Showing posts with label I Zombie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label I Zombie. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Fantastic I, Zombie Review and a 99 Cent Sale!

Happy Wednesday! Oh my goodness! I'm cheesing so hard this morning over this review I just read. I have to share it, and I have to tell you all about my 48 hour flash sale!

Here's part of the review from Ethan Gregory over at One Guy's Guide to Good Reads:

"While I have read collaborative works from Michaels in the past, I, Zombie marks my first full-length read from her. I've heard incredible words of praise from her fans, so I was more than pumped to check out this read from Jo. As many of my readers will well-remember, zombies are one of my least favorite genres. I've read two series that to this day remain two of my all-time favorites (Nazarea Andrews' The World Without End and Rachel Aukes Deadland Saga), but I have been hard pressed to find any other novels in this specific genre that have held my attention as they have.

I am proud to say that through a truly original and unique plot and an elegant writing style that left me hanging onto every word, Jo Michaels has definitely earned her spot on my list of favorites in the zombie genre.

I, Zombie was everything I wanted, and more!

I'm not going to lie to you guys, this was a super quick read for me and I can't say too terribly much about the plot without giving away massive spoilers. Like other zombie-poc novels, this one follows the story of the supposed end of days, but this time, with a twist. It's told from the point of view of the infected through their decline and fight with the virus that cripples their lives and civilization. Truly imaginative storytelling..."

If you want to read the rest, go here.

Now, for information about the book!

TRAILER! Eep!



I, Zombie - Young Adult - Horror

Paperback
Hardcover
Kindle

Recommended for ages 13+ due to a mild amount of gore.

Blurb:
It's the end of the world as we know it.

Trixie Collins is a normal teen making her way through high school. One night at a party, a boy comes on to her and won't take no for an answer. As she jerks her arm away, his fingernails cut into her skin.

When she finds her dog's mutilated body and realizes she's to blame, she starts to think maybe the zombie apocalypse they've been screaming about on the news isn't a hoax after all.

Worse, she begins to think maybe she's one of the infected.

