Blog Tour (Guest Post): Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know of) by F.J.R. Titchenell

Title: Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know of)
Author: F.J.R. Titchenell
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Release Date: May 6, 2014
The world is Cassie Fremont’s playground. Her face is on the cover of every newspaper, she has no homework, no curfew, and no credit limit, and she spends her days traveling the country with her friends, including a boy who would flirt with death just to turn her head. Life is just about perfect—except that those newspaper headlines are about her bludgeoning her crush to death with a paintball gun, she has to fight ravenous walking corpses every time she steps outside, and one of her friends is still missing, trapped somewhere in the distant, practically impassable wreckage of Manhattan. Still, Cassie’s an optimist. More prone to hysterical laughter than hysterical tears, she’d rather fight a corpse than be one, and she won’t leave a friend stranded when she can simply take her road trip to impossible new places to find her, even if getting there means admitting to that boy that she might just love him, too. Skillfully blending effective horror with unexpected humor, this diary-format novel is a fast-paced and heartwarming read.

Guest Post

The Creation of Cassie Fremont
F.J.R. Titchenell
At the time when the idea first came to me for Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know of), I'd spent the last three years working on The Changeling Saga, a paranormal romance-y YA low fantasy that I was convinced was going to be my breakout. I was utterly in love with it, and it did have elements that I'm still proud of, but it was a pretty by-the-numbers fantasy epic/paranormal romance story, and I was writing it while both those trends were taking a major decline. Several waves of agent rejection letters had already drilled this truth into me, and I was just beginning to come to terms with the fact that I would probably need a new project sooner rather than later.

Author Interview: The Ghoul Archipelago by Stephen Kozeniewski

Title: The Ghoul Archipelago
Author: Stephen Kozeniewski
Publisher: Severed Press
Release Date: October 16, 2013
After ravenous corpses topple society and consume most of the world’s population, freighter captain Henk Martigan is shocked to receive a distress call. Eighty survivors beg him to whisk them away to the relative safety of the South Pacific. Martigan wants to help, but to rescue anyone he must first pass through the nightmare backwater of the Curien island chain.

A power struggle is brewing in the Curiens. On one side, the billionaire inventor of the mind-control collar seeks to squeeze all the profit he can out of the apocalypse. Opposing him is the charismatic leader of a ghoul-worshipping cargo cult. When a lunatic warlord berths an aircraft carrier off the coast and stakes his own claim on the islands, the stage is set for a bloody showdown.

To save the remnants of humanity (and himself), Captain Martigan must defeat all three of his ruthless new foes and brave the gruesome horrors of...THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGO.

Interview

1. Let’s start off getting to know you – what is something about you that very few people know or suspect?

I am an unabashed slave to the needle. I have nine tattoos after thirteen studio sessions (confusing hint: only one was a cover-up.) Most people who meet me think either, “Oh, he’s a marshmallow,” (in personal situations) or, “Oh, he’s a stick-in-the-mud,” (in professional.) I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that wasn’t shocked by all my ink.

2. Please tell us a little bit about The Ghoul Archipelago in your own words but with a Twitter twist – 140 characters or less.

Oh, fun. Dammit, I just wasted 8 characters. Now it’s 43! OK, it’s about smugglers trying to save zombocalypse survivors from pirates and...

3. What makes The Ghoul Archipelago stand apart from other zombie apocalypse type books?

Cover Reveal (Giveaway): The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter

Today I'm participating in the cover reveal of Gena Showalter's final installment of the White Rabbit Chronicles, The Queen of Zombie Hearts. In case you've forgotten, here are the covers of the first two books in the series:


And here is the cover you've been waiting for:



Title: The Queen of Zombie Hearts (White Rabbit Chronicles #3)
Author: Gena Showalter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Cover Reveal Organizer: Rockstar Book Tours
Release Date: September 30, 2014
I have a plan.

We'll either destroy them for good, or they'll destroy us.

Either way, only one of us is walking away.

In the stunning conclusion to the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, Alice "Ali" Bell thinks the worst is behind her. She's ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, the leader of the zombie slayers…until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends. It's then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters…and the worst has only begun.

