Review + Interview: State of Infection By Michael J. Frey @Zom_Novel_Frey @RABTBookTours #Giveaway

State of Infection
By Michael J. Frey
Sci-Fi / Horror
Date Published: March 6, 2014

Blurb:

Just months before the Battle of Central Park and the onset of the Second Civil War, President Obama declares martial law in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as Montoya’s encephalopathy spreads. Despite the military’s best efforts, the government falls and Manhattan is reborn as a city-state under a military dictatorship. Survivors Mike Calaf, and Avalon Calendar struggle to survive, caught between the zombies and the new ruler of New York. But long before the zombie infection, during the First Civil War, Doctor William Jackson (of the Confederate States of America) is trying to unravel the mystery behind this strange new sickness. He knows that if Complex P fails to work, there could be devastating consequences which might influence the future of mankind.

  

Excerpt:

The Second Civil War began with the arrival of a fleet of ships from the Southern Federation. The ships anchored off Pier 86, in the Hudson River, and the soldiers poured out, organizing along the West Side Highway. Not since the Battle of Fort Washington in 1776, has Manhattan been invaded. No one was prepared. The Southern Federation moved quickly at first, with minimal opposition. No, it's not Robert E. Lee leading the group this time around, but they definitely had their act together.

Panic spread fast. The exodus of survivors still grows as the war is picking up steam and intensity. Some are heading north to the Bronx, while others are going east to Roosevelt Island. The one place evacuees aren't going is Liberty Island, which is a dumping ground for dead zombies; a place where corpses are incinerated and disposed of by the soldiers of Gallum City. Could there be a shittier job? I mean what do you have to do wrong to get assigned disposal and incineration duty? Those poor souls must have forgotten to salute someone pretty important, and judging by the constant billowing of smoke from Liberty, they don't get much rest.

As for me, I too am on the move. My stomach is empty, and as Avalon might say, I look rougher than ten miles of dirt road. Her real name is Jessie; Avalon is her TV name, Avalon Calendar. If you lived in NYC before the ZA, you probably know who she is.

Author Interview:

What inspired you to write State Of Infection?

A dream, or maybe it was a nightmare about the zombie apocalypse in New York City. I woke up with some ideas for a story and began to write. At first, I thought it would be a short story, but it kept going and became a novel.

When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I started writing for fun around age 15, when I went on a trip throughout Europe. I was inspired by the British and French countryside and I think that was the bug that first got me started. At first I wrote were very bad love poetry about a girl named Alex. Looking back at those blue-black notebooks filled with pencil-written poetic gush just makes me laugh…but it did the trick (in terms of winning Alex over).

What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

Not sure how old I was, I got a late start in school. I had a hard time reading at first and had a learning disability which put me behind. But I eventually caught up and learned to love reading. One of the earliest books I remember reading was Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

In fiction I read Sci-Fi and Horror. In nonfiction I like anything about the Civil War or World War II. Also enjoy good biographies very much.

What is your favorite book?

#1 favorite book of all time would have to be The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

Stephen King is my favorite author. Why, cause his work is so entertaining…some of his work. He puts out so much of it. King is the textbook definition of a writer, and has an immensely prodigious output. I guess when you create that much prose, they can't all be winners. In truth, I have put some of his books down, unfinished (ex: Lisey's Story). Others have kept me thoroughly entertained and have very much influenced my writing (ex: Cell).

If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

I would have to travel back to 1864 to witness the re-election of Abraham Lincoln and the conclusion of the American Civil War.

When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

Writing State Of Infection was very easy writing. It poured out of me. Short stories always take longer (per page) and poetry is the hardest to write and requires the most editing for me.

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

We have two dogs, Shetland Sheepdogs, named Maddy and Monty. They are very much like our children and sometimes get more attention than our two human offspring.

What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

I love food (unfortunately). My favs are spaghetti with marinara sauce, Chinese food (especially from Shun Lee Palace in NYC) or a tender, juicy steak (especially from Spark's Steakhouse in NYC).

Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

Write for pleasure first and foremost. Grammar is important. No one will take you seriously if your grammar stinks. If your grammar does stink, consider a refresher by way of a book (ex: The Elements Of Style) or online course. Even if you have the greatest novel in the history of the world, no one will publish it if you don't use proper grammar. I could never begin to call myself a grammar expert but I will suggest a few basic concepts that are very important to creative writing. First, begin sentences with subject noun before the verb, making meaning early (if at all possible). Use strong verbs. Try to avoid words ending in -ing. People are often confused about sentence length and what is appropriate. I think long sentences are fine but you should consider mixing them up with short sentences. That way it's not boring or hard to read. For more technical areas, keep sentences short. When proofreading your work, always read it over twice. Once out loud, once to yourself. All writers have heard the expression, 'Kill your darlings.' After your first draft is completed, go through the manuscript and kill off all extra, unwanted words. Also try to avoid using the same word over and over again. Keep "same" words separate by at least one paragraph if possible. Also if at all possible, reject all cliché sentences. I Hope you enjoy State of Infection and thanks for reading this blog.