Now it's a fight for life as she joins together with her brethren to stop the humans intent on destroying them. Are zombies all bad, or is it just a huge misunderstanding?

~~~~

What are you waiting for? If you ever wanted to read this novel, it's on SALE right now for just $0.99!!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, October 22, 2015

BOD Zombie Crawl 2 Blog Party - Origin of the Zombie

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Short intro today; we're going right into the fun (I figured the title of the post and the next section were sufficient).

Zombie Crawl 2 - Blog Party

October 22 - 31, 2015


How it works: Each day, the scheduled authors and bloggers will post awesome zombie-tastic content for your enjoyment along with a giveaway on their site/blog/page. You can hop around to all of the participating sites and enter as many giveaways as you like! If you would like to be emailed links to the new posts each day, join this Zombie Crawl Daily Digest list which will ensure you don't miss a post (or join the party on Facebook to get notifications). Make sure to leave comments and interact with the participating sites. Thanks for joining the party!

Origin of the Zombie

From Wikipedia:
The English word "zombie" was derived from the original form "zombi" that first appeared in a story written by Robert Southey.

Okay, well, that's where the word came from. But, the idea of the zombie goes way, way back. A zombie was not, traditionally, walking dead that feasted on the flesh of other humans. Voodoo rituals that turned a person (living or dead) into a mindless slave is where the premise for the "creature" comes from. In the Haitian rituals, these creations were called thralls.

Those slaves did whatever they were ordered to do by the person that performed the ritual. In pictures, the zombies were depicted as regular looking humans with purely white eyes. They did not speak, and they tended to move slowly, traits the modern-day zombies retained.

In literature, zombies have played a major role. As far back as 1818, when the original Frankenstein was published by Mary Shelley, you see various forms: patched together beings, those controlled by magic, people who've been brainwashed, the literal living dead, virus born illnesses causing insanity and rot, and many more.

In film, zombies have been sensationalized. From Night of the Living Dead to World War Z, there are plenty of full-length movies out there that all depict zombies in various ways.

Because zombies have been around so long, there's a small chance of them falling out of favor anytime soon. Who knows what form the creatures will take over the next two hundred years, but I'm intrigued!

Here's the article on Wiki if you want to take a look at it.

Now, we get to the fun stuff! First up, the list of the participants! Everyone will have prizes, so be sure you visit them all!

The Schedule:

OCTOBER 22 - Thursday
Band of Dystopian Authors & Fans (Party & Grand Prize Host)
Jo Michaels Blog (author)
Rissa Blakeley (author)

OCTOBER 23 - Friday
Claire C. Riley (author)
2 Girls & A Book (blog)
Emily Shore (author)

OCTOBER 24 - Saturday
Kathy Dinisi (author)
Us Girls & A Book (blog)
The Voluptuous Book Diva (blog 18+)

OCTOBER 25 - Sunday
Casey L. Bond (author)
THE KATY blog (blog)

OCTOBER 26 - Monday
Saul Tanpepper (author)
Warren Fielding (author)
The Leighgendarium (blog)

OCTOBER 27 - Tuesday
Kody Boye (author)
Rhiannon Frater (author)
ER Arroyo (author)

OCTOBER 28 - Wednesday
Allen Gamboa (author)
Armand Rosamilia (author)
Ethan @ One Guy's Guide to Good Reads (blog)

OCTOBER 29 - Thursday
Kate L. Mary (author)
aftershockzombieseries (author)
Eli Constant (author)

OCTOBER 30 - Friday
Aria Michaels (author)
Brian Parker (author)
Mama Reads Hazel Sleeps (blog)

OCTOBER 31 - Saturday
Cindy Carroll (author)
M. R. Pritchard (author)
Toni L.H. Boughton (author)
Digital Dirty Girl (blog)

To learn more about Band of Dystopian and/or to enter our Grand Prize Giveaway, visit BandofDystopian.com and don't forget to join the group on Facebook!

Now for my giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of luck to you all!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Get Ready - BOD Zombie Crawl 2 Starts Tomorrow

Happy Wednesday, everyone! EEP! Tomorrow is the super fantastic launch of the Band of Dystopian Zombie Crawl 2 Blog Party. Thought I'd warm you all up in preparation and give you the deets. Without further ado, here ya go!


Zombie Crawl 2 - Blog Party

October 22 - 31, 2015

How it works: Each day, the scheduled authors and bloggers will post awesome zombie-tastic content for your enjoyment along with a giveaway on their site/blog/page. You can hop around to all of the participating sites and enter as many giveaways as you like! If you would like to be emailed links to the new posts each day, join this Zombie Crawl Daily Digest list which will ensure you don't miss a post (or join the party on Facebook to get notifications). Make sure to leave comments and interact with the participating sites. Thanks for joining the party!


The Schedule:

OCTOBER 22 - Thursday
Band of Dystopian Authors & Fans (Party & Grand Prize Host)
Jo Michaels Blog (author)
Rissa Blakeley (author)

OCTOBER 23 - Friday
Claire C. Riley (author)
2 Girls & A Book (blog)
Emily Shore (author)

OCTOBER 24 - Saturday
Kathy Dinisi (author)
Us Girls & A Book (blog)
The Voluptuous Book Diva (blog 18+)

OCTOBER 25 - Sunday
Casey L. Bond (author)
THE KATY blog (blog)

OCTOBER 26 - Monday
Saul Tanpepper (author)
Warren Fielding (author)
The Leighgendarium (blog)

OCTOBER 27 - Tuesday
Kody Boye (author)
Rhiannon Frater (author)
ER Arroyo (author)

OCTOBER 28 - Wednesday
Allen Gamboa (author)
Armand Rosamilia (author)
Ethan @ One Guy's Guide to Good Reads (blog)

OCTOBER 29 - Thursday
Kate L. Mary (author)
aftershockzombieseries (author)
Eli Constant (author)

OCTOBER 30 - Friday
Aria Michaels (author)
Brian Parker (author)
Mama Reads Hazel Sleeps (blog)

OCTOBER 31 - Saturday
Cindy Carroll (author)
M. R. Pritchard (author)
Toni L.H. Boughton (author)
Digital Dirty Girl (blog)

To learn more about Band of Dystopian and/or to enter our Grand Prize Giveaway, visit BandofDystopian.com and don't forget to join the group on Facebook!

