Zombie Redemption Release August 28, 2015 – Posted in: Fiction, Short Story, Zombie – Tags: , , , ,

August 2015 —

Zombie Redemption – post release update

Four down… two to go. That’s right, two more installments, then the Tom Zombie series will come to an end. Next up will be Zombie Survival, and after that, the last in the series will be Zombie Death (take that title to mean whatever you’d like).

Six installments seems like a good number for this series. I can’t say too much about the fifth installment, Zombie Survival, simply because I am still juggling ideas about it. The only thing I know for sure (that isn’t that big of a spoiler) is that I plan to have it take place one year from where Zombie Redemption (#4) leaves off. So, there are lots of exciting possibilities.

To be honest, the process for these short stories is more arduous than I expected when I began, but every bit as educational. Trying to remember key story elements from previous episodes can get confusing, but keeping good notes and even re-reading past stories is essential. It can sometimes uncover a future plot point by the seeds planted by an old plot point, and that’s thrilling. Research is also a big help with writer’s block, and helps take the story in interesting, unexpected directions.

Lots of writing and re-writing (i.e., fits of creativity and self-loathing), answering questions left hanging from previous episodes, and trying to stay true to the characters can be frustrating. Then, after however long it takes (I don’t rush it), I am satisfied that I have done Tom justice, and I begin the upload process (publish indie style).

To live with Tom Dexter in my head, seeing where he leads me, and what choices he makes, leaves me with sorting through the information, and testing ideas. When I began, I had no idea the story would take Tom to Iceland. Hell, I didn’t even know Tom would be from Chicago. But that’s the beauty of the process. You never know what’s going to happen until it does, but unlike real life… if I don’t like it I can change it. From the onset, I accepted the fact that people will either love Tom Zombie or hate it. That comes with the territory, but I can say that response from fans of the series has been great.

So, even though the next phase for Tom is just a sketch right now, I can promise readers that there will be twists, surprises, more snarky remarks, and zombie predicaments that won’t disappoint.

As always, I’m interested in your feedback… and I sincerely thank you for your encouragement and support. It means the world!