My Review:

I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.

An infection the Montoya's encephalopathy is spreading across the US like wildfire. Killing lots and lots of people and turning them into zombies. Mike Calaf is stuck with his friend Kenny's girlfriend Avalon Calendar in his apartment in New York. Avalon tries day after day to reach Kenny on her cell phone but for some reason which is probably because he is now a zombie she can't seem to reach him. Mike had a girlfriend before the zombie apocalypse came to town but he hasn't seen nor heard from her since the apocalypse swept through town. Mike has secretly like Avalon for a long time now and is not too disappointed that his girlfriend is not there with them. Mike wants a relationship with Avalon but she is just not quite ready to give up on Kenny just yet. But that doesn't stop Mike from trying though.

With the spread of the apocalypse there are a couple of people who want to take over as the leader of the people. So now the country is on the brink of a second civil war. Each of these two guys wants to control everyone and everything. He is in the process of gathering up a group of people to live with him on Roosevelt Island. He offers them food and gold among other things as payment for living on the island and working for him.

I loved the new twist on the zombies and how the infection spread. I liked that the book kept going back to the first civil war and that there was an outbreak of the zombie infection back then. Back during the first civil war people were getting sick and dying afterwards they would turn into zombies. The book would go back and forth between the present day and the first civil war trying to find a cure for the infection. I can't wait for the next book to find out what Mike does with his life and where he goes. There was twist and turns all the way through the book that left you with a fantastic cliffhanger at the end. Not that that is a bad thing no I would say that was a good thing. There is one thing I can say about the ending it definitely left you wanting more. And when a book can do that now that is one great book or at least I think so. If you like zombies and the apocalypse then State of Infection is one book you need to check out.

About The Author:

Michael Frey is a physician and assistant professor in New York City. He has been published numerous times as a short storyist and poet, but this is his first zombie novel. He lives in New York with his wife, two children and two dogs.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Organized By:

Read More

Audio Books: Daughters of Zeus By Kaitlin Bevis @KaitlinBevis @GHBTours #Giveaway

Title- Persephone
Series- Daughters of Zeus Book #1
By- Kaitlin Bevis
Genre-YA Paranormal

Blurb-

There are worse things than death, worse people too.

The "talk" was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they're a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn't until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth. Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life.

                    

Excerpt - Persephone

Playlist - Persephone

I don't listen to music while I write, and I'm really not a music person. I like songs, but they don't inspire me to write. But...every now and then, sometimes years after the book has been written, I'll hear one and I'll think "wow, this really fits." So I've made a list of a few of those. Full disclaimer, I'm not a music person. Never have been. So if my song choices feel completely wrong to you after reading the book, please suggest some, lol.

1) A Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds to Mars
"It's a beautiful lie
It's the perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful it makes me..."

This song makes me think of Persephone because that's what her life was at first. A beautiful lie, but reality was starting to shine through the cracks, making her feel that while her life was perfect, she didn't belong in it.

2) (Don't Fear) The Reaper by the Blue Oyster Cult
Yeah there's no point in even pulling a quote from this one because the title says it all. This song might as well be Thanatos' theme song. At least for book one. He spends so much time trying to convince Persephone not to be afraid of him or his Reapers. Also, the song is creepy if you think about it, so it fits.

3) Magdalena by Perfect Circle.
I bear witness
To this place, this prayer, so long forgotten
So pure
So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess

Really it's just the fact that thing song mentioned a goddess that made me think of it.

4) Into the Night by Santana
"Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell,
It was love from above, that could save me from hell,
She had fire in her soul it was easy to see,
how the devil himself could be pulled out of me,
There were drums in the air as she started to dance,Every soul in the room keeping time with
there hands,
And we sang."

My friend actual suggested this song, and when l listened to it, I was thrilled with how well it fit. It reminds me of the scene at the Brumalia festival wen Persephone and Hades are dancing.

4) A Lifetime by Better than Ezra or Last Kiss by Pearl Jam
"Allie woke up 8AM
Graduation day.
Got into a car,
And crashed along the way.

When we arrived late to the wake,
Stole the urn while they
Looked away,
And drove to the beach
'Cause I knew you'd want it
That way.