How fun and exciting is this?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, August 7, 2014

A Guest Post by Me on The Zombie Survival Crew's Blog

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today I'm giving you a little snatch of what I wrote for a guest post over on The Zombie Survival Crew's blog. Then, I'll give ya a link so you can go see what they're all about and read the rest of my crazy ramblings. *grin*

Grab a cup of Joe and let's get going!

Fear Factors
What’s Really Going on in those Zombie Novels
by Jo Michaels, author of I, Zombie

So, I’m sure you’ve all picked up a zombie novel and turned to page one with your breath in your throat and your hands shaking as you contemplated what horrific situations you were about to be treated to, right?

Is it because you’re anticipating the sticky situations people will undoubtedly get themselves into and out of? Or, is it the mindless munching of brain matter by half rotted, animated corpses that gets your pulse racing?

Chances are, it’s a mixture of both. Zombie novels aren’t about the eating of flesh. While that’s a key component in the movement of the plot and something adding to the spine-tingling horror of it all, it’s not what’s lurking behind the scenes.

Deep within the pages of your everyday zombie novel there’s a central theme: survival of humanity and basic compassion. What you’re reading about is the battle—both with the creatures, who used to be thinking, feeling humans, and with the character’s own sense of what’s right and wrong while trying to survive. All around the character there are old friends, family members, and people those characters met along the way that now must be destroyed.

How do you pull the trigger when you’ve had a conversation with the person staring back at you with those milky zombie eyes? What if it’s your child?

Many times, authors of zombie novels go the extra mile to include how a parent tried to keep their feral child safe once it turned; because the parent(s) were unable to do the unthinkable. A neighbor might present a challenge (it depends if they were easy to work with over that property line dispute), but if they mean to harm or eat you, chances are you wouldn’t have much of a problem pulling the trigger, using a machete, or sticking them in the head with a pitchfork (hey, I lived on a farm; don’t judge me).

Read more on the Zombie Survival Crew site!

What do you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Winner Announced


Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! I have the winner of the book pack for you all today! I'm not gonna blab on and on, so here it is!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to the winner! You take home these books:





 

Check out the reviews for these books here on the blog:
Sanctuary
Falling for Autumn
Sir Edric's Temple
The Bestiarum Vocabulum
Chasing Shadows

I've contacted the winner already. I hope she's super happy about this great book pack.

Tomorrow, we're back to the grind!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo 

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Happy Birthday Giveaway

Hello, good people of the blogosphere! Happy Tuesday, and happy early birthday to me! Well, I'm a year older as of this coming Saturday. No, I'm not telling you how old I'll be. I got an awesome birthday gift already from The Best Husband in the World (TBHITW). So, because he's awesome, I'm giving you all a gift for my birthday. Exciting, huh?

What's up for grabs?

A couple of the e-books I've reviewed this year, and an e-copy of my novels: The Bird and I, Zombie.

Which books am I including? These (that I gave five brilliant stars to):




Check out the reviews for these books here on the blog:
Sanctuary
Falling for Autumn
Sir Edric's Temple
The Bestiarum Vocabulum
Chasing Shadows

So, get on your entry wagon and let your fingers do the clicking!

Rafflecopter will run until the Tuesday after my birthday (through 7/29/14).

Good luck to you all!

If you missed them, check out the great giveaways going over on INDIE Books Gone Wild this week. I'll have another one for you over there tomorrow, too! You'll want to enter this one and tomorrow's. There's a book in the other one that goes with one of the ones shown above.

Here's what you've been waiting for!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you enter? Are you super excited yet?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Monday, June 16, 2014

Heather Topham Wood's 4K Likes Giveaway

Happy Monday, everyone! Today, I'm sharing an awesome giveaway with you from the always fabulous Heather Topham Wood. You may see some books on here you're familiar with. Get to entering and good luck!

I now turn the floor over to Heather!


Thank you all for helping me reach 4,000 fans on Facebook and Twitter! To celebrate, I'm hosting a huge giveaway with tons of prizes: gift cards, paperbacks, eBooks and book swag! A big thank you to all the authors who have decided to take part. Giveaway is international and ends June 30. Best of luck! Prize List:

$15 Amazon Gift Card
$10 Amazon Gift Card
$5 Amazon Gift Card
Choice of eBook (up to $5.00)
Falling for Autumn by Heather Topham Wood Signed Paperback
Speak of the Devil by Shawna Romkey Signed Paperback and Swag
Dakota Captive eBook and Paperback by Alythia Brown
Gemini Rising by Louann Carroll eBook
A Shadow of Time by Louann Carroll eBook
Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux eBook
Wasteland by Lynn Rush eBook
Death Lies Between Us by Jody Kessler eBook
The Grave Winner by Lindsey Loucks eBook
The Grave Winner Signed Bookmark
Son of a Mermaid eBook by Katie O’Sullivan
Chasing Shadows eBook by Tia Silverthorne Bach
I, Zombie by Jo Michaels eBook

The Bird by Jo Michaels eBook
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo 

Monday, June 9, 2014

Back on Track and an I, Zombie sale!

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I may be bringing you a guest post from my awesome featured author, Elizabeth Kirke, but it may come later. I'm not sure. It's been so darned crazy around here. But, we're settled into our new house and things are finally getting back to the way they were. That means no more spotty blog posts. Okay, they've been darn near non-existent, but such is life. I'm back on track now, and have a special announcement for you!

