Countdown to My Zombie Wedding Release - Day Six!

What would My Zombie Wedding be without...well, the wedding? Here's a short taste of Kit and Edward's special day.

It wasn’t an enormous wedding, at least in terms of the number of people attending—for which I was supremely grateful—but both Kit and I would be well represented.

While neither of us was the ‘bride’ or ‘groom’, we’d originally discussed my father walking Kit down the aisle—until my dad realized that would leave me standing, alone, at the front of the room with everyone’s eyes on me. Just the thought had made me break out in a cold sweat, so Kit and I had decided to walk up together. Let the marriage commissioner and Mariel stand there by themselves for a few minutes.

“Are you ready?” Kit asked.

“I’m ready.” And I was. I didn’t feel nervous—well, not more than my usual baseline nervousness whenever I have to perform in any way.

I held his hand and we walked down the aisle, past our friends and family. There were no zombies—or other undead creatures—besides the one I was marrying. And Boo, of course, who was pacing in his cloth-bedecked kennel.

Kit and I had written our own vows in secret, so we’d each hear the other’s for the first time during the ceremony. Some of the audience—the ones who didn’t know Kit’s secret—might have been a little confused by the portion of mine where I promised not to control him, but I’d never meant any words more in my life.

Learn more about the Undead Canadian Series here.

Last chance to save 15%

Last Chance - Subscribe to my mailing list for 25% off My Zombie Wedding

* indicates required

Email Address  *

First Name 

Last Name 

Day Five

Countdown to My Zombie Wedding Release - Day Five!

This is the story of how Edward’s ex-boyfriend, Bone, came to be. Back when the idea was to make My Zombie Boyfriend as a web comic, my wife and I wanted Edward to have an associate who worked in the morgue. Makes sense—necromancers need bodies. The web comic didn’t make it much past Edward resurrecting Kit—my fault—but we had a character design and even a few sketches for the proto-Bone (and another character, who, with slight modifications as to gender and relationship to Mariel, will be introduced in My Zombie Wedding).

Years passed. My Zombie Boyfriend demanded I write it, in novel form. The original manuscript was just over 50,000 words, and then I started publishing short stories and got distracted. By the time I was ready to look at it again, the publisher’s minimum word count for novels had gone up to 60,000 words. I needed to add...something. Lots of it.

Enter Bone.

I didn’t anticipate that he’d be such a fan favourite, but him getting such overwhelmingly positive feedback definitely helped shape his role in My Zombie Wedding—and it’s a big one. Bone fans, eat your hearts out. (Or you can eat one of Bone’s—he has two).

My wife and I knew from the beginning that Bone wasn’t human, or at least not entirely, but we never really fleshed out (heh) what he actually was.

I didn’t know. Bone wasn’t telling me. Typical. So I left it vague in My Zombie Boyfriend, and waited. Thought about tracking down my demonology book and seeing if anything jumped out at me.

After it had been published, my wife was rereading My Zombie Boyfriend when she pointed out something interesting to me—how Bone addresses Edward. I thought I’d had Bone call Edward ‘Ed’ consistently, mostly just to be a dick, but she noticed several key instances where Bone actually uses Edward’s full name. She thought I’d done it on purpose (which I wish I could say I had, but I can’t. She’s always finding these happy accidents in my writing). It made her think of the fey, and the importance of names—especially true names.

Speaking of true names: Bone tells Edward that his real name is Boniface but he hates being called that and prefers going by Bone, but that’s just a cover. In reality, the opposite is true—Bone (or rather, Bein, which is Bone in Icelandic) is his actual name, Boniface is just what he uses for show when it comes to humans.

So. I knew Bone was some sort of fey creature, but not what. That’s a big place to start. Before I got out my book on demonology or Faeries by Brian Froud (a book that scared me shitless the first time I read it as a hapless nine year old, when one of my mother’s ex-girlfriends gifted it to me, along with Gnomes and Giants. Probably warped my brain forever) I started writing My Zombie Fiancé and that took me in an entirely new direction—Icelandic magic.

Without giving too much away - you'll have to read My Zombie Wedding to find out exactly what Bone is - let's just say that guided me toward finally reaching an accord with Bone about what on Earth he is. We're both very happy, and we hope you will be, too. If you have a theory about what he might be before the book comes out, I'd love to hear it!

Learn more about the Undead Canadian Series here.

Subscribe to my mailing list for 25% off My Zombie Wedding

* indicates required

Email Address  *

First Name 

Last Name 

Day Four

Valentine Author Blog Hop - Giveaway!

It's Valentine's Day, and that means it's time to share the love! Make sure to stop by and check out all these other lovely authors. 

