Where Monsters May Be Lurking

One of the things about writing a novel about zombies and entering the horror scene is that you start to see things a little differently.  When you look around your community, you wonder what it would be like to fight a battle against a zombie horde in various locations.  You also start to wonder where monsters may lurk.  For example, I saw this door today and wondered just what kind of monster might be under construction behind it.

Zombie Nanofiction - The Hand

THE HAND

Something dead was in the middle of the street. It had attracted a whole murder of hungry crows. They were pecking at it, screeching at each other, and fighting over it. It was a human hand. I looked around for a human. But, no one I saw fit that description anymore.

I fought back my bile. I didn't tell anyone. Karen was driving. Vijay was in back desperately trying to stop Charan's bleeding. I kept my finger indexed along the slide. I kept my muzzle pointed down. We needed to reach the hospital. If there still was one. 

A murder of crows - Photo By liz west from Boxborough, MA (murder of crows) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Horror Discovery - Horrid Lore

One of the cool things about writing and promoting a book is the connections you make to other people and their interesting projects.  As I've spent time on Twitter promoting Zombie Complex, I've been exposed to other horror efforts.  One of those efforts is a Horrid Lore.  If you are looking for spooky, scary, and creepy stories to listen to at night, you should definitely check them out on Youtube.

Here is their shortest effort.  It's a creepy clown story called Percival!  Give it a listen, subscribe, and check out all of their work.

I really liked this story.  I thought the story was good, narration was creepy, the production values were good, and the story length was just right.

First Review for Zombie Complex - FOUR STARS!!!

Every writer, actor, or artist eagerly awaits reviews of their work.  I recently received my first review for my first novel Zombie Complex.  The reader gave the book four stars and wrote - Worth the read.

Took a gamble and the price was right at 97 cents. The pace of the story was good and the plot interesting without being predictable. The main character had faults in that he was a "chunky monkey" and certainly not in the best of health or fitness. An absorbing sub-plot with the cultural differences within the complex residents. Healthy dose of humour helped the flow of story. Kept me entertained and that is all I require from a book.

I'm really very glad that the reader enjoyed the book and found it entertaining! I appreciate that the reader took the time to leave a review.

Zombie Flash Fiction - Waiting

Waiting

Jeb decided that the world was going to need more butter beans.  That's why he spent all morning putting up extra poles, stringing lines between them, and laying out a half-dozen rows for planting them.  He had a bucket full of pole beans ready to plant.  But, it was hot and Jeb was an old man.  He needed to sit for a spell.  That's why his house had a front porch with built in ceiling fans.

Myra had made him some lemonade.  She was a good woman, but she was nervous wreck.  It was a good thing she had plenty of preserves to put away.  It kept her busy and stopped her from speculating about the news out of Atlanta.  The latest news from up there just didn't make any sense.

Earlier in the week, all the government officials and medical experts were confident that they could simply round up and treat all the crazy people.  It was a disease they said.  They were telling folks not to shoot the afflicted.  But, Betty had said the afflicted were out trying to bite people.

"Y'all just need to get in your van and come on down to the homeplace," Jeb remembered telling her on the phone.  "Just round up Robert and the kids and you drive on down here as fast as you can."

Jeb didn't really take to Robert.  He was a trifling husband who needed a haircut and a real job.  But, Betty said they were coming.  Now, there was nothing to do but sit on the front porch swing, look down the road, and wait.  Jeb wiped the sweat from his brow and had a sip of lemonade--a nervous sip.

[For the next Chronicle of Jeb story, read "Something You Oughta Know."

Zombie Nanofiction - Daily Scrum of the Dead

Alright Spike, what did you do yesterday that contributed to this supply sprint?

We brought in 12 cases of bottled water from the drug store.

What were your obstacles?

About four dozen biters in the store and a pair of bandits outside.

What are you going to do today?

Go back, load up more supplies, get Tanya, make sure she's really dead, bring her home, and bury her.

Do you see any obstacles or impediments today?

Well, our team is short one member and we know one of the biters now.

The Little Knife You Need for the Zombie Apocalypse: Mtech USA MT-20-14 Series Fixed Blade Neck Knife

Knife Review:  Mtech MT-20-14 Fixed Blade Neck Knife

In an emergency, it's good to have a knife close by.  You can use a knife for self-defense, utility purposes, cutting ropes, or preparing food.  That's why I recently picked up the Mtech USA MT-20-14 Series Fixed Blade Neck Knife.  At only 6 1/2-inches overall length, it's a small blade to carry concealed or stash away in a vehicle.

Mtech USA MT-20-14 Series Fixed Blade Neck Knife atop paperback book

What You Get

The box from MTech contains the knife, nylon sheath, and a ball chain (like you'd use to wear a hanging badge in an office building).

Knife Dimensions

This is a very small fixed blade knife.  The stainless steel blade is 3-inches long and the handle is 3-inches long.  The sheath adds an extra half-inch.  The knife can be worn around the neck and can be concealed beneath a shirt.  However, it would probably show through a Tee Shirt.

Knife Construction

The blade is made of 440 stainless steel and the handle is nylon fiber injection molded.  While the Amazon advertising copy says that the lanyard loop on the handle could be used as a glass breaker, it is made of hard molded nylon not metal.

Knife Price

This knife sells for less than $10 online.  At that price, it's a good value for the money.

Knife Effectiveness Against Zombies

I'm not sure that a knife this small would be useful against zombies.  It doesn't have the length or weight to lop of a head.  But, jabbed into a temple, eye, or throat, this little knife would probably do the trick.  It's definitely sharp enough and pointy enough to do some real damage or kill an assailant.  Ergonomically, the knife has a grippy handle that I can get three fingers around.  It also has a guard to help prevent the users hand from slipping down onto the blade during combat.

If you are using a knife this small against a zombie, it is way too close for comfort. This is for use in those desperate last moments with a zombie is trying to chomp down on you. But, it is small and quick to deploy.

Conclusion

This knife is definitely a last ditch weapon.  But, it looks cool and it is very affordable.  Overall, I'd give it five stars based on the value delivered for the money.