That’s right, I can enjoy a nice good natured ribbing at my book titles. š Hey, if you can’t make fun of yourself…
Now, where was I? Oh yes, the I Zombie series. There’s lot’s cooking in that crock pot o’ death and I wanted to make sure the Jackverse was as up to date as possible. So, hop on the River Styx Express and let’s chat about the undead.
The first bit of I Zombie news to deliver is that the first draft of the prequel to I Zombie I,Ā T-Minus Zero, is seventy-five percent complete. Yesterday, I had a rather happy accident with this novel. My intention with this book was for it to serve as something to tide fans over until Cry Zombie Cry was released (more on that in a bit). However, it turns out one of the characters in the book has begged me to use him later on. And, as the character would have it, there is a very good reason to use him — so you can bet at leastĀ someone will survive the prequel.
T-Minus Zero is coming along very nicely. I believe fans of the series are going to enjoy this strange look into the beginning of ‘the end’. Don’t expect to see Bethany, but do expect to find out why it all happened.
Now — what about Cry Zombie Cry? Why has that not hit the shelves yet? The answer to that is simple — sort of. As you know, I am collaborating with Unsun for this project. I was hoping to get this novel out early summer 2013. It looks like that is not going to happen. Aya (the lead singer) is still in rehab for her voice and her label wants her to hold off until, possibly, 2014. Because of this, I am going to rework the over-all arc of the story and insert another book before Cry Zombie Cry.
That is where T-Minus Zero (and the happy accident) comes into play. I’m not going to give anything away, but someone is going to bring something very special to Bethany in the next book. Something she has desperately needed in her struggle to beat down the Zero Day Collective.
Speaking of which — the next book. Whatever shall it be called? I already have the main plot of this book settled in (and it’s going to be bathed in awesome and sandwiched between layers of bacon), I just have to come up with a title. Oh wait — I just came up with the working title! Dare I reveal it to you now? Oh, what the hell. The current working title for the next book in the I Zombie series is:
Something that rhymes with “I” ZombieĀ Something that rhymes with “I”
You’re glaring at me, aren’t you? Okay, the real working title for the next book is:
Fry Zombie Fry
As it stands, you should expect T-Minus Zero to hit the shelves late March or early April. Once that book is in then hands of the editors, I will begin a steampunk journey, followed by a jaunty catwalk down Shero lane (that book is titled “The Pink Fog”), and then — fellow lovers of entropy — I will begin penning the next in the I Zombie series.
After that? I will either revisit The Fringe Killer series, it’ll be time to write another Screampark book, or we’ll all jump back on the dark hayride and revisit The Nameless Saga (that title — The Nails of Cavalry)!
Until then my lovers of the dark fantastic, I hope you are enjoying your day and making the most of your lives. Stay lovely and watch your back (you never know when ‘stealth zombies’ will sneak up).