The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

I was invited to join the Blog Hop by Colleen Sayre who's a friend of a friend of mine and who has a blog and couple of books of her own. I'm still very new at this but I wanted to join so that other people who are interested in zombies and vampires and other cool stuff might have a chance to hear about my book The Plan. I'm still editing and I hope to have it finished and ready for publication in January of 2013. I'm also writing book two, Aftermath. This is the one that really heats up, but you'll have to read The Plan to get your bearings!

So, here goes guys. 

Ten Questions for the Next Big Thing Blog Hop

What is the working title of your book?

The title is The Plan.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I love post-apocalyptic stories and zombies and scenarios that keep me on the edge of my seat. And I’m constantly thinking about what I’d do if I was in a scary situation, like if zombies were after me and my family! My best friends and I play a game called, What If? We concoct scary scenarios and try to figure out how we’d survive. We also love Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series and while this isn’t fan fiction, it’s sort of my homage to her and the people like me who love her characters. I have friends who dream about Jamie Frasier and the idea of having a character who’s in love with that type of guy and who's also smart and funny and scared of zombies just seemed like fun.

What genre does your book fall under?

The Plan is a sci-fi thriller. If there’s such a thing as post-Apocalyptic (there is at my library), this would be in that genre.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Caleigh: Jennifer Lawrence

Brighid:  Emma Stone

Jim: Chris Hemsworth

Rory: Josh Hartnette

Finn: Chloe Moretz

Josie: Boo Boo Stewart

Dacey: Elle Fanning

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

No matter how safe you think you are, no matter how crazy the idea of zombies might seem, you should always be prepared!

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?                        

I’d love to have a publisher, but it’ll be available in e-book and paperback through Amazon.com first.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I’ve been thinking about this story for a long time, but it took about four months for the first draft to come together.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

It’s hard to make a comparison but I’d say Karen Marie Moning and her MacKayla Lane novels are similar. I don’t have sex in mine—yet.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I have a good friend who’s a zombie freak. I mean she loves zombies, not that she is one. (Although sometimes I’m not sure!)  I wanted to write something that she’d like and include characters from her family, characters that seem funny and real. And although I love zombie stories, I don’t particularly like the blood and gore. I wanted to write something that has a romantic story line with creative characters. The Plan sets the stage for the next book, Aftermath, where the really scary characters come into play.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The Plan is the first in a series of books about post-Apocalypse Georgia. I grew up there and I think readers will be able to identify with the characters and their love of family. 

I'll keep you posted when my book is released. I plan to have a free weekend so all of my friends and fellow bloggers will have a chance to it. In the meantime, keep your eyes open and your running shoes on! You just never know what's gonna happen!

Zombie Apocalypse: We Need a Plan!

So, what do YOU think’s gonna happen when the zombie apocalypse hits?

I’ve been thinking about this my whole life, watching every movie I can get my hands on (Netflix is a bloody modern miracle!) and reading books and graphic novels and watching TV. It’s gonna happen!! I can feel it! During the day, I go about my business—I do have a day job after all if you wanna call it that (more about that later!) but at night, when it’s dark and especially in the summer when it’s hot and sticky and the windows are open, I lay awake thinking about zombies. And vampires. And werewolves. Oh, yeah! I can scare the crap out of myself just thinking about them. What’s really gonna happen? Where will I go? WHAT WILL I DO?

Well, a few months back while hiding under the covers after an especially gross zombie movie, telling myself that zombies don’t really eat brains (Uh huh, right!),  I came up with a really cool idea: If I write the story, I can make the zombies do whatever I want! Yeah! I can come up with a plan to survive; I can figure out how to save my family—even my squirrelly little cousins! And I can chase down that gnarly little skank from seventh grade, the one who said my pink hair was retro, and have a little imaginary fun with her. I wouldn’t kill her off. No, that’s no fun! But I could stand inside my electrified, fortified zombie-proof compound and watch her run in circles! And then I’d let her in, I guess. Cool!

So I began to channel some of that fear and anxiety into a story. A zombie story! (My therapist would be so proud!) And then with my big mouth and my warped imagination, it turned into a book and then another one and now I’m working on a third! I have a tough time with the gore and the brains and the body parts so I’m writing a story that’s different. Well, a little different, anyway. I like the idea of more suspense, less blood, smart girls who know how to scream and run without falling down, and a couple of hunky heroes thrown in for good measure.

I keep thinking that this zombie/vampire/werewolf thing is gonna end someday soon, but it’s been going on for as long as I’ve been alive! So, here’s the deal. I’m thinking that maybe it’s time I get out from under the covers, throw on my pink high tops, and join in.

My name’s Regina Mors. My friends call me Reggie. I write zombie love stories. (And no, the zombies don’t fall in love, the people do. Jeez! I’m not that weird!) I’ll be checking in from time to time to talk about the scary stuff that haunts my dreams. I hope I’ll see you around.