Snow White and Zombies is out!

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

It's available at Smashwords now! And you can talk about it on Goodreads.

I know some people like to buy directly from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or iTunes, etc... If Snow White and Zombies isn't already available at your preferred site, rest assured it will be there soon. Smashwords says it usually takes a week to show up. With The Fairy Tale Trap it took a couple of days. With Cinderella and Zombies, it took two weeks. I know--I'm frustrated, too.

Cinderella and Zombies

Cinderella and Zombies

available now

Get it at Amazon or Smashwords

(in any e-format)

$2.49
Direct from author

(MOBI, ePub, HTML, PDF)

"More than anything, King Richard feared the zombie outbreak. Now, they neared his palace with every passing day, in growing numbers. One thing was clear to the King: his son must marry a zombie-killer."

What happens when you take a classic fairy tale and add a few zombies to it? Cinderella goes from being a pretty-faced pushover to being the best zombie-slayer in the kingdom. But will that be enough when she's decked out in a ball gown and glass slippers? 

Fear of Genre Hopping - Fairy Tales and Zombies?

You may or may not have noticed the updated 'Sample Chapters' page. I've included a link to Cinderella and Zombies, which is due to come out later this spring. This book is WAY outside my comfort zone. I didn't even think I liked zombies a year ago.

There's a scared little voice in the back of my head that keeps telling me that people aren't going to like Fairy Tales + Zombies. Or that the people who loved The Fairy Tale Trap are going to hate my zombie fairy tales and never read my work again. (Have no fear. I'm still working on The Fairy Tale Twist. I promise.)

But should I really let those concerns keep me from writing something new?

I hope to be the kind of author that readers want to be curious about. What will she come out with next? If my readers don't LOVE everything I write, that's okay

Maybe I'll write the time travel romance that keeps swimming around in my head. Maybe you'll hate it. If that's the case, I hope to have the kind of readers who will say, "She's better at fantasy. I'll stick with those."

I think I'll always keep coming back to YA fantasy. That's where my heart is. But I also want to branch out. I want to write stuff just for fun, because I hope other people will also think it's fun.

So. If you think there's a chance that you'll like Cinderella and Zombies, please read the sample chapters. If you like them, leave your email in the comments on the sample chapter page. When the book comes out, I'll email you a coupon for a discount on Cinderella. It's a thank you for trying something new.

Will You Like My Books?

I think it's high-time I answered this question. My books aren't for everyone, so you shouldn't waste your money if you're not going to like them.

My books are all about a spunky sense of fun. If you like strong, smart heroines (or characters that are so dumb, you laugh at them and wish they'd bite the dust already), you'll probably like my books.

If you like fantasy and magic, but done in a new way, you'll like my books.

You'll like Ivy Thorn (The Fairy Tale Trap, The Fairy Tale Twist) if you're looking for a light, fun read that will keep you rooting for a character in an impossible situation. If you like fairy tales, and modern, relatable characters, Ivy's books are for you. The Ivy Thorn series is quick-paced and funny, with a nice helping of fairy tale magic.

You won't like the Ivy Thorn series if you're looking for great literature with complete grammatical perfection. Also, you should know that the series is written in first-person present, which irks some people (though I have converted a few). If you like stories that take their time and explore various aspects of life, this series isn't for you. Also, you should know that these stories (like fairy tales) don't have many subplots.


Fairy Tales and Zombies (Snow White and Zombies, Cinderella and Zombies) are short novels, with a very different style from Ivy. Since everything takes place in the 16th century, the language is a little more adult. But that's okay, because the themes have more of a grown-up feel to them. These stories have death and zombie slaying with a touch of humor and a dash of fairy dust.
These books are for you if you 1) love zombies 2) Want face-paced action and 3) Want to see a fairy tale in a completely different light.

You won't like my Fairy Tales and Zombies books if you're expecting the constant quick, witty reparte that Ivy brings to the table. There's some humor, and the characters will banter, but that's not the focus of the book. If you hate reading about castles and knights and princesses in ballgowns, you probably won't like these books. (Of course, the princesses will often slay zombies, so that might make things more interesting.)

Finished a Book? Congrats! Now Do it Again.

Before I start, if you're not participating in WriteOnCon, why not?!

That said, I finished my book!

Roses and Mirrors has been done for a while. (This is the book about a sarcastic teenager that gets stuck in a fairy tale. You may have heard of her. Her name is Ivy Thorn and she is awesome.)

I jumped into the query process as soon as I was finished. I blogged about it not too long ago, about how I thrive on rejection and all that happy-sounding stuff. The truth is, rejection really is great. It's the gap of silence between sending the query and hearing a response that is absolutely maddening.

Seriously. And some agents tell you: If we decide to pass, you won't hear back from us. At all.

Really? REALLY? You can't send me a polite form rejection?! How will I know when to stop hoping for a reply? (I know, I'm pathetic.)

But I digress...

Now that I'm done with Roses and  Mirrors, and it's been sent out into the world, I'm moving on. My next book is completely different. That's right, I've gone from fairy tales to zombies.

But before you roll your eyes and say, "I don't like zombies," you should know that this isn't true horror, it's not gross for the sake of gross, and it's not totally far-fetched. This is a character-based story with a strong, witty voice (if I do say so myself) about a guy who happens to struggle with zombism. (If that's not a word, I will take it upon myself to coin it and spread it around the world because it is an awesome word.)

So, I'm working on this book, and when I say "working on" what I really mean is nailing down my premise and researching and building structure so my novel has something to stand on. I'm geeking out over all the cool little facts on biology and pathogens and parasites and neurotransmitters and especially the way the brain works, but I know that very little of it will be in the actual book. Because, let's face it, most people are not as dorky as I am.

But I have to know this stuff. I have to know exactly how my zombies work, where they came from, and--most importantly--where their weaknesses are.

The toughest part about this process is having the ideas and possibilities swirl around in my head. I can't possibly use all of them and I'm not even sure which ones will work.

So my muse is a little crazy right now. My creative side takes a back seat while logical me builds a playground. Creative Muse gives input, but it's about as much input as a kid gives to his dad for how he wants his tree house to look. It still needs to be safe and functional.

That's right. No chocolate milk fountain. :(

Getting A New Novel Idea ... Zombies

One night during conference weekend, I was trying to fall asleep, when I heard one of those voices in my head. A new character. A new story. I heard the opening to a book I never thought I'd write. A zombie book.

Not being one to take lightning for granted, I wrote down the 150 words or so. Lightning struck twice. Three times. More and more. (I didn't sleep much that night.)

Over the rest of the weekend, even more until I had layer upon layer of conflicty goodness.

Since I was at the conference with a master of zombie writing, Jonathan Maberry, I talked to him about it. He said the idea was really good, and to his knowledge, hasn't been done before. (Wow)

I'm building it, all while working on getting Ivy ready for submission. I'm enjoying working on both. They're in such different stages, I don't feel like I'm spread too thin. The books are so different, they don't blend together.

So there you have it. Be on the lookout for my new zombie book. I'm pouring everything I've got into it.