I, Zombie is on sale over on Amazon for the next five days. That's right, it's a countdown deal. First reduction is to $0.99. From $3.99, this is an amazing price to be able to snag a copy.

Here's where you can get it and a little about it:


Kindle: $3.99

Recommended for ages 13+ due to a mild amount of gore.

Synopsis:
It's the end of the world as we know it.

Trixie Collins is a normal teen making her way through high school. One night at a party, a boy comes on to her and won't take no for an answer. As she jerks her arm away, his fingernails cut into her skin.

When she finds her dog's mutilated body and realizes she's to blame, she starts to think maybe the zombie apocalypse they've been screaming about on the news isn't a hoax after all. Worse, she begins to think maybe she's one of the infected.

Now it's a fight for life as she joins together with her brethren to stop the humans intent on destroying them. Are zombies all bad, or is it just a huge misunderstanding?

Happy reading!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Meta-Data for Books, Videos, and a Chance to Pick My Brain

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm gonna talk to you a little about meta-data for your books, show you a couple of videos, and tell you about a chance you have to ask me a question about writing, editing, self-publishing, or marketing. So grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Meta-Data for Your Books

What is meta-data? Namely, it's data that you can't see but has an impact on web search results. It's part of SEO (search engine optimization), and not something you should be skipping over when creating your novel. We're all familiar with tags and keywords on Amazon, Smashwords, Createspace, etc... But! Did you know you have keyword (description tags) available to you in MS Word? Best of all: There's no limit to how many you can use!

Screenshot time! I bet you're all familiar with this:

Now, that's awesome, right? You put in the document title, click save, and off to the races you go! But look a little closer and pay attention to the arrows:

Each of those is a field you can put meta-data into. Just click on them and they'll open like this:

Best part? If you've used certain tags previously, it suggests them. All you have to do is tick the check-box. Once you're done with the author name (it will auto-populate your user name on your computer), add tags and a title. When you're done, it'll look like this:

Then you can click save and all that beautiful, digital information will be embedded in the book file. How cool is that?

See? You had a tool and most likely weren't using it.

Why does it matter? Well, we all know what tags are and how they function on Amazon, right? Think about how many more you'll get with this function. Roll that around in your mind for a moment.

Ahhhhh, I can see the lights upstairs come on from all the way over here! Now you know.

Moving on...

Videos!

I promised you a couple of videos, so here you go:





Those were fun, huh? Yeah, that's a book trailer for I, Zombie and one for Chasing Shadows.

Okay! On to the next topic!

Your Chance to Pick My Brain

Natasha Hanova is hosting a Q&A session with me on her blog. I've agreed to take five industry related questions from readers. This is your chance to get an answer to a question you have (that you can't find the answer to here).

If you'd like to put a question in the hat, either comment below or DM Natasha on Twitter. You can find her here:
Natasha's Twitter Page

How about that? Did you all have fun?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, February 21, 2014

I, Zombie Soundtrack

Happy, happy Friday, everyone! I hope you all have something awesome planned for the weekend! In order to kick your weekend off the right way, I've compiled a little soundtrack for the book I, Zombie. These are the songs I've heard that made me think of the story (or songs others told me were brought to mind as they read). When possible, I used the videos with lyrics so you can read along if you choose to do so. I'll give a short explaination of why I used each one after. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the videos below and the sound of music!

#1: Zombie by The Cranberries



This may seem like an obvious choice, but really listen to the lyrics. If you've read the book and this song doesn't make you cry, I don't know what to say...

#2 Let Her Go by Passenger



Again, seems like an obvious choice given the nature of Trixie and Jack's relationship. But he didn't know he loved her 'til he let her go...

#3 Dust to Dust by The Civil Wars



Takes one to know one? Thank you for the recommendation, Casey L. Bond! I listened to this and bawled my eyes out...

#4 I Need a Hero by Bonnie Tyler



The epitome of Jack.

#5 Bring Me to Life by Evanescence



Oh my... It's that scene! You know of what I speak if you've read the book. If not, pick it up, listen to the music after you've read it. Heartbreaking, no? *grin*

Okay, so if you don't have a copy of I, Zombie yet, you can snag one over on Amazon (for Kindle) for just $3.99. It's sitting at 4.3 stars on 31 reviews, so it's doing pretty well! Get yours here.

I hope you all enjoyed this little foray into the world of I, Zombie and what music speaks to the author (and why).

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, February 7, 2014

What's in a Name?

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Oh, man, the weekend is right around the corner. I know you can smell it. Here's hoping everyone has a wonderful Saturday and Sunday! Today, I'm going to talk with you a little about naming your characters and why any old name won't (and shouldn't) do. So, grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

When naming characters, there are a few things you should always be mindful of:
  • Is the name difficult to say/read?
  • Does the name have more than two syllables?
  • What does the name mean?
  • Do any of the names sound too similar?
  • How many of the names begin with the same letter?