1.	Nicki J Markus / Asta Idonea ( Giveaway)	2.	Louise Lyons
3.	Anne Barwell	4.	Kelly Jensen
5.	DM Roberto	6.	Nikka Michaels
7.	Cauldron of Eternal Inspiration	8.	Drawing Love by Tully Vincent
9.	A. E. Wasp - new Veterans Affairs steamy short	10.	Hermit & Star Books
11.	Antonia Aquilante	12.	Layla Dorine
13.	T. Strange

Enjoy a short Valentine's excerpt from My Zombie Boyfriend!

Valentine’s Day.

I’d thought about buying Kit a box of chocolates. A teddy bear holding a heart. A dozen roses. A diamond.

I did none of those things.

Reminders of What Had Happened Between Us were suddenly everywhere, in the hearts and cupids decorating every surface. I felt as though, wherever I went, people knew Kit and I had slept together and were silently congratulating or judging me. Kit introduced me to a few of his classmates-cum-friends, and to my surprise, I liked them.

 I hoped they liked me, too, and I waited for that infernal day to end so Kit and I could get back to the comfortable awkwardness we had been living in since our night together.

My concentration in class suddenly tripled. I hadn’t realized how much I had been coasting since I had found Kit, or how much I had missed my professors’ praise. I felt like I was coming out of hibernation and seeing spring happening all around me, and it was corny as hell.

I didn’t care.

When we got home, Bone was standing on the sidewalk in front of my house, smoking and leering at pedestrians and drivers as they passed.

I hurried him inside before he raised too many questions from my neighbours.

Update

Hey guys! Just wanted to give you an update about where I'm at in terms of my writing.

I've gotten my rights back from Torquere Press, and I'm in the process of having my works taken down from distributor sites, so it's possible that some stories might not be available to purchase from a particular ebook store for a while.

Meanwhile, here's a sneak peek at the new covers! (Huge thanks to Kris Norris for reconstructing MZF's cover for me!)

Amber and My Zombie Boyfriend/Fiancé should be back up everywhere (except probably Amazon) within the next week or so. Because they're being self-published, I'm now free to give you the Undead Canadian series the way it was written—with Canadian spelling! That's right, along with the nifty new covers you'll also get a torrent of U's. I'm talking coloUr, moUld, neighboUr and more!* Additionally, the new version of MZB will include the first chapter of MZF as a sample.

My Zombie Cat and Mixup are going into a collection of Undead Canadian shorts—along with two previously unpublished stories—though that probably won't be available for at least another month. Char, Delphinos, and Lighthouse are also going to be released as a collection, along with a previously unpublished short story.

My other works are migrating to my erotica pen name, Lee Fisher, who will also be posting new stories.

If you'd like to keep track of important updates from me, you can subscribe to my mailing list! I won't send more than an email a month, if that, so don't worry about being spammed. You will get exclusive sneak peeks, giveaways, and coupons.

Thanks again to all of you for reading and being awesome!

*Please note: the text hasn't changed substantially in either book. I'm not going to say no if you want to re-purchase the new versions, but you're basically getting the same content

 

Important Announcement

As some of you may be aware, my publisher, Torquere Press, is closing. I am currently waiting to get my rights back, so I can republish my current works and continue publishing new ones.

If you were planning on purchasing any of my writing, I would ask that you wait until this change is complete—don’t worry, there’ll be an announcement!

My current plan is to self-publish the two existing Undead Canadian novels (and the upcoming one, My Zombie Wedding. I’ve almost gotten the first draft finished, guys!). I’ll be releasing the two Undead Canadian short stories—My Zombie Mixup and My Zombie Cat—along with two previously unpublished shorts as a small collection. Amber, Crossed Wires, and Lock and Key will be republished as stand-alone novelettes. Char, Lighthouse, and Delphinos will be published as a collection.

I’m also branching out—or maybe going back to my roots, to use another plant-based expression. Beginning with Belladonna, I will be publishing M/M erotica under the pen name Lee Fisher, so look for spicy reads coming at you.

I’m now offering freelance proofreading services—find out more here.

As for the other new projects I’m working on…we’ll just have to see where life takes me, and them.

Thank you for your patience, and thanks to all of you who’ve supported me and enjoyed my writing over the years. This isn’t an ending; it’s a new beginning.

I’ve just started a newsletter! Sign up here if you’d like to keep track of new releases, receive exclusive coupons and giveaways, and get sneak peeks of what I'm working on. 

Fanfic - You Don't Owe Me Comments

I've seen a lot of people lately with the attitude that, because they wrote fanfiction, they're owed praise from readers. Each and every single reader. 

As someone who has written (and read) fanfic for more than a decade, I completely disagree.

Do I leave feedback on every single fanfic I read? Honestly? No. 

Do I expect every single person who reads my fic to leave feedback? Hell no!

Do I try to leave at least a short comment? Do I love every single comment I get? Yes!

I don't bestow my fanfic upon the world and expect to be showered with gratitude. 

---

I write what I'm going to write, and oh happy day, at least a few people usually like it, and some of those people let me know they like it! And that's awesome—that's the way it should be. 

When is a Book Finished?

As an author, it's very satisfying to sit back and think, this book is finished. And it's very gratifying to share that information with readers and other authors, but it can be difficult to decide when to say a book is finished.

For me, when I get to the chronological end of writing a book, I usually have scenes I need to go back and flesh out, or write altogether.

After I've done that, the book still isn't 'done'. It has to go through my secret blend of editing before the manuscript even gets submitted to my publisher.

If the story is accepted, I wait until the contract is signed--just a sort of superstition of mine, I guess--and then I start telling people the book has been accepted. (Except for my wife. She gets told pretty much the instant I get the acceptance email!)

After that, the story is assigned to an editor, who does more--you guessed it--editing! Usually, the editor adds the actual words 'The End' to my manuscripts, because I don't like writing it until the story is done. Which it isn't to me, at that point. (So I'm glad I don't have to physically write it!)

During that process, I'll work with the cover artist to make my book look outstanding.

When the editor has made their changes and I've approved them, the manuscript gets sent to a proofreader, for another round of changes for me to go through. Then I get the final version to make sure everything's alright. If it is, I wait for the book to be released, and promote it to readers.

Finally, after the book's release, the book is finished, right?

It is. Except for continuing to promote it, reading reviews, doing interviews…

Basically, what I'm trying to say is…a book is never done.

My Zombie Boyfriend Cover Reveal

Title: My Zombie Boyfriend
Author: T. Strange
Publisher: Torquere Press
Length: 64, 000 words (Novel)
Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, M/M
Release Date: April 15th, 2015

Blurb: Edward Grey is a medical student by day, necromancer by night. He lives alone with the first zombie he ever raised, his childhood cat, Boo. Edward’s life is simple: studying medicine, training his necromantic powers with his mentor, Mariel, and having weekly dinners with his parents. When he finds a very attractive corpse in a park and brings it home to reanimate, he creates a sassy, free-willed zombie who believes Edward is the one who murdered him.

With no memory of his former life, Edward names the zombie Kit and tries to win his trust. Kit slowly adjusts to his new un-life with Edward’s help, though he’s still suspicious of Edward’s role in his death and is convinced that Edward is hiding his former identity. Edward is very attracted to Kit, but understands why Kit doesn’t trust him. As they become closer to one another, Kit turns to Edward for comfort and love. The fragile trust they’ve built together will be tested when Kit unexpectedly regains his memory and seeks revenge on his murderers.

Excerpt: Shopping with Kit was a nightmare.
I expect my clothes to cover publicly unacceptable bits, keep me warm, and protect me from the environment. That’s about all I require of them.
No. Kit was into Fashion. With a capital F. He looked at racks of shirts that, color aside, all seemed identical to me. He kept staring at the labels.
I got more than a little impatient. It had been a long day. Not to mention my long night raising the temperamental dead. “Kit,” I groaned, “money is not an issue. Just pick whatever you want and I’ll buy it for you. I literally do not care how much it costs.”
Kit’s mouth fell open in a perfect, sexy ‘O’ of exaggerated horror. “You think I’m looking at the prices? Oh, Edward. That’s so cute.”
He thought I was cute? I knew he was teasing me, but I still liked hearing him say it.
My headache was back. This seemed to be a trend with Kit around. If he wasn’t looking at the prices, what was taking him so long? I took a deep, soothing breath. On the plus side, Kit had obviously relaxed since being out in public. I had heard of retail therapy but never before witnessed its effect. He was practically glowing as he chattered on about the relative merits of this and that brand, designer and logo. It was a soothing wash of words that meant absolutely nothing to me, so I nodded, smiled, and tried not to focus on how pretty his mouth was, the way his hands seemed to hang in the air when he spoke, how amazing his hair looked even in the terrible mall lighting.
It was a good thing he was so pretty, or I probably would have killed him and left. It would be so easy, too. One word and he would collapse, his reanimated essence disappearing while I walked out of the store and back into my nice, normal medical student/necromancer life.
“Hello? Earth to Edward. I’m ready.” He thrust a very large bundle of clothes into my arms and stood there, all but tapping his foot. He smiled and said, “Oh, yes. We still have to get shoes.”

About the Author: My Zombie Boyfriend is T. Strange’s first full-length novel, though she has published several shorter works with Torquere Press. When not writing, T. enjoys gardening, spending time with her horse, and, of course, reading. T. lives in Canada with her wife, surrounded by pets.


Author Links:

Blogger http://tqstrange.blogspot.ca/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tq.strange
Twitter https://twitter.com/TqStrange
Tsu https://www.tsu.co/T_Strange
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3334999.T_Strange
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00DX6YGW6
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/tqstrange/
Torquere http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=464
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/+TStrange/posts
Tumblr http://tqstrange.tumblr.com/