I am calling this a rousing success and thus will be having another book giveaway with the next issue of Niteblade in September

The September 2007 issue was the very first issue of Niteblade and I have learned so much since then but I’m happy to say that the quality of the work we featured then was as fantastic as it is now.

If you’ve not read the September issue I strongly recommend taking some time out to do so. Some of my favorite stories from issue #1 include Shine On, Whispers and, of course, the cover story, Dark Angel. If you’re more in the mood for poetry be sure and check out Hall of Shadows and Cut at the very least.

Don’t forget we’re giving away an autographed copy of S.G. Browne’s novel Breathers. Every comment left on/in Issue #8 will count as one entry for the draw and every purchase of a .pdf will count as five entries. I’ll be making the draw on July 1st.

I think it looks phenomenal. BD did a fantastic job on the web version and Jo kicked butt with the .pdf. We’ve got a very strong line up of poetry and stories combined with Marge’s fantastic artwork. It doesn’t get much better than this…but wait! There’s more!

We are giving away an autographed copy of BREATHERS by S.G. Browne this month too! Every comment left on/in Issue #8 will count as one entry for the draw and every purchase of a .pdf will count as five entries. I’ll be making the draw on July 1st so there’s lots of time for you to wrack up entries.

Enjoy!

I loved this book. Not only does Breathers have zombies it’s funny, romantic and has something to say. Mostly it’s just a lot of fun to read and I devoured it.

While at the World Horror Convention, S.G. Browne signed an extra copy of Breathers for me, and I will be giving it away to a lucky Niteblade reader.

The table of contents for the June issue of Niteblade, Of Warmth, Of Dragons, has been finalized and it’s going to be a great one.

Of Warmth, Of Dragons by Michael R. Fosburg
Untitled by Greg Schwartz
Blood Brother by Angel Zapata
Breathless Reunion by Ann K. Schwader
Brain Cookies by Kaolin Fire
Family Jaunt by Lucien E. G. Spelman
He Wanted by Stephanie Smith
The Price by Michael R. Fosburg
These Trees Outside the Window by John Grey
Dead Hands Claw by Anthony Bernstein
Keepsakes by R. J. Walker Miller
Work of Horror by Noel Sloboda
Brad Pitt Sells You His Doppelganger’s Home by Philip Coffeen

The Empty Crib at the End of the World by Beth Cato
A Night With Grimes by Bret Jordan
Cemetery Pet by Marge Simon
Rocky Road and a Dead End by David Flint
The Strawman and a Murder by Jeff Menapace
Monsters by Stephen Graham Jones
Whipped by Paul Ingrassia
Dream Spinner by Robert E. Keller
The Never Fair by Kenneth Schneyer
Giant Killer by Howie Good
The Parts of Justice by Gavin Hughes
Behind Blue Eyes by Sharon Kae Reamer
Copperheads by Catherine Brown

Amber Stults reviews The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
Kari Wolfe reviews Unabridged, Unabashed and Undead: A Collection of the Best Zombie Short Stories by Eric S. Brown

The online version of the June issue, like the March issue before it, will take the form of a wordpress blog. However, during the month of June any comments left on the blog will be considered entries into a draw for the signed copy of Breathers. Also, purchasing the .pdf version of the June issue will be considered five entries into the draw. A winner will be chosen on July 1st from all the entries.

So a great line up of stories, poems and book reviews, plus a chance to win a signed copy of a fantastic zombie novel. Niteblade is totally the place to be this June! Mark the first on your calendar, you won’t want to miss this.

At the World Fantasy convention it was my pleasure to meet S.G Browne and hear him read the first chapter of his novel, BREATHERS. Happily, when I asked if I could interview him for this blog, Scott said yes.

I’ve really enjoyed reading your flash fiction on your Live Journal, in particular “Oh Say Can You See…” and “Zombie Gigolo”. Can your fans expect more zombie-themed flash in the future? Will any of them feature characters from BREATHERS?

There will definitely be some zombie-themed posts on my Live Journal blog or on the Undead Anonymous web site, though whether they’ll feature characters from the novel other than Andy remains to be seen.  The “Zombie Gigolo” piece is actually the opening to my entry into the Gross Out Contest at WHC in 2008.  It’s a little more graphic and gritty than the narrative in BREATHERS.