As the surviving slayers prepare for war, Ali discovers she, too, can control the zombies…and she isn't the girl she thought she was. She's connected to the woman responsible for killing—and turning—Cole's mother. How can their relationship endure? As secrets come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima—even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.


About the Author

Book Blast (Trailer & Giveaway): Alive by Megan D. Martin

Title: Alive (Crave #1)
Author: Megan D. Martin
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Interracial Romance
Age: New Adult
Book Blast Organizer: A Little Bit of R & R
Release Date: November 22, 2013
Flesh-eating zombies, dirty sex, and a shattered past…
What’s more dangerous—the man who broke her heart or those trying to eat it?

Fighting to survive, Eve finds herself alone in the world after the Crave—the only parallel of her former life. On the hunt for her sister, she runs into Gage—the first and only boy to have her heart and break it. It’s been four years and he isn’t a boy anymore, nor is he the same person he used to be. Against her better judgment, Eve agrees to stay with him when he divulges information on a safe haven near the small town they grew up in—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it…

Returning home elicits a myriad of emotions that both Eve and Gage thought they had buried. The past and present collide and they are forced to the face bitter deceits that ruined them in the before and threaten to destroy them now…

Book Trailer




About the Author

Review: The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray

Title: The Dollhouse Asylum
Author: Mary Gray
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
Release Date: October 22, 2013
A virus that had once been contained has returned, and soon no place will be left untouched by its destruction. But when Cheyenne wakes up in Elysian Fields--a subdivision cut off from the world and its monster-creating virus--she is thrilled to have a chance at survival.

At first, Elysian Fields,with its beautiful houses and manicured lawns, is perfect. Teo Richardson, the older man who stole Cheyenne's heart, built it so they could be together. But when Teo tells Cheyenne there are tests that she and seven other couples must pass to be worthy of salvation, Cheyenne begins to question the perfection of his world.

The people they were before are gone. Cheyenne is now "Persephone," and each couple has been re-named to reflect the most tragic romances ever told. Everyone is fighting to pass the test, to remain in Elysian Fields. Teo dresses them up, tells them when to move and how to act, and in order to pass the test, they must play along.

If they play it right, then they'll be safe.
But if they play it wrong, they'll die.

My Review

Oh man, I feel really bad about writing this review, but obligations. I wanted The Dollhouse Asylum so badly that I begged my way onto the tour. I mean, look at that synopsis! Have you read it yet? I thought I would be getting a book about a weird oldish guy (probably 30s to a teenager - it says "man") being creeptastic with the young girl. I guess it was a little bit like that, but the "older man" is in his early 20s, and Cheyenne is 18. Not what I had in mind. That is only the most minor of issues that I had with The Dollhouse Asylum.

Blog Tour (Guest Post & Giveaway): Voodoo Moon by June Stevens

Title: Voodoo Moon (Paranorm World #1)
Author: June Stevens
Publisher: Classy Scribe Publications
Release Date: June 24, 2013
Zombies aren’t supposed to exist, yet they are turning up all over Nash City. As a member of the Elite Black Blade Guard, Fiona Moon is tasked with hunting down the most dangerous Paranorm criminals. Now she must find out who is kidnapping mages and sucking the life energy from their bodies. To make matters worse, she has to work with the one man that embodies everything she despises.

Ian Barroes is the rich founder and head of the Necromancers Guild and a professor of Necromantic Studies at the Academy of Science and Magic. There is one thing he wants more than anything else in the world… Fiona.

They each hold secrets that could destroy them but could also be the key to destroying the evil Voodoo priest, Bokor. They must learn to trust each other track down Bokor before more innocents are taken, and murdered. To make matters worse, when Fiona becomes a target of the evil madman she is lured into his trap. Now she and Ian have to fight for survival and their very souls.

Researching Voodoo and Zombies for Voodoo Moon
June Stevens
Creating a new world loosely based on our own was both liberating and daunting at the same time. I knew from the very beginning of this story that I wanted zombies in it, but not the flesh eating, virus caused zombies so prevalent in fiction today. I didn’t want just another zombie apocalypse plague. I wanted my zombies and my villain to be something just a bit different.

