Happy Halloween brain-eaters. Z Nation season 4 is alive and kicking and The Walking Dead will start again very soon. Add to these living-dead factoids the fact that my short story “Eat the Rich” will be released by Weird Punk Books in their anthology “Zombie Punks Fuck Off” this autumn. What a way to celebrate the greatest season for Horror lovers.
The book is available to pre-order, but I’m offering you the chance to read an excerpt from my story right now to celebrate my involvement in the October Frights blog hop.
The story is partnered with others by awesome horror punks including - Danger Slater, Mark Zirbel, MP Johnson and Sam Reeve. And it has some seriously awesome cover art.
Excerpt -
Sally's call sounded desperate and confused. I peddled as quickly as I could to the crumbling multi-storey car park. It was deserted, as usual. Not a tourist hot spot. If cars didn't get damaged by falling chunks of concrete they would be stripped of their tyres within an hour of parking. I was surprised it hadn't been gentrified like the rest of the city, but no doubt that was someone's plan for the future.
They were on the basement level. Hazmat's gallery. More talented than Banksy but as yet undiscovered. As always I felt awe when I saw his work. A new piece had been started. A Doctor Marten boot kicking something that looked like a pig's head in a riot helmet. The blood spray looked particularly realistic.
Sally and Hazmat, my best friends and comrades. They accepted my weirdness and I loved them for it. Sally had a sort of post-punk Goth look with half her head shaven, and the other half a jungle of back-combed black hair set off by her Cleopatra-style kohl-smudged eyes. Hazmat was more your original 70s punk – green mohawk and black leather jacket. And me? I guess I was hard to explain.
Sally knelt beside Hazmat, pressing a cotton dressing against his cheek. She glanced up at me and tried to focus her eyes.
“It's me,” I assured her.
“He's in a bad shape, Grinch,” Sally answered. Her pierced lips curling into a worried smile.
“What happened?”
Hazmat tilted a bottle of cider against his lips. “They're in worse shape,” he claimed proudly, nodding towards his crumpled sleeping bag.
I spotted three skinheads beneath the filthy, once-red, nylon bedding. Their necks and arms covered in vile fascist tattoos, deep blood-encrusted caverns in their racist skulls.
“Fucking Nazis.”
“They attacked him while he was painting,” Sally said. “He did that with his sodding paint can.”
“Did they cut his face?” I asked.
“Bit it,” Hazmat said. “Fucking animals.”
Animals? Nah. Humans were much worse. Especially the fasch.
“He should go to hospital, but he won't. I've given him some meds and I'll get some more. He can't stay here though. He needs somewhere cleaner.”
“My couch is a bit cleaner, I guess,” I said.
“It's cleaner than mine,” she agreed. “Let's take him there. What about them?”
“We'll tidy up then set fire to the bodies. No one gives a fuck about a few dead Nazis. It's a bloody public service disposing of them,” I said, meaning every word. “Love your new mural, Haz. The blood looks very real.”
“It's theirs.” His head bobbed forward. Cider and whatever drugs Sally had administered must have been working their magic on him. Immobile spikes of jade green crowned his exhausted head. My fucking hero.
#
I thought he was going to die. It seemed wrong not to take him to hospital even though he forbade it. Sally made sure he had the right antibiotics and pain relief, probably stronger than he would have got at Newham General. Who'd have known drug dealers made such great doctors? He was hallucinating and sweating profusely for thirty-six hours before his fever broke. When it did he looked older, thinner and impossibly pale.
“Nah, he's alright,” Sally said. “I know people who would die for a pallor like that.”
I snorted. “How are you feeling, Haz?”
“Like a fucking zombie,” he said ...
~0~
To read more you'll have to buy the book. It's due out on November 17.
Questions and answers about my inspiration for the short story -
How did you get into punk?
I got into punk through the Goth scene. My favourite bands were from the early 80s post punk and art house movement including Virgin Prunes and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Punk has an energy I adore and the anger and frustration of the anarcho punk bands in particular, perfectly reflect my own political leanings.
What do you consider the most interesting aspect of zombie lore? Why?
I love the class war aspect of zombie lore. Zombies representing the middle class and upper class fear of the masses.
What else do you have out there and what are you working on?
I’ve just finished and released a short story collection called “Broken Mirror and Other Morbid Tales”. An artist friend from Belarus and I are working on a graphic novel called “Psychonaut” that we hope will be finished by the end of the year. I’m also in the early stages of a dystopian punk feminist novel that may or may not be called “Venus Virus.”
Giveaway Terms and Conditions
Giveaway ends October 15th, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to International Residents, but some prizes subject to substitution (for example: some authors may limit the availability of paperbacks, and be offering digital copies only to some countries). Winners will be selected by random and be notified by email. If the winners do not provide a working, functional email, or respond in a timely manner (within five days) the winners will be disqualified and an alternate winners will be chosen. Prizes will be delivered by the donating authors and delivery arrangements will be made through them (methods include via direct email, regular mail, Smashwords, Instafreebie, Amazon; in some cases a kindle email may be required). By entering you agree to have your email passed on to the donating authors. Technical, compatibility, or download problems regarding the prizes are not the responsibility of the October Frights Blog Hop, A. F. Stewart or donating authors, but efforts may be taken to resolve them if possible. Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are in no way associated with this giveaway. By providing your information in this form, you are providing it for the sole purposes of this contest. Information will not be shared or sold and will be used only for the purpose of contacting the winners.
Prize List:
1st Prize:
20$ Amazon Gift Card (offered by Katie M. John)
Two eBook Set of Killers and Demons Series by A. F. Stewart
Starblood graphic novel (signed paperback for UK, e-book if outside UK) by Carmilla Voiez
Charm City (US paperback or International ebook) by Ash Krafton
A Claire Riley ebook (winners choice) and a swag pack
Being Human ebook by Patricia Lynne
Pandora's Curse by James McDonald (US paperback or International ebook)
Book of Spells Anthology ebook by Tia Silverthorne Bach
Paperback of Love Remains by Zrinka Jelic
2nd Prize:
Horror Haiku and Other Poems ebook by A. F. Stewart
Creatures Gone Astray ebook short stories by Alice de Sampaio Kalkuhl
Kindle copy of The Cottage by Lavinia Urban
PDF ebook of A Persistence of Geraniums by John Linwood Grant
A Melanie McFarlane ebook When Blood Reigns by Barbara Custer (signed paperback for US, e-book if outside US)
One ebook copy of either Curiously Dark Tales or Solstice (winner's choice)
by Debbie Christiana