Speaking of BREATHERS, I’ve got to ask, how nervous are you about Breathers? Speaking as someone who has been lucky enough to hear you read some of it, I’m sure it’s going to be a smashing success, but I can’t imagine your insides are in much better shape than Andy’s as you wait to see what’s going to happen.

I vacillate between oddly calm and completely freaked out.

So, why do you write about zombies?

Because I dream about zombies chasing me and I find it thrilling.  Not in a necrophilia sort-of-way, but in the adrenaline rush kind-of-way.  They’re creepy supernatural creatures, without the erotic allure of vampires or the masculine, bestial appeal of werewolves.  They’re also tragically comical.  There’s this humanity about them, about who they were before they became the living dead, that I find amusing and compelling.  Which is essentially why I wrote BREATHERS.

We’ll assume your favorite character from BREATHERS is Andy, so who is your second favorite character in BREATHERS? Why?

Jerry, a twenty-one-year-old zombie who listens to rap music and wears his pants halfway down his ass.  I like Jerry because he’s a bit of a goof and he has no filter on what comes out of his mouth, but he has a good heart and he says “Dude” all the time.  My favorite word is “Dude.”J

Oh my god, I love the word dude. I say it all the time (my friends even tease me about it). It seems very cruel that I need to wait until tomorrow to read this book! LoL One of the things I love the most about BREATHERS is that your zombies are sentient but decomposing. How is it that you are so knowledgeable about things like sloughage and decomposition rates?

Isn’t everyone?  While I was writing BREATHERS, I realized that in order to add some visceral reality to my decomposing protagonist and the mythology I’d created, I had to do some research.  I wanted to ground my story with enough details to offset the liberties I’d taken with zombie physiology.  While I cannibalized some facts about human decomposition from an on-line article by Dr. Trisha Macnair, I have to give special props to Mary Roach, author of STIFF: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, from whom I learned about sloughage, cadaver impact testing, and that up until 1965, necrophilia wasn’t a crime in any U.S. state.

Historically, zombie movies and stories have often been used to make political statements and social criticism. Does BREATHERS have a deeper meaning, or is it pure entertainment?

Initially, I just wanted to write a story where the reader would empathize with the zombie as protagonist, even when he gave in to his instincts.  It was an angle on zombies I’d never seen done before — a dark comedy about a reluctant zombie learning to cope with his new existence in a society that reviles him.  While there is an underlying theme about racism and prejudice, that was never the driving force behind BREATHERS.  It just naturally evolved out of the story.

A little birdy (meme) told me you used to work for Disney. What did you do?

I worked post-production for a company that made all of the TV spots and theatrical trailers for all movies Disney, including Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures. I started out as a driver and left as an assistant producer after two years when I realized working 60 hours a week left little time for writing. Or having any kind of a social life.

Did you ever meet anyone famous?

I met Kevin Costner in 1990 while we were cutting spots for Dick Tracy. He asked me if we were working on the Dick Tracy campaign and before I realized it was him, I answered, “Yeah,” then was too stunned to follow up with anything else. That was it. That was the extent of my reply. One word. Four letters. One syllable.

What’s this I hear about BREATHERS being made into a movie?

Well, it just so happens my film agent also represents Diablo Cody, so one thing led to another and the next thing I know, Diablo Cody and Mason Novick, the writer and director of JUNO, are on board to co-produce the film version of BREATHERS, with Geoff Latulippe adapting the screenplay. Fox Searchlight bought the rights and suddenly my book is on the front page of the Daily Variety. I scrubbed out my toilet the next day just to keep some perspective.

If your fans want to meet up with you in person, what conventions should they plan to attend?

I’ll be attending the World Horror Convention in Winnipeg, April 30-May 3, as well as the HWA Stoker Weekend June 12-14 in Burbank, and the World Fantasy Convention in San Jose, October 29- November 1.

Thank you so much for taking time to answer my questions Scott. Good luck with BREATHERS, I’m sure it will be a roaring success. See you in Winnipeg

Scott’s Website –> http://www.sgbrowne.com/
Undead Anonymous –> http://www.undeadanonymous.com/