Ten Random Facts about I Left My Brains in San Francisco

1.  There have been attempts by various groups to rename the Tenderloin district because the name means a chunk of meat.

2.  The building where Neeta and Ted stay is not a YMCA like in the book, but is a retail store.  I looked at it with Google Maps for an hour to get a good feel for the building.

3.  Before I could write I Left My Brains in San Francisco, I had to come up with the characters and episodes of Zombie Death Extreme—Bayou.  Some of that is on the website at http://zombiedeathextreme.com.  I think I may novelize it later.

4.  When Roscoe said Marcel was a cad, I had no idea how true that was.  I was VERY surprised at his behavior later.  I’m telling you—there are dark corners in an author’s mind.

5.  I originally intended to have a casino attack in this book, but it wouldn’t work.  I intend to write about zombies in Reno someday.

6.  The zombie attack when Neeta and Ted start dating is in “Wokking Dead” in The Zombie Cookbook.  It’s actually the first Neeta Lyffe story.

7.  For those who read Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator:  Remember the Cameron that Roscoe waxed poetic about in the episode where they faced animatronic zombies that looked loved ones?  That’s the Cameron Luke wanted to go see in Reno.

8.  Ted’s unusual family is a nod to Caprica, which was a short-lived Battlestar spin off.  One of the main characters was in a group marriage.  However, I have known people in California who are in “multiple” living together relationships; they just keep it on the down-low—hence, the “cousins.”

9.  I asked a biochemist and a geneticist to write Dunbar’s lines and told them to be as academic as possible. I love the results.  I also had chemical engineers help me with the refinery.  I love having brilliant friends with crazy imaginations!

10. Someone reminded me that in Mad Max, Thunderdrome used pig feces to produce methane to supply the town with energy and fuel.  I was not thinking of that at all, and in fact, had postulated that they were using something other than methane, which is too volatile for cars.

Find I Left My Brains in San Francisco at:

Damnation Books: http://www.damnationbooks.com/book.php?isbn=9781615727643

 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/Nzm01L (paper) http://amzn.to/OBBmkL (Kindle)

More about it at http://zombiedeathextreme.com

 

I Left My Brains in San Francisco goes on tour!

I'm touring I Left My Brains in San Francisco all this month.  Check out these sites for some zombie and writing fun!

30-Sep http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/ interview 1-Oct http://apiusman.blogspot.com guest post 2-Oct http://apiusman.blogspot.com interview 3-Oct http://apiusman.blogspot.com review 4-Oct http://tributebooksreviews.blogspot.com Info 5-Oct http://www.kees2create.com.au/the-other-side/ Info 6-Oct http://virginiajennings.webs.com/apps/blog/ interview 7-Oct http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com guest post from neeta 8-Oct http://cookinwithmisshavana.blogspot.com/ guest post on how the story came to be & review 8-Oct http://www.writersfunzone.com/blog/ Writer's Fun Zone  ILMBISF 8-Oct tracysmorris.com guest post--writing plot or finding time to write 9-Oct http://virginiajennings.webs.com/apps/blog/ guest post--future tech 10-Oct http://lincolncrisler.info  guest post 11-Oct http://fabianspace.blogspot.com guest post from george or kim 11-Oct http://www.snoringscholar.com Twitterview 11-Oct http://www.freethewriterinside.com interview 12-Oct http://www.kees2create.com.au/the-other-side/ Interview 13-Oct www.rebeccaminto.blogspot.com Interview 14-Oct http://www.garywolson.com/blog/ keeping zombies fresh 15-Oct http://fabianspace.blogspot.com Fun Facts About NLZE2 15-Oct http://tmarquitz.com exclusive excerpt 16-Oct http://www.snoringscholar.com Review 17-Oct www.dennisauthor.com  info 18-Oct http://www.snoringscholar.com Guest Post--A catholic writes non-Catholic work 19-Oct http://www.kees2create.com.au/the-other-side/ Guest Post-Writing Tips 20-Oct http://michaelrwilsonfiction.wordpress.com/ Review 21-Oct http://michaelrwilsonfiction.wordpress.com/ Interview 22-Oct http://publottery.blogspot.com interview 22-Oct http://fabianspace.blogspot.com Zombie Make-Up tutorial 22-Oct thedeadwarseries.com Info-Neeta Lyffe 23-Oct http://potsnpens.blogspot.com/ recipe 24-Oct http://roxannebland.com guest post 25-Oct http://www.snoringscholar.com Review 25-Oct http://www.freethewriterinside.com guest post on zombies 25-Oct http://susannedrazic.blogspot.com/ Neeta Interview 26-Oct http://www.kees2create.com.au/the-other-side/ Gust Post-Marketing Tips 26-Oct http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com Building Neeta's World 27-Oct http://www.provozombiechase.com/ LIVE signing in Provo 27-Oct http://josephbspencer.com/blog interview 28-Oct http://www.suhalfwerk.blogspot.com/  Info,  29-Oct http://fabianspace.blogspot.com Shambling in a Winter Wonderland 29-Oct thedeadwarseries.com Info, ILMBiSF 30-Oct http://beccabutcher.wordpress.com interview 31-Oct http://www.writersfunzone.com/blog/ review 1-Nov http://fabianspace.blogspot.com/p/are-you-next-zombie-idol.html  Zombie Idol Contest Ends 2-Nov http://www.kees2create.com.au/the-other-side/ Review & Giveaway

