Today we have author Paul Mannering stopping by the blog as part of our Spook-tastic Halloween event! Paul is here to talk about his post-apocalyptic zombie thriller, Tankbread, and share with us his favorite Halloween-y reads and spooky stories!
Tankbread sounds like an awesome and thrilling story, and I don't know about you guys, but personally I can't wait to read it!
I also have the pleasure of hosting a giveaway of Paul's exciting new book, so be sure to scroll all the way down and enter! :) And great news - it's INTERNATIONAL!
How would you describe Tankbread to those who haven't heard of it yet?
Tankbread is set in Australia, ten years after humanity lost the war against the risen dead. Now intelligent zombies rule the world.
The survivors live in an uneasy peace within Sydney, feeding the undead of a steady diet of cloned people called Tankbread.
One outlaw courier must go on a journey through the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Australia. Fighting his way into the very heart of the apocalypse in the desperate search for a way to save the last humans and destroy the undead threat.
His only companion is a girl with an extraordinary secret. Her name is Else, and she's Tankbread.
What were the challenges in bringing this story to life? Did you have to do any research for your book?
The main challenges were that I a not Australian and I was writing from New Zealand. My research was a very thorough use of Google Earth and maps to ensure that my descriptions of the locations and travel between the various points in the story were accurate.
Can you share with us a few of your favorite quotes from Tankbread?
Stephen King has said that he spends a long time on preparing the opening line of his books. Tankbread came to life initially from the opening line, which just popped into my head:
The asian across the table from me is tearing great gobs of warm flesh from his girlfriend's neck. Tendons and tissue hand from his mouth in bloody spaghetti strands while his jaw works tirelessly to consume. He chews her like gum.
What are some of your literary inspirations? Favorite books/authors?
I read everyone. My current favourites include, Philip Palmer (Debatable Space), Joe R. Lansdale, HP Lovecraft, John Everson, and Jasper Fforde,
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
There is always hope even in the face of disaster.
Halloween is here! To me that means horror movie nights with popcorn, tricks and (hopefully) stacks of yummy treats, and, perhaps most of all, the chance to scare someone and experience the thrill of being scared myself. What does Halloween mean to you?
New Zealand doesn't really celebrate Halloween - which is a terrible shame. For me it means horror movie marathons and telling spooky stories in the dark.
Do you have any real-life spooky stories to share with us? Any supernatural experiences or blood-chilling encounters?
I walked into a room full of my dead ancestors (in ghostly form) in an old homestead in Australia when I was 7. I only found out later who the people I saw were. The room they were in also terrified my mother as a child.
What are some of your favorite scary stories? Any favorite horror or thriller books/authors?
Joe R. Lansdale, "By Bizarre Hands" is one of hte great horror collections. Also John Everson's "Needles and Sins"
What's the scariest / most memorable horror movie you ever saw?
The Ring. The scene were the girl comes out of the well. I have a real phobia about wells.
Fill in the blanks:
1) If I was magically transported back in time to the Dark Ages, I'd... I would be burned at the stake as a heretic and a witch
2) I'm a pro at... Using my imagination. That whole 10,000 hours to master a skill thing really applies to writing and making up stories. Something I have been doing for over 30 years now.
3) I'm addicted to... Writing. It's my escape from the mundane. It is my drug of choice.
4) I'm scared of... Wells and being forgotten.
5) The last book I faked reading was... Atlas Shrugged. The stupidest book I have ever tried to read.
Last question: I'm super curious and I'm sure your fans are all wondering about it too: are you working on a new book now? If so, when can we expect it? Can you share some juicy details to keep our appetites going?
Tankbread II: Immortal is being prepared for publication in 2014.
It continues the story of Else and brings back some old friends and enemies as she races against time to save the one person that means everything to her.
Tankbread III: Deadland is being written at the moment. It's the final book in the trilogy.
I also have a new book I'm working on called Dead! Dead! Dead! which is about bikers in an outbreak of infected insane cannibal types (not zombies) brought about by some bad drugs.
I'm editing an anthology called Fat Zombie, for Permuted Press. It is the stories of the unlikely survivors of the apocalypse. The disabled, the least-prepared etc.
Tankbread by Paul Mannering
Ten years ago humanity lost the war for survival against a spreading plague that brought the dead back to life as flesh eating monsters.
Now intelligent zombies rule the world. Feeding the undead a steady diet of cloned people called Tankbread, the survivors live in a dangerous world on the brink of final extinction.
One outlaw courier must go on a journey through the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Australia. Fighting his way into the very heart of the apocalypse in the desperate search for a way to save the last humans and destroy the undead threat.
His only companion is a girl with an extraordinary secret. Her name is Else and she's Tankbread.
WHAT YOU CAN WIN:
2 copies of Tankbread (thank you, Permuted Press!)
RUNS TILL: November 14th
OPEN TO: Everyone - it's an International giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
2 copies of Tankbread (thank you, Permuted Press!)
RUNS TILL: November 14th
OPEN TO: Everyone - it's an International giveaway!
About the author:
Blog | GoodreadsPaul Mannering is an award winning writer living in Wellington, New Zealand
Paul has published dozens of short stories and radio plays in a range of genres across many different international markets. He has edited a collection of horror fiction, published his own collection and his first novel.
In 2007 he co-founded BrokenSea Audio Productions, which podcasts free audio drama each week to an audience of millions. Paul lives with his wife Damaris and their two cats.
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