Just Before Night

JBNJust Before Night: A Zombie Anthology is the red-headed stepchild of my still developing career as an author. I don’t go out of my way to talk about it, as it’s not something I’m entirely proud of. To be honest, I struggled for a long time whether or not to disclose this part of my past. I know that sounds tantamount to admitting I’m a communist or something, as in, “Why is it such a big deal?” The truth is, I co-wrote this with another author/publisher during a time when I was young, inexperienced, and frankly, excited to have something in print with my name on it. It’s not the most awful thing anyone has ever written, but it probably never should have been written in the first place. What started off as fan-boy “know what would be a good idea?” drunk-talk became a book rather quickly, and in retrospect, if I had to do it again, I never would have done it, even though it would have been my first thing in print. But, that’s my name on the cover. Like it or not, I am responsible, and because of that, I’ll own it. (Although I don’t actually “own” anything. I don’t even get royalties from this thing.) The book is what it is. So just what is “it”? It’s yet another unauthorized “what-if?” take (this time a prequel) on the original Night of the Living Dead, the abused and unfortunate public domain title that has been raped and pillaged so many times already that, yes, we raped and pillaged it again. As if the poor thing hadn’t been through enough. While it’s not a terrible, unreadable pile of crap (the story I wrote for Ben, the hero of the original film, I legitimately enjoy, and am not ashamed of), it’s a project that never should have come to fruition. After all, if you’ve never been published before, and someone who has published an awful lot shows interest in your idea (even going as far to say, “That’s a good idea! If you don’t write it, I will!”), then it’s an easy situation to stumble into. Thematically, the passion was definitely there, but technically, not so much. The editing is lackluster, the time period is inconsistent, and most unfortunately, there seemed to be a lack of interest in holding on and performing as many changes as possible to reflect the best possible product. It’s not my intention to speak badly about anyone, especially someone who gave a completely unknown author a chance, but in my opinion, what was unleashed upon the world was essentially 85-90% of a completed book. It needed a bit more tender loving care.

Hey, wanna buy it??

Synopsis:
On one fateful night, humankind found itself battling hordes of the living dead. From diners to highways to farmhouses, the dead assaulted the living and consumed their flesh along with their lives. Among them were Duane, a reluctant hero, trapped with strangers in a diner; Karl, the antagonistic husband and father fighting for control; and young lovers Keith and Judy, fleeing through the dark woods with the dead close behind them. And caught in the middle of the madness was Sheriff Kosana, a simple, small-town lawman intent on controlling the situation himself. Though their fates have already been written by the hands of time, their struggle for survival is one of agonizing suspense as they battle to escape the outstretched arms of the undead pursuing them. Experience the terror in Just Before Night, a zombie anthology of gut-munching, bone-snapping stories that chart the origins of the living dead. For when night falls, the dead will walk.

Just Before Night: A Zombie Anthology is available on Internet things. But I wouldn’t if I were you. I’m not even going to bother linking to them.