My Novel's Journey--Interrupted again

So after a great start writing a new DragonEye novella, my writing came to a screeching halt to do some galley proofing for I Left My Brains in San Francisco, as well as get geared up for a book tour.  Reading through galleys can be a frustrating process, but having a good relationship with your editor or publisher makes it a lot easier.  I'm sure I drove Kim Richards nutty when I sent back my suggested changes--I even gave the e-mail the subject line "INCOMING!" if that gives you any idea. 

It also helps not to be shy, but to ask after things you feel are important.  I wanted some special formatting--nothing too extensive, but enough to give the impression of programs, marquis, "Tweets" (I made a new system called Blabber), and Kim was not only willing but enjoyed doing them--however, the requests I'd made in the manuscript had been deleted at some point in the editing process, and she didn't know I'd asked for them until she mentioned she was putting the e-book into formatting, and I asked her about them.

Close relationships like this is one of the advantages of working with a small press.  I Left My Brains in San Francisco comes out September 1st.  If you like e-books, I highly suggest getting it from the Damnation Books website that day, as they do a special promotional the first day called variable pricing:  The first copy sold is free, and the price increases by 25 cents for each copy afterward until full price is reached.  That's the first day only.  I'd LOVE to see my book get to full price before the day's end.

Let me leave you with an excerpt.  (Please note the full scene is longer):

Survival Hardware hadn’t seen such a rush of customers since the last Armageddon prediction coincided with Black Friday. 

Manager Clint Sanders rubbed his hands with glee.  Oh, Marley, if only you hadn’t gotten drunk and decided to go zombie hunting.  Was it only last Christmas? 

He hurried to Customer Service, crafting an announcement in his mind.  “You want to live!  We want to live!  That’s why you are going to file calmly to the back if you need a suit.”

Yeah.  Sense of urgency, plus that “We’re in this together” crap.

He got to the counter and nodded at Bitsy, who had rung up a chainsaw and a half-crate of bleach.

God bless survivors. Clint continued to the back.  Out of habit, he checked the exit door, even though it was always locked from the outside.  He needed to delete Marley's old code from it.

He cleared his throat.  “Listen up!  You want to live!  We want to live!”

The exit door clicked.

“That’s impossible!” he declared.  The store fell silent. 

“Boss?” Bitsy’s voice ended in a squeak.

“That’s not what I meant!  Security team to customer service!”

He reached under the counter for a shotgun.  Bitsy grabbed the chainsaw.  They had filled them that morning—another example of the excellent service at Survival Hardware.