And you were standing
On the hood of the car
Singing out loud
When the sun came up.

And I know I wasn't right,
But it felt so good.
And your mother didn't mind,
Like I thought she would.
And that REM song was playing
In my mind.
And three and a half minutes
Felt like a lifetime"

The only thing about these songs that makes me think of Persephone is the mood they evoke. Seriously, listen to the whole song (either one), read the lyrics and try not to cry. I feel like Orpheus sang something like this to plead his case to Persephone and Hades.

5) Age Aint Nuthin by a Number
Obvious reasons on this one. So obvious the title says it all. Age is a major point of contention for Hades and Persephone, as it should be.

6) Alive by P.O.D
Sunshine upon my face
A new song for me to sing
Tell the world how I feel inside
Even though it might cost me everything

I, I feel so alive
For the very first time
I can't deny you
I feel so alive
I, I feel so alive
For the very first time
An' I think I can fly

This song makes me think of the way Hades feels about Persephone.

8) Bring Me to Life by Evanescence
"Frozen inside without your touch
Without your love, darling
Only you are the life among the dead"

This song makes me think of what happened after Orpheus went public and all the dream stuff with Boreas. Sorry, it's really hard to describe while this fits without spoilers, lol.

7) Demons by Imagine Dragon
There is *so* much about this song that fits that I'd literally have to paste the whole song here. I feel like it perfectly captures that jaded sense that the older gods in my series have, and the driving need Hades has to protect Persephone from him but his unwillingness to lie to her that ends up drawing her to him. This is really more Hades' anthem for the whole series, because it takes him awhile to get past what this song describes.

10) Roar by Katy Perry.
I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess
So I sat quietly, agreed politely
I guess that I forgot I had a choice
I let you push me past the breaking point
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything

You held me down, but I got up
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, your hear that sound
Like thunder, gonna shake your ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready cause I've had enough
I see it all, I see it now

Persephone started the book shy, and easily pushed around but by the end of the first book she'd grown much more confident in herself and her abilities and she fought back. There's a lot to this song that doesn't fit, but the basic attitude of it fits.

Title- Daughter of the Earth and Sky
Series- Daughters of Zeus Book #2
By- Kaitlin Bevis
Genre-YA Paranormal

Blurb-

Some vows can never be broken.

Persephone thought she could go back to her normal life after returning from the Underworld. She was wrong.

The goddess Aphrodite is born among the waves with more charm than she can control. Zeus is stalking Persephone and her loved ones, and Thanatos is no longer content with Persephone's silence.

He wants her soul.

Persephone can't tell anyone about Thanatos' betrayal, and it drives a wedge between her and Hades. Her mother is still keeping secrets, and Melissa's jealousy of Aphrodite threatens to tear their friendship apart.

Alone, Persephone turns to a human boy for comfort. But will their relationship put him in danger?

Sacrifices must be made, and Persephone must choose between her human life and her responsibilities as a goddess. If she doesn't, she could lose them both.

But will either life be worth choosing once Zeus is through with her?

                    

Excerpt - Daughter of the Earth and Sky

Playlist - Daughter of the Earth and Sky

I don't listen to music while I write. For whatever reason I'm just not inspired by it. I like it, it jus doesn't make me write. Once I've had some time and space from my book I can listen to songs and go "wow, that makes me think of this character or that scene. So some of these songs came out after publication.

1) Barbie Girl by Aqua
This song makes me think of Aphrodite. It fits her character and her character's creation on
so many levels. Not getting into the lyrics because they make me sick.

2) Everybody's Fool by Evanescence
"look here she comes now
bow down and stare in wonder
oh how we love you
no flaws when you're pretending
but now i know she

never was and never will be
you don't know how you've betrayed me
and somehow you've got everybody fooled

without the mask where will you hide? can't find yourself lost in your lie

I really can't get into how perfectly this describes Aphrodite and Persephone's relationship without getting into spoilers, but it does.

3) Clarity by Zedd
"Walk on through a red parade and refuse to make amends
It cuts deep through our ground and makes us forget all common sense
Don't speak as I try to leave 'cause we both know what we'll choose
If you pull then I'll push too deep and I'll fall right back to you

'Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn't need Chasing relentlessly, still fight and I don't know why

If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy? If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?"

This song makes me think of what Hades is to Persephone. Her life is falling apart and nothing makes sense, and he is the only thing in her life that's clear but she has to push him away.

4) Evil Angel- Breaking Benjamin
"Put me to sleep evil angel.
Open your wings evil angel.

A-ah.

I'm a believer,
Nothing could be worse,
All these imaginary friends.
Hiding betrayal,
Driving the nail,
Hoping to find a savior.