Release Party (Excerpt & Giveaway): Voodoo Moon by June Stevens

Title: Voodoo Moon (Paranorm World #1)
Author: June Stevens
Publisher: Classy Scribe Publications
Release Date: June 24, 2013
Zombies aren’t supposed to exist, yet they are turning up all over Nash City. As a member of the Elite Black Blade Guard, Fiona Moon is tasked with hunting down the most dangerous Paranorm criminals. Now she must find out who is kidnapping mages and sucking the life energy from their bodies. To make matters worse, she has to work with the one man that embodies everything she despises.

Ian Barroes is the rich founder and head of the Necromancers Guild and a professor of Necromantic Studies at the Academy of Science and Magic. There is one thing he wants more than anything else in the world… Fiona.

They each hold secrets that could destroy them but could also be the key to destroying the evil Voodoo priest, Bokor. They must learn to trust each other track down Bokor before more innocents are taken, and murdered. To make matters worse, when Fiona becomes a target of the evil madman she is lured into his trap. Now she and Ian have to fight for survival and their very souls.

Excerpt

Fiona laughed derisively. “And I’m betting the second she saw it was likely related to the strange dead body case, she handed it over gladly. The thing about career making cases. They can break them too. No one wants to be stuck with a case so bizarre they have no hopes of solving it. So goody for us, we get to take charge of the weird, unsolvable case.”

Review: PODs by Michelle K. Pickett

Title: PODs
Author: Michelle K. Pickett
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it's in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it's a balm for the broken soul.

After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That's the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.

Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.

My Review*

Once upon a time there was a book that should have turned me off completely after fifty pages. Its name was PODs. PODs was an interesting little book with teenage naïveté, superviruses, questionable government policy, awful roommates, young love, action, zombies, and cringe-worthy science. Despite the strange formula, I still fell in love with the book.

The main character, Evangeline aka Eva, isn't the perfect character, but she's one that I connected with and cared about though I can't exactly pinpoint why. I shouldn't have liked her, per my inconsistent taste. She was the embodiment of that aforementioned teenage naïveté. Her parents sprung a family game night with no electronics on her when she saw them worrying over something they were watching on television, and she went along with it, despite never having one before. That was her general behavior in the book, but it read more as "go with the flow" than a mindless sheep routine. What I really had trouble with was her treatment of her BFF, Bridget, at the start of the book. It wasn't godawful, but it lingered.

2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

Yes, I am taking part in yet another reading challenge in 2013. I have found that I do a lot better which a little bit of structure and incentive. (You know, like finishing something.) Unless I'm doing this horribly wrong, I don't have to choose my books yet. I have a list and an embarrassing amount of books cluttering my house, but I want to try to focus on 2013 releases as much as possible since I'll be reading them anyways to be on top of things for work. The very dear Auntie Spinelli Reads and Megan Likes Books are kind enough to host this. Below is some information about the challenge, taken from the sign-up page.

Goal:

To read at least one book featuring each of the following paranormal creatures:

✷ Vampires
✷ Werewolves/Shifters
✷ Fey
✷ Angels/Nephilim
✷ Mermaids
✷ Dragons
✷ Zombies
✷ Demons
✷ Witches/Wizards
✷ Ghosts
✷ Aliens
✷ Other (ie: sirens, unicorns, centaurs, timetravel etc.)

Guidelines:

1. This challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.

2. You must have a blog to able to participate, since reviews must be added to the linky.

3. When you sign up with the linky, please put the link to your post about joining the Paranormal Reading Challenge.

4. You're welcome to list your books beforehand or just add as you go.

5. Sign-ups are open until December 1, 2013 (You can do that HERE.)

6. At the beginning of each month, the blog hosts will post a kick-start post, each month featuring a different category of paranormal creature. This post will also include a linky to include your reviews from that month.

7. Each review you link will qualify you for an entry into the monthy giveaway and if your review includes the feature paranormal creature of that month, you get a bonus entry.

8. Each book can only count for one category, even if it contains more than one paranormal creature. For example, Twilight contains both vampires and werewolves, but you can't use it for both the vampires and werewolves/shifters categories.

9. Everyone who completes the challenge will be entered into a grand prize giveaway at the end of the year.

10. If you read multiple books from one category, feel free to add them to the linkies. Don't stop at just one!

11. Book can count for other challenges.

You should definitely go to the HOSTS' POST on the challenge to find out more information. I'm not the most reliable of sources, no matter how good my intentions may seem. As with the other challenges, leave me a link if you're playing along as well!