The door swung open, and the zombiefied remains of his late business partner, Marley, staggered through.

Clint to blasted him with the shotgun.  The impact knocked the Marley out the door.

Clint used the gunsight to scan the parking lot.  “He brought friends!  Call Nine-One-One.  I’m putting this place on shutdown.”

“Screw that!  I’ve been prepping all my life for this!”  With a howl of challenge, Bitsy dashed out the door.  She swung low and decapitated her former boss before moving on.

Thundering footsteps signaled the customers following in her wake.

He gaped at the carnage while Dirk called 9-1-1.  It’d be too late by the time they got there.  All that’d be left was to clean up the zombie parts and get the customers back in to pay.

God bless survivors.

Need your opinion: Which Blurb Makes You Most Want to Read Neeta Lyffe 2

One of the important things writers learn quickly is that it's not just about the manuscript.

Last Wednesday (after pre-loading a blog about the rotten week I'd had), I got the excellent news that Neeta Lyffe 2: I Left My Brains in San Francisco was accepted by Damnation Books. YAY!  *snoopydance*

I can't believe I found this. 

Well, that wonderful news took two days out of my Gapman writing, as I filled out forms for the cover artist, wrote the dedication and acknowledgements (with a few tears, since this is the last book my friend Walt Staples ever critted for me), cut excerpts down to size and wrote the back-cover blurbs.

Now, I seek your help.  I've got six blurbs from what I hope are four different angles.  I asked some trusted authors to narrow it down to three, and pass these on to you, dear readers for evaluation.

Please vote on the one that would most make you read the book.  I'll do a drawing from the comments and send the winner a copy of Neeta 2 when it's out in September.  To win, you must leave me a way to contact you--even a website with a contact page. (Last contest I did, several "winners" lost out because I had no way to find them.)

To make it more fun, you get one chance for your vote, one chance for your comment about why you'd chose it, and one chance for any critique you offer on your choice.

1. Zombie problem? Call Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator.

But not this weekend. She’s on vacation to an exterminator’s convention with her partner and boyfriend Ted, looking to relax, have fun, and have a little romance. Too bad the zombies at the Give Back Underwater Memorial Gardens and Fish Preserve have a different idea. When they rise from watery graves to take over the City by the Bay, it looks like a working vacation after all.

2. Zombie problem? Call Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator...but not this weekend.

On vacation at an exterminator’s convention, she's looking to relax, have fun, and enjoy a little romance. Too bad the zombies have a different idea. When they rise from their watery graves to take over the City by the Bay, it looks like it'll be a working vacation after all.

Enjoy the thrill of re-kill with Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator.

3. 2047. Zombies are pests, fuel is made from feces, and the rich and famous pay to become fish food.

Zombie exterminators, Neeta Lyffe and Ted Hacker, travel to San Francisco for a zombie convention, a little sightseeing and some romance. But when the fish-food celebrities rise from their watery graves to attack San Francisco, their “working vacation” takes on new meaning.

It’s chainsaws, undead, and romance in this second novel by satirist Karina Fabian.

**Manure-based fuels are important to the plot, but based on feedback, I'm wondering if this helps overcome the repulsive gross factor.

4.  2047. Zombies are pests, cars will soon run on crap, and the rich and famous pay to become fish food.

Zombie exterminators, Neeta Lyffe and Ted Hacker, travel to San Francisco for a zombie convention, a little sightseeing and some romance. But when the fish-food celebrities rise from their watery graves to attack San Francisco, their “working vacation” takes on new meaning.

It’s chainsaws, undead, and romance in this second novel by satirist Karina Fabian.



I'll announce the winner next Thursday.  Thanks!

My Novel's Journey: Neeta Lyffe 2 is Done!