  • What does the last name say about the heritage of the character?
A lot of authors make a name swipe list for minor characters that run from A-Z. Time is spent gathering names that sound different from one another and those are organized in alphabetical order. When the author needs a new name, they simply pull out the list, choose one of the names, and mark it off. That way, they're guaranteed not to have too many characters whose names sound alike. This is a great plan! Do it! However...

In my humble opinion, you should also look into what every one of them means and write it next to the name in your swipe file. For example, the meaning of the name Trixie (MC in I, Zombie) is "bringer of joy," Bronya (Mystic, book one) means "strength," and Stormy (MC in The Bird) means "impetuous nature." Those names fit the personalities of my characters because I took the time to do the research. Guess what? It didn't take me long at all.

How did I discover that information and think to use those names in my books?

Well, there's a super secret website that I'm gonna share with you in a moment where you can search by name, meaning, number of syllables, gender, or first letter.

Yes! I'm actually telling you someone took the time to help authors out and give us a place where we can find hundreds of thousands of names at the click of a mouse.

What is it? BabyNames.com

Click on advanced search and get your happy on.

I know, you all just groaned inwardly. But this is one of the best resources I've found for character names. I wouldn't want a meek, confused girl to be named Bronya or Stormy. Just like I wouldn't want either of those characters to have a name like Naomi, which means "gentle."

Yes, readers will pick up on that. Even if they don't know it right away, they'll feel something is off if they're reading about Naomi kicking butt and shooting bad guys.

Thought I'd share!

Did any of you know about this site before today? Did you use it? What gems did you find?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Character Interview - Trixie Collins from I, Zombie

Happy Wednesday, my wonderful peeps! Today I have a fantastic surprise for you all. I'm giving you my dream cast for I, Zombie, the movie, and a short interview with our leading lady, Trixie Collins. Grab your coffee, get situated, and let's get to it! I hope you get a kick out of today's post.

For our leading lady, Trixie, I'd like to see her played by Amber Tamblyn.




Angela Thibodeaux could be Amanda Seyfried.








Tammy Thibodeaux I'd like to see as Rachel McAdams.





Jack would be played by Chord Overstreet!





Lucy Fry would be honored with the part of Samantha.








And Henry would be Taye Diggs.




Now, on to the interview with our leading lady, Trixie!

Jo: Hello, Trixie! Thanks for joining us for an interview today.
Trixie: It's nice to be here, Jo.

Jo: I'm not sure everyone here is familiar with I, Zombie, so we're gonna start with a couple of questions about your infection. How did it happen?
Trixie: I was at this party and decided to dance with a boy named Matt. He got a little too frisky and when I pulled away, his fingernails cut me. *shakes head* Jack was so mad. When it was obvious I wasn't going to get away easily, he jumped in and punched Matt. Luckily, I was spared, but it caused Jack to get infected. It's all my fault.

Trixie Collins

Jo: You can't think like that. Jack did what he felt he had to. *puts hand on Trixie's arm* Where did your telepathic gift come from?
Trixie: *sniffles* My mom says it came from her mother, my grandmother. She was a Cherokee Indian and had some rather odd powers. I said it was a bunch of malarky one time and my mom told me about a man who cheated my grandmother in a business deal where they traded a bunch of chickens for a mule. The mule keeled over shortly after the deal was done. Two days later, the chickens were sick. He brought them back, accusin' my grandmother of poisoning them. She talked him into leavin' them (because they'd be dead soon anyway). They all survived. Healthy as they could be the next day. I don't question any of it anymore.

Jo: Wow. That's some seriously crazy stuff! So, can you hear what I'm thinking right now?
Trixie: *laughs* No. It doesn't work that way. Since the outbreak, the only one I can hear is Jack.

Jo: And is he with you all the time?
Trixie: Yeah. Sometimes, it drives me a little crazy because I can't get a moment to myself. But I never had any secrets from him so it's okay. Bathroom business is a little strange. I always wonder if he's watchin' and snickerin' at me.

Jo: I can't imagine. So what are you doing now that you've graduated and are a hero to the world?
Trixie: Easy on the hero stuff, okay? All I did was bring attention to somethin' someone else already figured out. If you recall, I found an article on the web that talked about where the disease originated from. All I did was print it out and get it to the right people. There was no guarantee we were right. But, man, I sure was relieved when we were. Back to your question, though, I'm gettin' ready to head off to college. I was accepted at LSU on a full scholarship.

Jo: Congratulations! I imagine, with your status, you could've gotten in anywhere.
Trixie: Yeah, but I wanted to stay close to home. I really love Louisiana.

Jo: Speaking of Louisiana, would you mind telling us all how to pronounce that city you guys hid in?
Trixie: I O W A?
Jo: *nods*
Trixie: Sure. It's easy! Say it like: eye oh way.

Jo: Ahhhh! Got it! Thanks for clearing that up.
Trixie: *grins* No problem. It's a common question. For anyone that's interested, I recently wrote to an advice columnist about having Jack in my head. You can see what she said if you visit her blog. If you're a fictional character, too, she may be able to give you some sage advice.

Jo: That's awesome! I appreciate you sharing that. Thanks for hanging out with us today and good luck in college!
Trixie: *bows and waves* Bye y'all!

If you want to read Trixie and Jack's story, you can pick it up on Amazon for just $3.99 here. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you had fun!

Questions for Trixie? Post them in the comments below. She'll be happy to answer.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, January 10, 2014