No, don't
Leave me to die here,
Help me survive here.
Alone, don't
Surrender, surrender."

This song makes me think of Thanatos in the second book, or at least how Persephone feels about him. It's creepy, and dark and it sounds angry.

5) If I Could be Like that by 3 Doors Down
If I could be like that (like that)
I'd would give anything
Just to live one day
In those shoes.
If I could be like that (like that), what would I do?
What would I do? yeah

This song and the next one make me think of Melissa. She wants *so* badly to be different, and special, more like Persephone, but she can't ever say that and never will. She's convinced herself that she's not jealous. But her sense of control in her life is slipping away and it's eating away at her, and she takes it out on Persephone.

6) Anything but Ordinary

To walk within the lines
Would make my life so boring
I want to know that I
Have been to the extreme
So knock me off my feet
Come on now give it to me
Anything to make me feel alive

Is it enough to love?
Is it enough to breath?
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
Is it enough to die?
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be anything but ordinary please
I'd rather be anything but ordinary please.

7) Girls just wanna have fun by Cindi Lauper
The title says it all. This song makes me think of when Aphrodite and Persephone are hanging out together, just having fun.

8) Savior by Rise Against
That's when she said I don't hate you boy
I just want to save you while there's still something left to save (whoa, whoa)
That's when I told her I love you girl
But I'm not the answer for the questions that you still have (whoa, whoa)

Just those lines, even if you ignore the whole rest of the song, describe pretty much all the self-doubt both Hades and Persephone feel toward each other.

9) Long Way Down by the Goo-Goo Dolls
"Almost human but I'll never be the same."
This song makes me think of Persephone because she spirals so much in this book and
she's trying so hard to find her place.

10) Breaking Inside by Shinedown
"I don't want to live another day
Underneath the shadow of mistakes I made
'Cause I feel like I'm breaking inside
I don't want to fall and say I lost it all
'Cause baby there's a part of me to hit the wall
Leaving pieces of me behind
Leaving pieces of me behind
And I feel like I'm breaking inside

I won't be the last one in line, I finally figured out what's mine."

This song just captures the way Persephone feels for most of the book.

11) Go your own way by Fleetwood Mac
"Lovin you
Isn't the right thing to do
But how can I ever change things that I feel?"

Had this song going through my head the entire breakup scene. Then again, I have this song in my head anytime I even hear the word breakup. Fleetwood Mac is kind of epic that way.

Title- The Iron Queen
Series- Daughters of Zeus Book #3
By- Kaitlin Bevis
Genre-YA Paranormal

Blurb-

Life is hell for Persephone. Zeus will stop at nothing to gain access to the living realm and the Underworld, and as the only living god with a right to both, Persephone's in trouble. Captured and tortured beyond the limits of her resolve, Persephone must find the power to stand against Zeus. But will she be strong enough?

Meanwhile, Hades contemplates desperate measures to rescue his queen. Persephone never thought of herself as dangerous, but there's a reason gods never marry for love. A being with the power to destroy all of creation shouldn't place more value in one individual than the rest of the planet. But Hades...Hades would break the world for her.

To save the world and stop both Hades and Zeus, Persephone must make a difficult choice. One that may cost her everything.

                    

Excerpt - The Iron Queen

Playlist - The Iron Queen

1) Sanctuary Utada Hikaru
"I watch you fast asleep,
All I fear means nothing
In you and I, there's a new land
Angels in flights,
My sanctuary, my sanctuary,
Where fears and lies melt away,
Music will tie
What's left of me,
What's left of me?"

You have to listen to this song to get it. Go to itunes, best .99 cents you'll ever spend. It's beautiful and haunting, and I can imagine it playing in library scenes because it becomes Hades and Persephone's sanctuary. That's what they are to one another. Another song that conveys that feeling is the next one

3) Heaven by Bryan Adams
"Baby, you're all that I want
When you're lying here in my arms
I'm finding it hard to believe
We're in heaven"

4) Here without you by 3 Doors Down
A hundred days have made me older
Since the last time that I saw your pretty face
A thousand lies have made me colder
And I don't think I can look at this the same

But all the miles that separate Disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face

I'm here without you, baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you, baby
And I dream about you all the time

Sad song about being separated from the one you love. It just seemed to fit Hades for this book.

5) You're Cute When You Scream
You know that you are worthless
And I am better than
The games that you play princess.
(I've played) and always win.

(I'll take my time)
To slowly plot your end.
(But now I will)
Spit bullets with my pen.

And all I know is you're cute when you scream.

Pretty much Zeus' worldview in this novel.