Review: Hell’s Reaping by James Bishop

Title: Hell's Reaping: Book One of The Apotheosis Trilogy
Author: James Bishop
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: September 10, 2012
Acquired Via: Author
Judgment day came, and humanity fought. We lost. Demons control Earth and civilization is reduced to a few scattered bastions. Desperate times, desperate measures. Five Templar Knights are damned and sent to Hell as humanity’s last hope. And then it gets better.

Holy crap this book was good! It hooked me from the very beginning. The first chapter was dark, darker than the rest of the book, but it did set the tone of what was to come. You can’t expect bunnies and unicorns when it’s a book about hell. Unless it’s The Evil Bunny of Doom or Bad Unicorn, fantasy version of Bad Horse. By the way, if you haven’t seen Dr. Horrible, go watch it now. But I digress.

I loved this book. Its split in five acts, each telling the story from each of the main character’s perspective. With a sixth pulling everything together. I enjoyed each tremendously. The characters were all compelling and unique. Each dealt with being damned in their own way, but all paths took them towards the same end. Some through more hardship than others, but each suffered to reach their destination.

Review: Cruise of the Undead by Laura A. Hansen

Title: Cruise of the Undead (Zombies in Paradise #1)
Author: Laura Hansen
Publisher: Createspace
Release Date: July 2012
Acquired Via: Author
Zombies on a cruise ship. What would you do?

Fifteen-year-old Charlie is P.O.'ed that his parents have wasted a perfectly good Christmas break by forcing him on a cruise with a bunch of oldies. But the old people are a piece of cake compared to the dead people. Some late night sneaking around by Charlie and his brother Jack convince them that the unimaginable is really happening: the recently dead are walking the ship. After a gruesome attack at the Death by Chocolate Buffet, a seriously scary comedy of clashing personalities occurs when intense Charlie and his hip hop, extroverted younger brother Jack forge an alliance to defeat the zombie menace. The boys and their friends take on the zombie crew in a gripping struggle to save themselves, their families and the other passengers from an ugly undeath.

With horror, humor, and a dash of romance, this fast-paced adventure races through the zombie-infested South Pacific.

The Review

I must say I enjoyed this book. I stopped being a fan of YA when the fourth book of the Percy Jackson series grabbed the part of me that liked YA and broke its kneecaps, slapped it around, killed its puppy and gave it a wedgy. You may think I’m overreacting, and maybe I am, but that’s the way it felt. It made me want to punch Percy in the throat. Which is kinda funny considering Kayla was advocating in Team Percy over at good reads. Nice to have met you!

Oh, wait. Still alive? No sniper shot to the back of the head? Kayla must be busy. No Will, I'm here, and I'm watching you. So, on to the review of Cruise of the Undead!

Blog Tour (Review): Riser by Becca C. Smith

Title: Riser

Author: Becca C. Smith

Release Date: June 10, 2010

Acquired: Innovative Online Blog Tours

Riser is a science fiction novel by Becca C. Smith that is aimed at a young adult audience. It tells the story of Chelsan Derée, a young girl who lives in the United States in the year 2320. Although aging has been cured, people (and other animate creatures) still die of other causes – and Chelsan can raise the dead. While she tries to discover herself and the source of her powers, she has to overcome betrayal, heartache, and figure out why someone wants her dead.

Author Interview & Giveaway: Peter Giglio

PETER GIGLIO is a Pushcart Prize nominated novelist, screenwriter, and anthologist. He is the author of three novels—Anon, Beyond Anon, and The Dark (with Scott Bradley)—and two novellas—A Spark in the Darkness and Balance. His short fiction can be found in several books, including two anthologies edited by John Skipp, where he had the honor of sharing TOCs with Thomas Harris, George R.R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, Charlaine Harris, Chuck Palahniuk, and many other literary icons. He is also the editor of the anthologies Help! Wanted: Tales of On-the-Job Terror and Evil Jester Digest, Volume One.

Peter lives in Lincoln, Nebraska with his wife and three cats. He stays busy but always has time for readers at his website.