Today, I sent Neeta Lyffe 2: I Left My Brains in San Francisco to my publisher at Damnation Books.  This book had some challenges, as you know if you've been reading, but as I read it for the final time (backward, no less), I found I really enjoyed it with the changes.  So, while I don't have a lot to say this post, I do want to share the lesson I learned about getting critiquers/beta readers:

1.  Get a wide range of your audience.  It was interesting that the women who read the story liked the romance element and saw Neeta as sensitive and strong, while the guys saw her as weak and whiny.  If I'd only had women crit this, I would not have seen the flaw that would have turned off a big part of my audience.

2.  If doing a series, get readers who have read the previous book, and some who have not.  This was vital for knowing not only that my characters stayed within expectations for those who knew them, but that I explained the world well enough that those who are picking up this book first can understand it well enough to enjoy the story.

3.  If the book isn't right, don't rush it.  Rework and send it out again.

My novel's journey: Multi-genre week

This was me last week.  I'm still working on plot cards for Gapman, and writing when I don't have plot ideas coming.  I also did another sweep of The Old Man and the Void because my SF crit group, Tharsis Tuus, has revived after a long hibernation.  I'm trying to get ahead in all my June blogs so that I can take vacation, as well.  Fabianspace, DragonEye, and Rocket Science for the Rest of Us will continue to have posts.

Mostly, however, I've been in the read-aloud edits for Neeta Lyffe Zombie Exterminator 2: I Left My Brains in San Francisco.  This one has a strong romantic element because Neeta and Ted get together at last; unfortunately, they are both kind of dancing around the fact that they love each other, and Neeta is also suffering from insecurity from the trauma of chopping Bergie's head off in Zombie Death Extreme.  The result was, I inadvertently "committed chick lit."  The women understood where Neeta was coming from, but the men thought she was annoying or out of character.  I thought I'd fixed it in the last round of edits, but Rob let me know that I still had not gotten the chickness out the book.  Fortunately, he's the kind of guy who can say, "Here is where you're going wrong.  Try this..."  So guys, rest assured, you will not be reading chick lit, and you can thank Rob Fabian, Dough Davidson, Lee Mather, and Walt Staples for it.

In other news, it's my birthday, and I feel like giving you a present.  The first five people to go to my website, pick out a book and e-mail me using the comments section will get an electronic or print copy, their choice, depending on if I have them in my home stock.

My Novel's Journey: Editing Neeta 2

Yes!  Finally!  I have recovered from the conference, finished my workshops, sent the Catholic school calendar manuscripts (my annual assignment) and cut my to-do list to 77!  That means I could edit Neeta Lyffe 2: I Left My Brains in San Francisco!

I had a very interesting reaction from my critiquers concerning Neeta 2.  The ladies loved it, and the guys didn't, even after I fixed the romance.  Obviously, I didn't do enough; the guys still thought Neeta came off as weak and not just troubled.  The ladies who critiqued, however, seemed to get that.  It was a very interesting to see the dichotomy there.

However, I don't want this to be a chick book, so I've spent the past few days "buffing" Neeta up.  There's a new opening chapter where she shows her stuff against a zombie (and where we see a little about why she and Ted are good together.)  However, for the rest, I was able to change a few reactions, add a little thought process, and show a little more of Ted's good qualities. (Aside from being laid back and funny.)

Next, I mapped out all the scenes in order to make sure my pacing was good and that I had enough clues woven in ahead of time.  I may do this again in more detail, but for this time, I just concentrated on zombie appearances, documentary and clues to the climactic invasion.  As a result, I am moving a couple of scenes around and am adding another documentary entry by Gary Opkast. I tried to keep the clues subtle enough to keep folks wondering while clear enough that people would get it when the characters do.  I think I'll have to go back and add a couple of other clues, though I might drop them into conversation instead of another documentary.

Overall, though, I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed re-reading it, even after letting it sit a month and mulling over the manuscripts many problems.  I feel pretty confident that with some concentrated effort, I can have this polished in a week or two, maybe while starting on Gapman as well.  I'm not sure the multitasking will hold up, but I do know I need to get back on a schedule after a long break of obsessive project work.