6) Carry On From the Sailor Moon soundtrack
So...don't judge me, but I spent most of my childhood obsessed with Sailor Moon, and I thought of this when I was writing a scene at the end involving gods swearing fealtly. Literally for this line, and this line alone

"Alone against my darkest fear but I sense my friends are near, I'll draw from each the power I need...."

Just because of the whole powers combining thing.

And that...is all I can think of. I'm not a music person. But I asked my fans, and I got the following responses of songs THEY thought of when they read Iron Queen. They are listed below.

7) A Thousand Years by Christina Perri

8) Found by The Letter Black

9) Keep Holding on by Avril Lavigne

10) Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips

11) My Immortal by Evanescence

Dream Cast-

I've put way more thought into this than I should. If Persephone gets picked up for a movie, I don't imagine I'll have much say and the ages might be wrong by the time it happens, but come on. Who doesn't imagine their books going to the big screen. I realize my choices aren't that realistic, some of my minor characters are dream cast as big league actors, but hey, this is a dream cast, not a realistic one :). In a perfect world...

I would cast Skyler Samuels to play Persephone . She was awesome in The Nine Lives of Chloe King and everything else I've seen her in. She definitely has the range to pull off the changes Persephone is going to go through during the series, and she looks the part.

Hades is tougher. I picture someone like David Tenant, the tenth Doctor, not for any reason in terms of description or attitude, but just because I love him. And authors get to meet the actors playing the parts of their characters, right? Honestly, he could be anyone in any of my books, up to and including Persephone. He's SUCH a good actor. You have to watch his version of Hamlet. He was incredible.

David Giuntoli from Grimm would also do nicely. I know, I never would have thought it either, but there's this one scene (he just figured out Juliette got scratched by THAT cat and is ready to tell her everything) where he gets this look on his face and talks so seriously, so ominously, that I literally jumped out of my seat and paused it so I could try to write down and describe every single thing from that moment because it was SO Hades, and I'd been working so hard to picture how he would look/act during a scene near the end of book two, and that was IT.And I know, both of those men are quite a bit older than Miss Samuels. I wouldn't want to cast Hades as a teenager (or in Holywood land, anyone between twelve and thirty) but I don't want him looking like a creepy old pedophile either.

I've been told by a lot of fans they picture Ian Somerhalder, the guy who plays Damon from the Vampire Diaries, and he absolutely looks the part, but for some reason, he's not what I picture. He'd be a better fit for Thanatos.

I would choose Holland Roden to play Aphrodite. She plays Lydia Martin in Teen Wolf, and she probably wouldn't want to play Aphrodite since she's almost the exact same character, but it would work so well because she nailed the part. Plus she's gorgeous, which is kind of a a requirement for Aphrodite.

I would cast Hailee Steinfield as Melissa. Look for her in Ender's me, she's a phenomenal young actress, and she's exactly what I pictured when I described Melissa. It's really a shame Melissa doesn't get more "screen time" in my books because she's one of my favorite characters. I kept trying to come up with excuses to get her in the book more, but it just didn't pan out. I had a similar problem with Cassandra. Loved the character, just don't need her all that often. Cassandra at let is likely to get her own trilogy with Helen of Troy. Speaking of Cassandra, I would cast her as Ellen Page, she's not who I pictured when I wrote the character, but that sarcastic, dry attitude she has in all of her movies fits Cassandra to a "T".

I have no clue who I would cast to play Helen of Troy. I don't know why it's harder to choose THAT "most beautiful girl ever" than it was to choose Aphrodite, but it feels like a lot of pressure choosing a Helen of Troy, lol. If I could time travel AND choose my perfect cast, I'd get Katherine Heigle from her Roswell days, because I remember watching that show as a teen and thinking she was the most beautiful person ever.

I'd cast Joel as Josh Hutcherson. He has that good natured, boyish, good guy vibe and that's very important to Joel's character.

I don't tend to cast the bad guys in my head. It just feels insulting to say someone would do a great job being...evil. And...I'm going to leave off most of the book three characters because I don't want to spoil which gods pop up in it :) But I'd be pretty happy with that cast.

About The Author-

Kaitlin Bevis spent her childhood curled up with a book, and a pen. If the ending didn't agree with her, she rewrote it. She's always wanted to be a writer, and spent high school and college learning everything she could so that one day she could achieve that goal. She graduated college with my BFA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing, and is pursuing her masters at the University of Georgia.

Her young adult series "Daughters of Zeus" is available wherever ebooks are sold. She also writes for truuconfessions.com and Athens Parent Magazine.

Facebook Events-
Blitz
Tour

Giveaway-

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More