Book Signing at Beyond Comics in Gaithersburg, Maryland, 16 June

I will be signing copies of Rotter World (as well as my other books and anthologies) from 1:00 to 4:00 PM on Saturday, 16 June, at Beyond Comics on 18749 B North Frederick Road in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  Please swing by and check it out.  I'll have some good swag to give away.  And I'll have a prize for the first two people who buy all four of my books.

Meeting a Monster Legend

I'll be posting later this week about Crypticon.  Until then, please check out my posting on Enjoying the Apocalypse: The Permuted Underground on my meeting Ricou Browning at the convention.  For those of you who are not Monster Kids, Mr. Browning played the Creature from the Black Lagoon. 

A Hopping Good Review of Rotter World

Suzie of Bunnysreview.com agreed to review Rotter World in place of the original blogger on the tour who had to cancel due to technical difficulties with her computer.  But she only agreed to read it if I included photos of my own rabbits to accompany the review.  Suzie (and thankfully her rabbits) enjoyed Rotter World, stating: "If you have read any of the Resident Evil books or watched the movies you will love this book.  The only thing different is that this book has a lot more details.  If you love blood and guts then this is the book for you."

 You can read the full review (and see more photos of my rabbits) here.

All Gave Some, Some Gave All

This Memorial Day, please be sure to remember all the men and women, many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice, to keep us free. 

Heading Out to Crypticon

I'm heading out tomorrow morning for Crypticon in Seattle to join my fellow Permuted Press authors at the convention.  I hope to see some of you there. 

Two Awesome Reviews of Rotter World

I was really fortunate today to get home and find that two excellent reviews of Rotter World had been posted online.

The first is by Peter Schwotzer of Famous Monsters of Filmland. Peter writes: What sets this book apart from the usual zombie/vampire trope that is being published today is Scott’s ability to breathe real life into his characters, human and vampire alike. Even minor characters that you barely get to know before they are killed are fully realized and life-like. That is what I like most about Scott’s fiction, his innate ability to write characters that I come to care about. Make no mistake, this book is brutally violent and frightening, with enough gore to appease even the most fanatical gore hound.  The world has ended, it has been overrun by flesh eating zombies, you have to have violence and gore. But it never seemed that Scott used the gore and violence unnecessarily, it always seemed to me to fit in the story arc beautifully.

You can read the entire Famous Monsters of Filmland review here.

The second review is from Wickedly Bookish which writes:  Rotter World is a stomach churning, heart-pumping, zombie killing extravaganza.  A true feast for the zombie in you....  Rotter World is very much a book that spares no detail when it comes to graphic gore. 

You can read the entire Wickedly Bookish review here. 

Letting a Monster Kid's Creativity Soar

Please check out my latest blog entry on Enjoying the Apocalypse! The Permuted Underground:  "Letting a Monster Kid's Creativity Soar," which is a tribute to my parents for allowing me to be an imaginative kid.

Sunday Bunnies

Yes, I know this is not a rabbit.  But I thought the picture was worth it.  I had accidentally left the top open on the bird feeder when I went out, and when I got back the squirrels had eaten it clean.  This guy was sitting in the feeder and eating the dregs from the bottom.  I doubt the birds got any of the seeds. 

BLOG TOUR: DAY EIGHT

My blog tour ends today with a farewell visit to Tea and Book where another excerpt from Rotter World is posted.

Because of the technical glitches on day six that prevented one of the reviews of Rotter World from being posted, other reviewers have stepped up and agreed to review the book.  Of course, I'll link these reviews once they are posted. 

I've had a wonderful time this week, and hopefully have made some new fans.  My thanks to all the bloggers who hosted me this week, and to Innovative Online Tours for arranging the event.

BLOG TOUR: DAY SEVEN

If you like to just sit around and read, then please drop by I Just Want To Sit Here and Read! this afternoon where an excerpt from Rotter World has been posted.  It'll make you jump out of your chair.

Updated Panel Schedule for Crypticon

Below is the updated schedule for the panels I'll be sitting on at Crypticon next weekend (25-27 May) in Seattle.  The times have not changed, but now I have a list of my fellow panel members.  In addition, the Permuted Press authors will be having a Q&A session or will read from their novels throughout the weekend; the times for those events will be posted later.  (My apologies to any author whose website/blog I couldn't find to post.)



Are You Ready for the Zombie Apocalypse?

Friday, 25 May, 10:00 PM

Are you ready for the zombie apocalypse?  How do you plan to survive?

Scott M. Baker (moderator), Tony Faville, Julie Hoverson, Satyros Phil Brucato, and Lorelei Shannon

******

The Universal Monsters and Their Forms Through the Years

Saturday, 26 May, 11:00 AM

The early years of Universal horror helped shape the look and feel of the most iconic images in horror.  Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon.  Let's talk about why they still matter.

Tony Kay (moderator), Scott M. Baker, T.C O'Reilley, William Bivens, and Mark Rahner

*****

Zombies: Why the Fuck Won't They Die?

Saturday, 26 May, 3:00 PM


The subject pretty much says it all.  Why, when not much has changed with the zombie, do tey persist in popular culture?

John Skipp (moderator), Scott M. Baker, Craig DiLouie, Gareth Wood, Derek M. Koch, Rick Reeves, and Mark Rahner

BLOG TOUR: DAY SIX

Today's scheduled blog tour stop had to be canceled because of technical difficulties.  However, if you haven't already, please check out the reviews of Rotter World on All Things Writing, my guest blog on Rea's Reading and Reviews, and the interviews on Wonderland Review and Wickedly Bookish.

BLOG TOUR: DAY FIVE

Today I have a wicked pissah (that's Bostonian for "great") time being interviewed by Wickedly Bookish on zombie lore and on being a geek.  Wickedly Bookish is also offering a give away of a paperback and an electronic edition of Rotter World.  Please be sure to sign up for your chance to win, and to read the interview, here. 

BLOG TOUR: DAY FOUR

Rea of Rea's Reading and Review was kind enough to host me today as a guest blogger.  The subject: "Zombies -- the New Vampires?"  (Come on, guys. What else would I talk about?)  There is also a giveaway of a paperback copy of Rotter World to a U.S. winner and an e-book to an international winner.  Please click here to read the blog and enter for the free books. 

I also have something else in common with Rea besides a love for reading and fantasy.  Rea notes that her life is ruled by a bossy bunny named Bruce.  With four rabbits of my own running around the house, led by my diva Ruby, I can relate.  Good luck, Rea. 

BLOG TOUR: DAY THREE

Today's host is Reena Jacobs' Ramblings of an Amateur Writer who posted a promotional add for Rotter World as well as an excerpt from the novel.  As an added bonus, Reena is giving away to a U.S. or Canadian fan an autographed copy of Rotter World as well as an e-copy to an international fan.  Please drop by and enter to win.  And good luck. 

Why I Prefer Monster Movies Over Chick Flicks

Granted it's a rather unusual title.  It's my first entry on my new blog: Enjoying the Apocalypse! The Permuted Underground.  I co-author this blog with several other Permuted Press authors that include Lane Adamson, Thom Brannon, Jessica Miegs, and Christopher and Patrick Williams. 

So if you're looking for a humorous take on romance and horror movies, please drop by and check it out here.  And be sure to look around and get to know the whole stable of us zombie writers. 

BLOG TOUR: DAY TWO

Today I drop by Wonderland Reviews where I am interviewed about Rotter World and my experiences as an author.  In addition, they've also posted an excellent review of the novel, giving it a 3.5 rating.  The reviewer noted that I "definitely didn't skimp on the gore" and added: "If you are in the mood for some kick butt action scenes full of gore and blood as bodies are ripped apart and zombies are plowed through, and somehow people manage to find a way to fall in love, then this is the book for you."  (I consider that high praise).

The interview and entire review can be read here.

BLOG TOUR: DAY ONE

Today is the start of my week-long blog tour.  The first stop is All Things Writing which posted an epic review of Rotter World.  This review is a double first for me.  Not only is it the first time a reviewer has issued a warning to heart patients and pregnant mothers to use caution when reading my work, it's also the first time anyone has publicly commented on my sex scenes.  You can check out the review here.  And, if you comment on the posting, you'll be eligible for their giveaway.

Be sure to drop by All Things Writing for their other reviews and guest blogs.

Mother's Day Version of the Sunday Bunnies

To all the mothers out there, you have the toughest job in the world.  Thank you for doing it so well.

[NOTE: No rabbit photos today on account of Mother's Day, so my guys get a break for a week]

I Was Hitler's Prom Date

No, that's not a confession.  And it's not the title of my next short story, although that would be an epic concept.  Nor is it a cheap ploy to jack up my Google hits.  It was part of a conversation I had with a friend that made me laugh, but also got me thinking.