***
Peter, thank you so much for taking the time to do an interview for Bibliophilia, Please. Just looking at your bibliography speaks volumes about how busy you are. When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

For as long as I can remember. My dad, a respected historian, is a writer. The scent of aging paper, the sight of overflowing bookshelves and manuscript pages strewn all over the floor—good memories. I used to write and illustrate by own little books as a kid, mostly James Bond and Star Wars fan-fiction. I’m sure my mom kept all that stuff. Hope she keeps it away from me.

When did you write start writing things that you intended for other people to read?

Waiting on Wednesday (19)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Undeadly

Author: Michele Vail

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: November 20, 2012

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper-and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.

Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with.To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly-against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.

I was just playing around on Amazon, looking for books to preorder - I do this every few months to get the 4 for 3 discount on paperbacks. Anywho, I came across this one, and I had never heard of it! Of course it went straight into my cart. I can't wait for it to hit my doorstep!

What are you waiting on this week?

Blog Tour (Guest Post): Pavlov's Dogs by D.L. Snell and Thom Brannan

Book Club at the End of the World

Guest Post by D.L. Snell
Innovative Online Book Tours

The characters of our novel, PAVLOV’S DOGS, don’t have time to read. Zombies are slow, but they’re not that slow. Any downtime our characters get, they’re spending it barricading, rationing, or cleaning guns. In the case of the Dogs, they spend it getting hormone therapy to ensure the werewolf ability to change on command. But as our characters are carrying out these mundane chores, they do have some time to dwell on what they miss about the world. One thing they miss dearly is curling up with a great book. You might be surprised by some of their reading preferences.

Blog Tour (Interview): The Seven Habits of Highly Infective People by William Todd Rose

On Bibliophilia, Please today, the fascinating William Todd Rose has stopped to promote his new book, The Seven Habits of Highly Infective People. He was kind enough to answer some questions for us about his book, other zombie novels, and writing.

Bosley Coughlin can travel through time. And the future does not look good.

Through a heady cocktail of drugs and the occult, Bosley slips through time and space and glimpses The End. Cities lay in ruins, and those who still cling to life hide in the rubble like frightened animals. Walking carcasses shamble through the debris exacting a horrible fate upon any living they find.

This horrific future is the only world fourteen year old Ocean has ever known. Starving and alone, she struggles for even the most basic of necessities: food, water, shelter, love…

In the present, Bosley stumbles across Clarice Hudson and soon realizes that she is much more than a simple shop girl. One by one, she displays the seven symptoms of the contagion that will bring Bosley’s world to an end and create the nightmare Ocean calls home. Clarice may hold the key to stopping the coming apocalypse and sparing Ocean from the atrocities of mankind’s imminent future… but only if Coughlin is willing to push beyond every notion he’s ever held about right and wrong.

First off, William, I would like to thank you so much for answering questions for my readers here at Bibliophilia, Please. I have to be honest and ask you about the first thing that came to mind when I read the title – that other book. How does the Seven Habits of Infective People compare to The Seven Habits of Effective People?

Z is for Zombie

I'm still new to this genre, but I bet if you head over to The Aussie Zombie, I bet that she has a fairly extensive post on the subject. (She's also a participant in the Blogging A to Z Challenge.)

There are only two books that came to mind when I tried to recall anything in the genre.

Alright, alright, I know A Touch Mortal isn't really a zombie novel. You guys should know by now that I'm just a Leah Clifford fan-girl, and I can't resist the urge to talk about her books. Anyways, it's more fun to say the main characters are zombies and angels, versus them being Siders and angels. Don't you agree?

You shouldn't disagree with me - I can haz zombie kittehs on you!

My A to Z Master List

Author Interview & Giveaway: Kevin Krohn

Today at Bibliophilia, Please, we have with us Kevin Krohn, author of Latter-Day of the Dead (you can read my review here).

 

Kevin Krohn is the author of Latter-Day of the Dead and Severed Ties. He lives in Layton, Utah with his wife and two children. He likes the way The Sopranos ended.






First off, Kevin, I would like to thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to not only interview you, but review your book. I was immediately drawn to the premise of Latter-Day of the Dead – a zombie outbreak on a polygamist compound in Utah. Umm, yes please! What made you decide to go with that scenario?

