights reserved.

New Release – Torched from Nocturnal Press Publications – Edited by Eden Royce

 Available July 26th, 2014!

Torched Edited by Eden Royce

 

Our relationship with fire is an intimate one.

From the intrigue of the warmth to the draw of the light,

it spans history—yet who tamed the beast was never recorded.

From the Norse funeral to the Pagan celebrations,

fire has burned its way through our lives,

a passing mark on some, an indelible scar on others.

Within this tome lay 18 authors from across the globe,

each with their own burning tale to tell…

…… Doubt thou the stars are fire?

 

Table of Contents

The Foreigner -Tim Jeffreys
Home Fires – Ed Ahern
Ride to Hell – Rebecca Besser
City of Fire – James Dorr
Kleevar: The Prophets of Profanity – Dan Weatherer
The Light of the Divine – Tom Olbert
Stir the Ashes – Joshua Calkins-Terworgy
Things Seem Different by Firelight – James McAllister
Flaming River – Timothy Kroecker
He Ain’t Heavy – J.M. Lawrence
Without Sin – Mark Taylor
The Burning Times – Brandon Ketchum
Premonition of a Fire Man – Alexis Allinson
The Flame in the Ice – D.J. Tyrer
Internal Combustion – B. David Spicer
Heat Stress – Claire Ibarra
The Little Matchbox Girl – Lara Ek
Captain’s Last Job – D. Jonathan Matthews

An excerpt from my story, “Ride to Hell”:

““What’s up next, tour-guide-of-horror?” he asked.

            She laughed and tapped her lips thoughtfully with her finger. “Hmm…how about Serpent Slither?”

            “Okay,” he said, amiably agreeing.

            They mounted the short flight of stairs, leading up to the platform to the ride. The carnival wasn’t very busy so they only had to wait for one other couple to be strapped in before them.

            When it was their turn, they stepped forward and took their seats beside each other. Instead of facing forward, they faced off to the left side of the ride – Steve was beside the woman from the previous couple and Renea was positioned by a member of the following couple.

            The ride started after everyone who was in line was aboard. Once the ride operator stepped back and flipped a lever, the “serpent” took off with a jolt, speeding up and jerking back and forth like a roller coaster on its side, suspended in the air; Steve thought numerous times they would be thrown through the air. This fear was further encouraged by the squeaking and grinding of the seats and the frame of the ride.

            Finally the ride was over and they climbed off.

            “That was fun,” Renea exclaimed. “Do you want to go on Soul Stealer or Be Damned next?”

            “Why not Bowels of Hell?” Steve asked, gratefully becoming acquainted with solid, none jerking ground again; he wasn’t quite sure he was ready for another ride just yet.

            “We’ll save that one for last,” she said, “its my favorite.”

            As they stood talking, Steve looked around and noticed the ride operator leering an evil grin at him. Something about the look in the eerily skinny man’s eyes gave Steve the chills; he shrugged the feeling off and focused on Renea.

            That’s where I’ll propose, he thought, figuring he could make a dramatic display before they traversed the “Bowels of Hell” together.

            “Let’s try out Soul Stealer,” he said, hoping it wouldn’t be as dramatic as Serpent Slither, but knowing it probably was. He was determined not to show how unnerved he was, or how bad his stomach was churning at the thought of going on another ride.

            “Okay,” she said, and grinned wickedly. “I have to warn you – it’s intense!”

            He laughed, while inwardly groaning. “I can handle it with you by my side.”

            As they approached the ride, Steve began to wonder if he could handle it, even with her. Naked seats with simple straps waited for their bodies. Renea climbed right in, smiling at a small woman with black teeth and drool running down her chin, who was helping her buckle in.

            “Come on, scaredy-cat!” Renea called out, and slapped her hand on the cracked leather seat beside her.

            Reluctantly he climbed aboard; the same woman helped strap him in as well – she chuckled under her breath as she stepped away from him. His unease grew.

            The woman flipped the switch and the seats started to climb up a mechanical tower behind them, until they were well over twenty feet high. The seats stopped and Steve looked down to see shiny silver spikes had risen below them, from the platform.

            “What the hell?” he mumbled, wiggling and trying to get a better look. The straps were too tight to allow him a good assessment of the danger below them and that increased his unease – he felt trapped.”

 

©Rebecca Besser & Nocturnal Press Publications, 2014. All rights reserved.

4th of July Weekend Giveaway

Two of my Kindle ebooks will be free from July 2-6, 2014 as a 4th of July Weekend Giveaway!

Here are the direct links:

Hall of Twelve: http://www.amazon.com/Hall-Twelve-Rebecca-Besser-ebook/dp/B00B14OLD6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404226596&sr=8-1&keywords=hall+of+twelve+rebecca+besser

Cursed Bounty: http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-Bounty-Rebecca-Besser-ebook/dp/B00H89BGDG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1404226677&sr=1-1&keywords=cursed+bounty+rebecca+besser

Please share this post with your friends!

©Rebecca Besser, 2013-2014. All rights reserved.

Summer of Zombie Guest Post with Author Ian Woodhead

Author Ian Woodhead

 

Guest post about Kingdoms of the Dead.