I, Zombie Stats Thus Far

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! What a wild day it was around here yesterday, huh? We had some awesome reviews for I, Zombie to check out, a giveaway, and a free book to download! Well, today there's more! I have more reviews for the book, and some early statistics for you to feast your eyes upon. Let's get going!

First up, I'm gonna share some more reviews with you! I didn't want to overwhelm you all yesterday with a billion reviews to check out, so I'm posting the rest today. Enjoy! Be sure and click the links, go leave the reviewers some love, and download your free copy!

"Trixie and Jack don't get much time together in the beginning of the book before the infection starts to spread. Jo did a wonderful job making me feel the pain and misery of having your body fail when your mind is still thoroughly intact."
Amber Garr 4/5 Stars!  ~

"If you love good clean books then this one is for you!  If you love Zombie books, this one is for you! If you love books with a touch of romance, and a touch of action, then this one is for you!"
Ohana Day Academy 5/5 Stars!  ~ 

"Overall this was a creative read and I really enjoyed getting lost in the story. I look forward to more books by Jo Michaels. I would recommend this novel to zombie lovers and zombie sympathizers lol."
Justine on Amazon 4/5 Stars!  ~

"I enjoyed this bit of fantasy very much. These teens have a grip on reality, and a kindness for others not often seen in today's world."
sweetpea on Amazon 5/5 Stars!  ~

"This story is essentially about a small southern town whose young people are infected and the various ways everyone deals with that. It's about friendship and love, heartbreak and loss. It is truly an incredible read if you're looking for something that will make you feel."

Now for some pictures and stat updates!

As you can see, the beginning of the day had the book at #21 for YA Horror and #3,738 overall. However, by this morning, it jumped to here:

It jumped to #1 in YA Horror, #11 in Literature and Fiction Horror, and #353 overall.

I'm blown away. Not only because the book is doing so well right now; but, also because I know it's due to every single one of my fans sharing and screaming about it from the rooftops.

Thank you all SO much for helping me make the launch awesome!




Remember, it's free through Monday so keep sharing!! If you haven't picked one up, go grab it here!

Here are a few premade posts for you:

For Twitter:

Love #Zombies? Grab this #KindleFreebie today: http://bit.ly/1cYCdYi 1/9-13 Plz RT & get one #FREE. #Horror #YA

Looking 4 a #FREE #YA #Horror novel? http://bit.ly/1cYCdYi 1/9-13 only on #Kindle Please RT & get your own!

For Facebook:

If you love #zombies or #YoungAdult then you'll squeal over this free ebook - http://bit.ly/1cYCdYi

If you've read it, please be so kind as to leave a review.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, January 9, 2014

I, Zombie Release Day Fun

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today's the big day! I've sent I, Zombie out into the world for you all to consume and enjoy. Let's get this party started right. Get your clicking finger ready!

First, be sure you've entered the Goodreads giveaway for your chance to win one of four signed, printed copies of the book.

Enter here:

Second, read a couple of the fabulous reviews from my ARC reviewers! Just click the links to get to the whole review. And please leave these wonderful folks some love while you're there.

"It is a fun and beautiful story. An emotional read, with words painted to beautiful perfection. Unique and Intriguing. I loved every minute of it."
Casey L. Bond 5/5 stars!  ~

"This book rocks! You will fall in love with Trixie and several other characters. From page one, it's a constant thrill ride. But, more importantly, it's a story with heart and soul--a great read for action-seekers as well as those who want to connect with characters."
Mom in Love with Fiction 5/5 stars!  ~

"Seeing things from the infected's point of view? Different. This one pulls at the heartstrings, too - needed some tissues. I appreciate the author keeping the book fairly clean - although there were a few gory details, nothing was revolting or overdone."
Pauline Creeden The Book Ninja 5/5 stars!  ~

"Two-parts horror, one-part romance, this book is a great addition to any persons electronic book shelf."
Regan Claire 4/5 stars!  ~

"This novel was a quick and easy read that kept me turning pages –  With quirky banter between best friends, classmates hunting each other down, zombie themed chapter names, and of course a little bit of love."
Elyse Schramm Contagious Reads 4.5/5 stars!  ~

"Within the first few pages I found myself anticipating what was going to happen and anxious to get to the end so I could know the whole story."
Nichole Greene 5/5 stars!  ~ 

Last, we move on to informational type stuff; like where you can get a copy!

Title: I, Zombie
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: YA Horror
Length (print): 262 pages
Purchase Links: Createspace $14.99 Amazon Kindle $3.99 FREE!

Synopsis:
It's the end of the world as we know it.

Trixie Collins is a normal teen making her way through high school. One night at a party, a boy comes on to her and won't take no for an answer. As she jerks her arm away, his fingernails cut into her skin.

When she finds her dog's mutilated body and realizes she's to blame, she starts to think maybe the zombie apocalypse they've been screaming about on the news isn't a hoax after all. Worse, she begins to think maybe she's one of the infected.

Now it's a fight for life as she joins together with her brethren to stop the humans intent on destroying them. Are zombies all bad, or is it just a huge misunderstanding?



What's a release day without something special to go along with it? For the next five days, you can pick up a copy of this book absolutely FREE. That's right, I said free. What are you waiting for?

My humble request is that you please leave a review after you finish the book. Easy peasy.

Thanks for popping by! And, if you'd like to share the zombie goodness with your friends, here are a few premade posts for you:

For Twitter:

Love #Zombies? Grab this #KindleFreebie today: http://bit.ly/1cYCdYi 1/9-13 Plz RT & get one #FREE. #Horror #YA

Looking 4 a #FREE #YA #Horror novel? http://bit.ly/1cYCdYi 1/9-13 only on #Kindle Please RT & get your own!

For Facebook:

If you love #zombies or #YoungAdult then you'll squeal over this free ebook - http://bit.ly/1cYCdYi

Thanks for joining me today for my release! If you've read it already, tell me your favorite part!

Don't forget to follow Trixie on Twitter while you're here. Some fun stuff coming from that account soon!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, December 5, 2013

I, Zombie Release Date and News

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! I'm running a bit late today. Yikes! Today, I'm gonna share with you some of the details about my upcoming release, I, Zombie. I know you've all been chomping at the bit to get hold of that book, so here's some news!

First off, I've settled on a cover design for the book. Isn't it pretty?


Second, I'm sharing infobits (just keep going, the really good stuff is coming in a moment).

Title: I, Zombie
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: Young Adult Horror (recommended for 13+ because of a little gore)
Release Date: January 8, 2014
Length: ~ 51k words (subject to change)
Price: TBD
Synopsis:
It's the end of the world as we know it.

Trixie Collins is a normal teen making her way through high school. One night at a party, a boy comes on to her and won't take no for an answer. As she jerks her arm away, his fingernails cut into her skin.

When she finds her dog's mutilated body and realizes she's to blame, she starts to think maybe the zombie apocalypse they've been screaming about on the news isn't a hoax after all. Worse, she begins to think maybe she's one of the infected.

Now it's a fight for life as she joins together with her brethren to stop the humans intent on destroying them. Are zombies all bad, or is it just a huge misunderstanding?

Would you all like the updated excerpt? Yeah, I knew you would! Well, here you go:

1 – A is for Atrophy

     Bang, bang, bang!
     As the axe struck the thick wooden door, the windows of the deserted house rattled in their frames, sending curls of fear through the forms huddled inside. Unintelligible moans erupted from their mouths as they pressed together.
     Trixie sent out a thought: “Calm. Don’t let them hear us; maybe they’ll go away.”
     When the groans died down, they could hear the humans outside walking the perimeter of the structure, looking for an entry point.
     Twigs snapped.
     Leaves rustled.
     They were coming.
     Shuffling of the beings increased and a small hand found its way into Trixie’s. She knelt down near the child and put her scabby forehead to his. He seemed to understand this meant: We’ll be okay. And she felt the tension leaving his body. They stayed that way for a few minutes until a human shouted out, “Here! I found a way in!”
     Instantly Trixie was upright, willing her brethren to move from their corner, closer to the blacked-out window she intended to smash to make an exit. It was the only route they had. As one, they shuffled toward it.
     A prayer was offered up that the humans wouldn’t recognize the window for what it was and avoid it. Prior inhabitants had done a good job of making it blend with the wall.
    “I can’t get this door open!” It came from one of the female hunters.
     She sounded like she was in the basement.
     Off the kitchen, a doorknob jiggled.
     Guttural moans erupted from the group again.
     Trixie could barely make out the heads of huge nails protruding from the jamb. Those uninfected would have to have a crowbar to get that entrance open. She sent out another thought: “They can’t open it. Be quiet.” At once, the low droning stopped.
     Her group continued to move slowly.
     She hoped they could make it to her jeep. Dragging her numb right leg, she did the best she could to herd the others toward the soon-to-be exit.
     When they got to the house, they’d done what they could to fortify it against the humans giving chase. It was sheer luck the earlier inhabitants had already reinforced most of the windows, entrances, and exits. She snickered. Apparently, the threat of zombies caused people to do strange things. With speed she didn’t know her group possessed, they moved to secure the house against the certain death on their heels like the hounds of hell. Couches and La-z-boys were stacked against doors, and the fridge was used to reinforce sheets of wood nailed over large, picture windows.
     She wished she could speak; but the rot invading her skin had eroded her vocal chords. While she had a strange connection with those who were like her, allowing access to their minds, she couldn’t communicate with humans.
     This was supposed to be a rescue mission. It was an easy in and out trip. She’d received contact a few days prior from three members of a family hiding out in a barn. A team of amazing fighters had volunteered to join her to bring the family back to the camp safely.
     But, here they were, trapped in a run-down house, about to get their heads squished.
     More banging echoed through the house, eliciting gasps and shivers of terror from the group.
     It didn’t do to attack humans, and she tried to avoid it whenever possible. But if they were a threat, she felt certain her squad wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever they had to.
    “We’ll have to do it. We can’t move fast enough to run and there’s a child here.” It wasn’t speech, but she heard it like she would someone speaking out loud to her.
     Jack grabbed her hand, his voice still echoing in her mind.
     A moment passed between them and her shoulders sagged.
     There was no way to avoid it; the humans would have to be killed or assimilated.
     Jack lifted a chair and mimed throwing it through the window.
     She nodded.
     Glass exploded in a whirlwind of tiny sparkles as the momentum of the chair forced it apart. Two of her unit members guided the family of three through the opening and the ones left behind tensed for battle.

End of chapter 1.

