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:
Tour Organized By:
1 comments:
You had me at zombies.
Post a Comment