Oh boy, was this story a doozer! I can honestly say (Hand on heart) that Kingdoms of the Dead almost fried my brain during its construction, it certainly gave me a pounding headache on more that one occasion. Thing is, I thought the idea would slot together like a Meccano set, oh sure, it’s a complex tale, of course it is! Hell, you ain’t going to get ‘simple’ A to B story with three zombie infested parallel worlds, inhabited by the same (but different) characters, all jumping from one world to the other.

Meccano set? More like doing a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle, blindfolded.

I’m not really selling this book to you, am I? I’ll start again, this time, I’ll omit the whining.

So, the idea for this book sprang from just one question – Could any country profit from a mass zombie outbreak?

The UK wouldn’t, neither would any other western county. Everything we hold dear to us, would collapse in a few weeks. The following quote is from a BBC Docudrama called Threads, about the imminent threat of nuclear war. (It came out in 1984):

In an urban society, everything connects. Each person’s needs are fed by the skills of many others. Our lives are woven together in a fabric. But the connections that make society strong also make it vulnerable.

The same applies to our imaginary zombie outbreak. So how could any country come out on top after half their population die then rise up and munch on the remaining survivors? I couldn’t think of any, even our friends in North Korea, with their unique take on society would all end up dead.

I was about to throw that idea away, consign it to the bin of shit ideas when I happened to stare at one of my posters. It’s a Walking Dead one, where Rick is stood on an over turned bus with the prison in the background. I do believe I smiled when something clicked in my mind.

How about a walled off city, An oppressive, Orwellian government, always at war with their neighbours? A smaller contained society where everyone watches everybody else, cameras everywhere, with security, police and soldiers on every street corner? That could work.

That’s where the whole concept of using another, alternate world came from, as nothing like that exists on this planet now. I think we did away with our walled up cities a few hundred years ago, when our planet began to ‘urbanise’

How do our paranoid leaders profit from this catastrophe?  I added another twist to the zombie genre. You see, in our movies, TV, games books and comics, usually, when you dead, you rise again as a zombie, unless the brain is destroyed. Okay, well what if this outbreak was an airborne virus and it infected everyone and you’re going to turn no matter what?

Unless our ‘leaders’ somehow found a treatment, not a cure, just a method to temporarily halt the change.

Welcome to the city where every inhabitant is reliant on tablets, supplied by the authorities, that stop you from changing into one of the shambling dead.

That’s the idea I finished with, my little foundation in which I used to build my story. The first two bricks were where did the virus come from and why were the tablets beginning to fail?

It just snowballed after that and apart from the headaches and the dry writing spell once the book was in the bag, I am proud of this one. I enjoyed writing it and I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as well.

 

 

The stench of rotting flesh is in the air! Welcome to the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2014, with 33 of the best zombie authors spreading the disease in the month of June.

Stop by the event page on Facebook so you don’t miss an interview, guest post or teaser… and pick up some great swag as well! Giveaways galore from most of the authors as well as interaction with them! #SummerZombie

https://www.facebook.com/events/286215754875261/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular&source=1

AND so you don’t miss any of the posts in June, here’s the complete list, updated daily:

Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2014 Post Links

 

@Armand Rosamilia & Ian Woodhead, 2o14. All rights reserved.

Summer of Zombie Interview with Author Jay Wilburn

Author Jay Wilburn

Your name.

Jay Wilburn

 

 

What is your latest zombie release?

Zombies Believe In You

 

 

Quick description of it (no spoilers)

It is a collection of a few longer zombie pieces including novellas and a few lengthier short stories.

 

 

Something unique about it.

The pieces are a bit longer than typically found in a collection. Two of the stories tell of the same event from two entirely different perspectives making the same events mean very different things. A few of the stories are more distant from the “Z Day” apocalypse stories moving into the realms of fantasy and legend.

 

 

Links for people to purchase it.

June 15^th is the date, so at Hazardous Press’s bookstore would be the perfect link to jump on it and a number of other great works http://www.hazardouspress.com/ … My zombie novel Loose Ends is available there along with some other great zombie anthologies and other unique works.

 

 

Your promo links.

http://jaywilburn.com/

 

 

Your short Bio.

Jay Wilburn quit teaching after sixteen years to care for the health needs of his younger son and to pursue full-time writing. He lives with his wife and two sons in the coastal swamps of South Carolina. His novels Loose Ends and Time Eaters are available now. He has zombie pieces in the forthcoming Fat Zombie with Permuted Press, Best Horror of the Year volume 5 with editor Ellen Datlow and in More Recent Dead with Prime Books. Follow his many dark thoughts at JayWilburn.com and @AmongTheZombies on Twitter.

 

 

The stench of rotting flesh is in the air! Welcome to the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2014, with 33 of the best zombie authors spreading the disease in the month of June.

 

Stop by the event page on Facebook so you don’t miss an interview, guest post or teaser… and pick up some great swag as well! Giveaways galore from most of the authors as well as interaction with them! #SummerZombie

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/286215754875261/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular&source=1

 

@Armand Rosamilia & Jay Wilburn, 2014. All rights reserved.