Last, I'm sharing the giveaway that starts tonight at midnight over on Goodreads! *squeals* It's gonna run for the next month (through Jan 17th) and might be a great late Christmas gift for the reader in your life. Four printed, signed copies are up for grabs (U.S. only).


Goodreads Book Giveaway


I Zombie by Jo Michaels

I Zombie

by Jo Michaels


Giveaway ends January 17, 2014.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win


I'll be slinging the widget onto the sidebar for the duration. Good luck!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, November 22, 2013

Common Editing Errors

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Is it the last day of school for your kids, too? I sit here, cringing with the knowledge mine will be home all next week. Why? Because that means work comes to a screeching halt and I have a zombie novel to edit. About that, I got the most awesome bookmarks in the mail last week. Take a look:

These will be available exclusively at UtopYA Con 2014. 

If you don't have tickets to that event yet, you should. YA authors from all over the world will be there with their wares. You can get your tickets here:
www.utopyacon.com

But that's not the topic for today. I'm gonna talk to you about common editing errors in the hopes it'll help you avoid these pitfalls. So, grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!


Learning to edit a book is like anything else, it takes practice (along with a handy reference guide to what works and what doesn't). Over at INDIE Books Gone Wild, we give editing tips now and then. If you follow them, your book will cost less to have edited by one of us.

Today, I'd like to go into some of the things to watch out for when you're doing those edits.

  1. Watch for homophones. I know that seems like an obvious SMH thing, but they're more common than you think.
  2. Use commas with care. In these two sentences: I went to the window and Bob moved to my side. I went to the window, and Bob moved to my side. You can see the one without the comma flows more easily. While they're both correct, common sense tells you to nix the comma on that one for readability.
  3. Adverbs can be cut if you use stronger verbs. Do a search for ly endings and eradicate by pumping up your prose. Here's a post that goes into that.
  4. Pay attention to pronouns. This is one of the most common errors I find when editing. See a post here about how to see if you're using the right one.
  5. Use contractions! Again, something I find a lot of when editing. We speak in contractions and read them more easily than we do when the words are broken out in two pieces.
  6. Watch out for the big words. Your reader knows you're a writer with a gargantuan vocabulary. Be careful not to shove it down their throats.
  7. Repetition in word use or information given. Okay, you told us his eyes were blue. Either find a new way to describe those peepers or cut the repeated information altogether.
  8. Hunt down your ize and ization words and kill those, too.
  9. KISS your reader. Keep it Simple, Silly. Use shorter words and smaller sentences (but remember to create variation, too) because readers can process information better when you do.
I hope that helps. I'll be working my way through I, Zombie today in an attempt to eradicate my own writing errors.

What do you think? Did you know to watch out for those?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

I, Zombie Excerpt

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you an excerpt from my NaNoWriMo novel, I, Zombie. Kindly keep in mind this is a very rough draft so you will find errors. Enjoy!



1 – A is for Atrophy
   Bang, bang, bang!
   Sounds of the axe hitting the front door echoed through the deserted shack, sending curls of fear through the forms huddled inside. Unintelligible moans erupted from their mouths as they pressed together.
   Trixie sent out a thought: Calm. Don’t let them hear us; maybe they’ll go away.
   When the groans died down, they could hear the humans outside walking the perimeter of the structure, looking for a weak point.
   Shuffling of the beings increased and a small hand found its way into Trixie’s. She knelt down near the child and put her scabby forehead to his. He seemed to understand this meant: We’ll be okay; and she felt the tension leaving his body. They stayed that way for a few minutes until a human shouted out, “Here! I found a way in!”
   Instantly she was upright, willing her brethren to move from their corner, closer to the window she intended to smash to make an exit. It was the only route they had. As one, they shuffled toward it.
   “I can’t get this door open!” It came from one of the female hunters.
   She sounded like she was in the basement.
   Off the kitchen, a doorknob was being jiggled.
   Guttural moans erupted from the group again.
   Trixie could just make out the fat heads of huge nails protruding from the jamb. Those humans would have to have a crowbar to get that entrance open. She sent out another thought: They can’t open it. Be quiet. At once, the low droning stopped.
   Her group continued to move slowly.
   She hoped they could make it to her truck. Dragging her useless right leg, she did the best she could to lead the ones behind her to the large window.
   When they got to the house, they’d done what they could to fortify it against the humans giving chase. It was sheer luck the earlier inhabitants had already reinforced most of the windows, entrances, and exits. With speed she didn’t know her group possessed, they moved to secure the house against the certain death on their heels like the hounds of hell.
   She wished she could speak; but the rot invading her skin eroded her vocal chords. While she had a strange connection with those who were like her, allowing access to their minds, she couldn’t communicate with humans.
   This was supposed to be a rescue mission. It was an easy in and out trip. Reports had come in about three members of a family hiding in a nearby barn. Her team was sent to bring them in safely.
   But, here they were, about to get their heads squished.
***

I hope you enjoyed that little peek into my book.

What are you working on? How's your NaNo going?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo