Hell in a Handbag, Book 2
Horror, Zombies, Urban Fantasy
Date Published 03-01-2022
Publisher: DLG Publishing Partners
Dying is anything but rosy. I wake with Caleb at my side. Having someone next to you during the zombie apocalypse is always a comfort until he explains a mysterious illness almost finished the job of the undead and ended my life.
It can always be worse, and it is. Outside the fortified High Point Inn, the zombies keep coming, there’s turmoil within the ranks, and my best friend, Lilly, has been kidnapped.
I slept through it all. Sure, I was suffering from an unknown malady, but that’s no excuse.
Unable and unwilling to sit in bed, I develop a rescue plan. As soon as I’m recuperated, Caleb and I are off into the wilderness to find Lilly.
Zombies, I expect. The other surprises nearly send me to the grave again. Some days, it’s hard to face the ugly truth, but I realize that not every monster is evil, and not every human has a soul.
Hordes of zombies, mysterious illnesses, and the death of friends. Now there’s a kidnapping. How much can one woman take?
Interview with Lisa Acerbo
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
I’ve always loved horror novels and movies. I devoured Stephen King's books in my teens and was lucky to meet George Romero in 2016. That’s when I decided to really dig into the zombie genre.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
I wanted to do a mash-up of zombies, vampires, and romance. While I succeeded in the first book, Apocalipstick, my second novel, Blush of Death, expands themes such as struggling to remain human when surrounded by evil. Also, I wanted to expose readers and characters to all the emotions of the apocalypse from boredom, fear, hate, and love, to name a few.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
The hardest part of writing Blush of Death was the pacing. My two main characters meet in the middle of the book and for the longest time, I didn’t know how to get them to that point. It took a short story and a lot of revision to find a way for Jenna and Eric to meet up.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I enjoyed watching my characters grow and develop. In Apocalipstick they are older teens and twenty-somethings. Now they are all adults whether they want to be or not. The apocalypse doesn’t allow otherwise.
Were there alternate endings you considered?
I had the ending planned before the book was written. Being the second book in a trilogy, the characters had to reach a specific destination to start the third book. At the end of Blush of Death, Jenna and her friends arrive back at the High Point Inn expecting a warm welcome. What they get is very different.
Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
I worked on revisions during COVID-19 and it was interesting to hear pandemic stories. My daughter works at a medical center and the information she told me about ended up in Blush of Death when explaining the origin of the virus. I also teach at a high school so things like masks, hand washing, and online learning ended up as little details in the exposition.
What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
I love horror stories, science fiction, and romance. That’s likely the reason I also enjoy writing mashups. I find it hard to stick to a single genre.
About the Author
Lisa Acerbo enjoys teaching high school and is an adjunct at local community colleges in Connecticut. She is a graduate of the University of
Connecticut where she earned a BA in English Education. When not reading, writing, hiking, drinking coffee or wine (depends on the hour), she spends her time with her husband and three rescue dogs.
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4 comments:
Thanks so much for being part of my book release!
Great interview, thanks for sharing
The book sounds very interesting. Great cover!
Congratulations on your release of Blush of Death, Lisa, great interview and I enjoyed following the tour and learning about your book, which sounds like a shiver inducing, thrilling read for me to enjoy! Good luck with your book and I hope the tour was a success! Thanks for brining it to my attention and have a sunshiny day!
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