A few weeks ago I go this email:
Hi Tonia,
Just noticed your book ‘Badass Zombie Road Trip’ on Amazon and look forward to reading it. Looks like another fun take and markedly different from my own ‘Zombie Road Trip,’ which I recommend highly!
Cheers
T. Alex Miller
It should be noted that while I was searching for an alternate name for my novel, and decided upon Timothy Long's suggestion of Badass Zombie Road Trip, I did indeed stumble across Mr. Miller's book of a similar name. After a bit of perusing and thought, I decided it was so dissimilar in nature that our titles shouldn't clash too much in the great big world of publishing.
We sent a few mails back and forth and after some discussion I asked him if he would like to be interviewed on yea olde bloge. He agreed and here is the following silly results!
1) Who is Alex Miller?I’m a newspaper editor living in the mountains of Colorado. A graduate of the University of Colorado-Boulder creative writing program, I’ve completed two novels and a short story collection, all on Kindle. I also write stage plays, which have been performed locally. I also act and occasionally direct. My wife and I have five kids and I’m a super-early rise, thus the ‘spare time’ to write stuff.
2) What prompted you to write ZOMBIE ROAD TRIP? Tell us a bit about it too.
As zombie-philes know, most Zee stories are about the survivors, with the dead acting as comic relief as the internecine relationship stuff is played out. I wanted to write something that explored a bit of what it’s like to actually be a zombie. Granted, the Zee POV is also becoming well-worn territory, but I also thought there was a lot of potential for humor along the way — and also the chance to answer some questions like ‘do zombies have to use the facilities ever?’ (Turns out they do, but they just kinda go as they go, like fish.) Early on, I thought it’d be hilarious for a bunch of people dressed as zombies at a Halloween party to become real zombies, thus the creation of the Zombie Marilyn Monroe character. So Zombie Road Trip becomes the story of the sentient zombie Ted trying to recover his memory and humanity while he drags Marilyn along as a sort of annoying travel partner. My favorite scene is the one where they get trapped in a room with a live, fat couple in their underwear and go after them. One thing I tried not to shy way from is what it might really be like to kill someone with your bare hands and teeth and then eat them – which parts would you go for first? It’s pretty graphic in that respect, and then somehow there’s a lot of pretty explicit sex.
3) What's your fave zombie movie? Book? Cartoon? Song?
I really like Zack Snyder’s remake of Dawn of the Dead, and of course am a big fan of The Walking Dead on AMC as well. I also really loved Max Brooks’ World War Z as well as the prequel to Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith. So, so funny.
4) If a chicken and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half, how long would it take a grasshopper with a wooden leg to kick all of the seeds out of a dill pickle? What if the leg was titanium? And last but not least, what if the leg was made of Spam?
The amount of time it takes to peel an improperly cooked hardboiled egg divided by the number of midgets in Birmingham, Ala.
5) There is no question # 5.
Is your name not Bruce? That’s going to cause a bit o’ confusion.
6) What comments do you think zombies make about today's world on both a political and social level?
Quite a bit, really. A zombie apocalypse would be awful in many ways, but it would also really simplify our complex lives. No more mortgage or credit cards or co-pays or Facebook, right? There’s a lot of appeal in that, and I think partially that’s why people respond so strongly to Zee tales. Certainly there are elements of class stratification that resonate with our modern times (Zees at the bottom unless they’re in great enough numbers – talk about an angry 99%!) Also mixed in there is good ol’ fashioned American grit, know-how and independence – all attributes you’ll need for the Zee endgame.
7) What is your plan of action when the zombapocalypse finally arrives?
My son and I decided Walmart is really the place to hole up: You’ve got guns, food, medicine – all the basics.
8) Cheeseburgers or pizza?
pizza
9) If painting yourself a solid color all over became a required act, would you favor a particular color or choose a different one every day?
A different one every day. My 10-year-old will only eat PBJs in his lunch, so I’ve set myself the challenge this year of cutting his sandwich differently every single day. I could see that carrying over to the body painting thing.
10) Beer or wine?
both
11) What is your idea of a perfect vacation?
Somewhere warm in April after our long winters.
12) Cats or dogs?
neither
13) What scares you?
Republicans in general and Rick Santorum in particular. Also, those mirror-filled rooms at carnivals.
14) Who would win in a fight between Bigfoot and a Chupacabra?
It depends: If Bigfoot could stomp Chupacabra, he could win, but if Chupa can get up and bit Bigfoot on the neck, he might take it.
And there we have it, a look into the mind of Alex Miller!
Thank you Alex for granting us such an up close and personal look at ya! WOOP!
Later taters,
Tonia