When thinking about a zombie outbreak, or any catastrophic event for that matter, I began to think about the small sects of people across the country that have cut themselves off from the rest of the populace. They would really be the last to know of such a widespread problem, so I found that scenario exciting and interesting to write about. And when they do find out, would they even be able to comprehend the magnitude of an outbreak or know how to respond to such a situation? They literally wouldn’t know a zombie if it bit them in the shoulder. Literally. So I took that set-up and ran with it.

Review: Latter-Day of the Dead by Kevin Krohn

Title: Latter-Day of the Dead

Author: Kevin Krohn

Publisher: SpiralBound Publishing

Release Date: March 10, 2012

Latter-Day of the Dead is Kevin Krohn’s latest novel, which is the fictional first person account of a zombie outbreak on an isolated compound of radical Mormons. It is a thrilling horror novel that is aimed at a mature audience.

Elias is the doctor in Kanab, Utah, where his family and congregation resides. He is one of the few individuals that had been allowed to leave the compound for outside schooling, based on the needs of their secluded community. Despite his exposure to the outside world, it is not until Elias is denied what he wants most and his brethren become violently (literally) ill that he begins to question what he has always taken on faith.

While reading the book, the main thing that stood out to me is the impartial description of polygamy and Mormon history. Neither are slammed, just described in a manner that is unbiased and obviously researched. The unfortunate result of living in a closed community – inbreeding – is even handled in a dignified manner. None of the villagers are slobbering idiots; they are just slow, and there is a particular genetic disorder that is prevalent in the compound. Krohn did not even use the stereotype of the evil polygamist as a crutch to find a villain – that individual earned my disdain on his own. I had to point all of this out first because in order for me to truly enjoy a book, I want to appreciate what the author does around the story itself.

As for the story, I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was more thriller than horror, and there weren’t any parts that I found myself disgusted enough to skim. (This is what I do in Stephen King’s gorier works.) Yes, there is the typical zombie bloodshed, but it is not gratuitous and helps move the plot along. The only problem that I had with the book is that it ended rather abruptly. It is short enough that I could almost classify it as a novella, so the sequel that is sure to come could have been added to make one larger novel. Plus, I wouldn’t have to wait find out what happens after the cliffhanger ending.

I’m glad that I did not hesitate in accepting this independently published novel. It was well-written, well-edited, and just as good as anything put out by the major publishing houses. It was a quick, fun read, and I will happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys zombie books or even horror in general.

Available now on Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Be sure to add it to your TBR on Goodreads!

Be sure to come back by Bibliophilia, Please for my interview with the author, Kevin Krohn and a giveaway of the book!

*To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received the book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. It has in no way affected the outcome.

Review: Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Title: Dearly, Departed

Author: Lia Habel

Publisher: Del Ray

Release Date: October 18, 2011

Dearly, Departed is the exciting and thrilling young adult debut novel of Lia Habel. It is a delightful mashing of dystopian, science fiction, paranormal romance, zombie, Victorian, and steampunk, despite being set in the year 2195. It has a lot going on, but still manages to pull off being, by far, one of my favorite reads for 2011.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

Although this book is advertised as being a romance novel, it was much more than that to me. Sure, there was a love story, but there was so much action and adventure going on around the blossoming romance between protagonist Nora Dearly and the dashing undead, Abraham Griswold. There are also several other characters who provide their points of view – in addition to the two lovers – to the story: Nora’s best friend, Pamela Roe; her father, Victor Dearly; and our villain, Wolfe. Once again, there was a lot going on in the book, but it was never tedious or confusing and allowed the story’s flow to stay interesting.

I was on a cruise when I read the book. Instead of playing in the pool on deck or hanging out in the bar, I was sucked into the lives of the characters. Lia Habel’s descriptive writing made me feel as if I was in Central/South America in the fantastic world that she had created, instead of being on my rocking ship. I could not step away from the story, because I needed to know what would happen on the next page. Chapters were not always a good stopping point since the POV changed so often, and I had to find out what had occurred since I left a character two or three chapters previously.

I loved the book, and it is definitely going to be one of my “Librarian Recommendations” to my young adults and adults who are young at heart.

*To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received the book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has in no way affected the outcome.