I’m curious where the idea that the zombies could only eat brains came from. No other organs or body parts? Just brains?
Well, first off, I’m definitely in the “zombies eat brains” camp as opposed to “zombies eat people/parts” simply because I’ve tended to classify “undead creatures who eat people/parts” as ghouls and not zombies. But the main reason MY zombies eat brains is because of how I came up with the idea for Angel the Zombie. As you probably already know, I used to work as an autopsy assistant. Part of that job included helping with removal of organs (including the brain) so the pathologist could then examine said organ and take samples to be preserved in formalin
for closer examination later. Anything left of the organs after sampling was then put in a large trash bag, which would then be properly disposed of along with other medical waste. Well, one day we were finishing an autopsy, and as I was placing a nearly intact human brain in the bag, I gave a mock sigh and said, “Awww, think of all the poor starving zombies.”
And that’s how I decided to write about a zombie who worked in a morgue!
You really did an amazing job writing about addiction. What kind of research did you do for this?
Honestly, the majority of my “research” was from my time working in law enforcement. I was a street cop for several years, which gave me ample opportunity to see the realities of addiction, how it affects EVERY spectrum of society, and how it takes more than a “Just Say No” attitude to overcome it. Moreover, I’ve had people close to me struggle with alcoholism, and have seen first hand the kind of rationalizing and defensiveness that’s common. And, of course, working with the coroner’s office allowed me to see the brutal and sad consequences of addiction.
How was the narrator selected for the series? Were you involved with that? She’s excellent.
Allison McLemore was hired by Audible without any input from me, but OMFG she absolutely NAILED Angel. I was pretty worried that whoever they hired would do the kind of “southern accent” that people who aren’t from the south think is an accurate southern accent (southerners will know exactly what I’m talking about!) But I can’t gush enough about how amazing and awesome and perfect her narration was. And, apparently, voicing Angel got her other narration jobs, so win-win all around!
We all agree we love this series so much! Is there any chance you would write more in this world? Perhaps a novella in an anthology or something.
I loved writing Angel’s story, but I feel like I left her at a good place. That said, I keep noodling with the idea of writing Pietro’s origin story. There’s definitely a lot that could be mined there.
Do you have any other writing plans?
About a decade ago I wrote the first three chapters and synposis of a mystery/thriller that hints at possible fantasy/supernatural aspects, but also has a very unreliable narrator. The chapters and synopsis were very well received by several of my peers, but then Life took a couple of hard left turns, and I set that book aside to focus on Life (as well as finishing my two exisiting series.) However, I recently pulled those chapters and my notes out, found that the story and concept did not suck, and will be diving back into that world quite soon.
Games:
The quote for Who said “Are you telling me you want to use gators as backup?” is Sorcha.
The villain was Dr. Charish.
Be sure to enter the giveaway!!!
Grand-Prize Giveaway:
For a US winner, this will be a full set of paperbacks offered by DAW Books.
For an Intl winner, it will be $50 certificate from Better World Books. The giveaway is international, as long as Better World Books ships there free of charge (find that out here!)
Schedule:
We are doing one book every 4-5 weeks, posting on Fridays. We will have a review for most of the books with the team here at Books of My Heart plus some of our friends.
Jan 19: My Life As a White Trash Zombie – Jen @ That’s What I’m Talking About
Feb 16: Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues – Carole @ Carole’s Random Life
Mar 15: White Trash Zombie Apocalypse – Brandee @Unconventional Bookworms
Apr 19: How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back – Rachel @ Waves of Fiction
May 17: White Trash Zombie Gone Wild – Kimberly @Caffeinated Reviewer
Jun 21: White Trash Zombie Unchained – Kai @ Fiction State of Mind
Jul 14: Q & A with Diana Rowland
About Allison McLemore
Actress: The Fairies’ Child. Allison McLemore is known for The Fairies’ Child (2015), The Vacation (2005) and Recently, Long Ago (2014).
About Diana Rowland
Diana Rowland worked as a bartender, a blackjack dealer, a pit boss, a street cop, a detective, a computer forensics specialist, a crime scene investigator, and a morgue assistant, which means that she’s seen a lot of weird crap. She won the marksmanship award in her Police Academy class, has a black belt in Hapkido, has handled numerous dead bodies in various states of decomposition, and can’t rollerblade to save her life.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- 🎧 Death at the Sanatorium by Ragnar Jónasson @ragnarjo#SamWoolf @MinotaurBooks @MacmillanAudio #LoveAudiobooks - September 12, 2024
- 🎧The Swimmer by Loreth Anne White @Loreth @rebabuhr #BrillianceAudio #LoveAudiobooks #KindleUnlimited - September 10, 2024
- 🎧The Brothers Kenney by Adam Mitzner @adam_mitzner #StacyCarolan @librofm @BlackstoneAudio #LoveAudiobooks - September 8, 2024
So good to hear she is going to have more books hopefully!
yes! I was excited about it since it’s been a good 5 years or so since she has published a new book. I think COVID derailed a lot of people though.
Fun to discover how Angel’s story came to be. Great questions and, great answers. 🙂
Thank you Sophia. People in the Read-along contributed to the questions.
I enjoyed this series so much! I want to know how much science research was done – the parasite “mythology” is so impressive! Thanks for the interview and read along!
Thanks Jen. I was so happy to have you join us!
I really enjoyed this read-along! I love hearing how the story came about and how Rowland’s life experience informed her writing. I’ll miss Angel! Thanks again for hosting, Anne!
Thank you Rachel. I was so happy to have you join us!
Fun!!!
yes! I enjoy learning more about the author when a series has become a favorite.