Let's call my friend Sandy.  She's a colleague who I've known for more than ten years.  During that time, we've often been there for one another, listening while the other blows off steam about work, former or current spouses, or whatever the bitch of the day might be.  The past couple of months she has gone through some truly emotional times between a family crises (her father suffers from advanced Alzheimer's), a new management dynamic at work that has dramatically increased the stress levels in her office, and a seemingly endless bout of stomach viruses and colds that tag teams through her family like Ebola through a monkey house.  Thursday was a bad day for Sandy because the oldest kid in the house, her husband, came down with the stomach bug and kept her up all night complaining about being sick.  I was telling her that everything would be all right, and she just needed to have faith and stick it out, and that the bad times pass.  Sandy replied: "I know, but it seems never to end.  Sometimes I feel like I'm being punished for sins committed in a past life.  Nothing bad, like murder.  Just something minor that I did that associated me with bad karma, like being Hitler's prom date." 

So where am I going with this?  Bear with me.

Two nights prior to that, I was on the phone with my dear friend Alison complaining about having to drive that Friday afternoon to another building to meet with some very important people to help build our working relationship with them.  I was pissing and moaning that this meeting was mostly a team building exercise and wouldn't be that productive, and then I'd have to drive home through traffic.  Alison let me finish, asked if I wanted any cheese with that whine, and then kicked me in the butt, partly out of friendship and partly out of admonishment (mostly the latter).  She asked if I had ever had to tell a mother that her baby was delivered stillborn, or would not survive the next few hours?  (Alison has because she is a maternity nurse.)  Of course, I said no.  She told me to be grateful for all that I have.

And I should be very grateful because I have a lot.  I have my health.  I have four pets who I love dearly and who are an endless source of comfort when I get lonely.  I have family and many friends who love me and would do anything for me.  I have an important job where I'm respected by my colleagues, am given a lot of responsibility, and my managers are begging me not to retire next year.  And I'm published, and I know there are a lot of aspiring authors who would line up to hit me with a hardcover Stephen King tome if they heard me complain about that.  When my two biggest complaints are I'm finding it hard to find the voice for my young adult novel and marketing is hard, I need to nut up and shut up.

So after I post this, I'm going to dive back into that novel, figure out what's bugging me about it, and fix it.  Then I'm going to give the rabbits treats and play with them for awhile. 

So the moral of this posting?  Put things into perspective.  There are things worse then being Hitler's prom date, like being his wife.  Ask Eva Braun.

Reminder of the Blog Tour Beginning This Sunday

I just wanted to remind everyone that beginning this Sunday, 13 May, and running through the 20th, I will be on a blog tour to help promote Rotter World.  There will be some cool content (a guest post, two interviews, and two reviews) plus a book giveaway at every blog.  Every day I'll post a link to the latest blog stop.  Please be sure to participate.  

Received My Panel Schedule for Crypticon

Heard today from the organizers of Crypticon who provided me with the panel schedule.  Not only will I be sitting with my fellow authors on the Permuted Press panels, but I'll also be sitting the following:

Friday, 25 May, 10:00 PM
Are You Ready for the Zombie Apocalypse?

Saturday, 26 May, 11:00 AM
The Universal Monsters and Their Forms Through the Years

Saturday, 26 May, 3:00 PM
Zombies: Why the Fuck Won't They Die?

This is going to be an awesome event.  If you're in Seattle that weekend, please drop on by.  How many times do you get a chance to see so many great zombie authors all in one place?

Sunday Bunnies

What a hangover.  Too much carrot juice last night.

A Relaxing Celebration

Celebrating the release of Rotter World and the acceptance of "The Last Flight of the Bismarck" in the Machina Mortis anthology with a good bottle of wine (thanks, Zombie Zen), a good Cuban cigar (thanks, Dude), and my favorite t-shirt (thanks, Joy Killar of Zombie Fiend).

May Is Zombie Awareness Month

According to Zombie Research Society, May is Zombie Awareness Month.  I plan on doing my part by sitting in front of the television all month and staring mindlessly at a stream of zombie movies.

Shattered Ravings, Living Dead Media Reviews of Rotter World

On 1 May, Matthew Scott Baker (no relation - we just share an epic name) of Shattered Ravings posted a review of Rotter World that called the novel "brutally brilliant, a masterpiece of rib-shattering, intestine-tearing magnitude" and rated it alongside J.L. Bourne's Day by Day Armageddon and Max Brooks' World War Z. 

On 30 April, Living Dead Media also posted a review of Rotter World.  They called it "an excellent horror novel" and "an amazing story with a weird and wonderful set of ideas." 

Please check out both websites and the reviews.