Burning questions . . . or zombie cows?

This month's prompt for the AW blog chain: 
Otherworldly

Ghouls, ghost and things that go bump in the night. Old Hallows Eve, Dia de los Muertos and Halloween. October is the month where the veil between our world and the Other thins. So this month is about those things beyond our world, be they scary, funny or anything in between. Write wherever the prompt inspires you,fiction or non-fiction, prose or poetry.

For some reason my DVR decided I do not need to watch The Walking Dead this season. I sat down the other night to get caught up on the first two episodes.  As I head to the bottom of my list, I see that The Talking Dead has recorded twice.  Who knew the dead could talk, and not just the air escaping as the body decomposes!

I get to the bottom of the list and, hey, don’t you think there should be more programs that start with W,  X,  Y or Z so that The Walking Dead isn’t at the bottom, and why isn’t it up there with the other T shows? THE Walking Dead? Anyway, I kept thinking something was wrong with the remote—why wouldn’t the list scroll down so I could get to it?

It wasn’t the remote. It didn’t record.  I was seriously upset, zombie half rotted away, crawling across the city park upset, reallllyyyy???

Okay, not that upset, but it did  merit a, well, shit.  So I took some time and set up the episodes to record at a different time.  Isn’t it nice that you can now watch your favorite TV shows six times in one day, the same episode? The land of zombie TV.

I did catch a little of the Talking Dead, it’s listed under the T’s for THE Talking Dead.  I think I’d like to be on that show, or at least have the time to call in.

Here’s what I’d ask - - -

1. Why don’t zombies eat each other?  Isn’t this a logical question? I mean they are mindless creatures ravaging the land for unsuspecting humans to eat, or a cow peacefully munching grass, or a deer, or a squirrel, or Uncle Dave’s boot—so why don’t they eat each other? Maybe zombies don’t taste good to other zombies?
2. How do zombies survive the winter?  Obviously they don’t have circulation, or go to LL Bean and buy some winter gear, so how is it they don’t freeze to death—umm, err, freeze into a zombie ice pop?
3. Why after the zombie apocalypse are the houses boarded up, cars scattered everywhere, papers flying around, but the grass is short?  All the grass in any of the towns is like it was mowed yesterday.  Trees and weeds have not started growing in the streets and gutters—how can this be?  Perhaps the virus that started it was caused by overuse of Round-Up? Are there zombie goats and cows we never see?
4. Why don’t they use flame throwers to kill them?  I know if I was going to kill a zombie I’d want it to be a long distance kill. I guess flame throwers just aren’t as bad ass as using a sword or a machete.  Take that, and I was in no danger at all, just doesn’t have the needed drama.

I have other questions as well, but I just remembered, I think I have AMC on demand . . . .

Flammenwerfer contributed by a blog reader!

Thank you!

Thea

Participants and posts:

Check these posts out!

Ralph Pines: http://ralfast.wordpress.com (post link here)
randi.lee: http://emotionalnovel.blogspot.com (post link here)
Aranenvo: http://www.simonpclark.com (post link here)
pyrosama: http://matrix-hole.blogspot.com (post link here)
hilaryjacques: http://hillaryjacques.blogspot.com (post link here)
meowzbark: http://erlessard.wordpress.com (post link here)
slcboston: http://fleasof1000camels.blogspot.com (post link here)
areteus: http://lurkingmusings.wordpress.com (post link here)
dolores haze: http://dianedooley.wordpress.com (post link here)
SuzanneSeese: http://viewofsue.blogspot.com (post link here)
Orion mk3: http://nonexistentbooks.wordpress.com (post link here)
Linda Adams: http://garridon.wordpress.com (post link here)
Alynza: http://www.alynzasmith.blogspot.com (post link here)
BBBurke: http://awritersprogression.blogspot.com (post link here)
wonderactivist: http://luciesmoker.wordpress.com (post link here)
Damian Rucci: http://thegraypen.wordpress.com (post link here)
CJMichaels: http://christinajmichaels.blogspot.com (post link here)
Lady Cat: http://carolsrandomness.blogspot.ca (post link here)
xcomplex: http://arielemerald.blogspot.com (post link here)
debranneelliot: http://www.debragrayelliott.blogspot.com (post link here)
bearilou: http://theglassopossum.wordpress.com (post link here)
bmadsen: http://hospitaloflife.wordpress.com (post link here)
SRHowen: http://srhowen1.blogspot.com (post link here)

Week 18 of the next big blog hop . . .

Week 18: THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP

 “The past few years have been full of high profile reads. from Twilight to 50 Shades of Gray, Love um or hate um, you have to admit you have at least heard of them.

As Independent Authors we all dare to dream we will be next runaway best seller, and, well, let’s face it, you never know ... right?

With that thought I jumped on this Hop.  What is a blog hop? Well I didn’t know until I asked.

Basically, it’s an Independent Authors game of tag.      

One author posts, and then tags five other authors, who each link back to them. Exponentially, it is a marketing gold mine, and you my fair reader have hopefully just increased your “to read list.” Finding new and exciting authors you may never have found otherwise. Some of us are still writing, others are just being released. Either way, for Fiction Lovers, a treasure trove awaits and I’d like to thank fellow author S.I. Hayes for tagging me to participate.”

Click the links to find out about S.I Hayes’ books.

Twitter 

@shannonihayes

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/S.I.Hayes.Author

Blog: A Writer’s Mind, More or Less

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show

/6439607.S_I_Hayes/blog

Amazon:

  http://www.amazon.com/author/s.i.hayes

“In this particular hop I and my fellow authors, each in their perspective Blogs, have answered 10 questions where you get to learn about our current WIP (Works in Progress) as well as some goodies as to our process, from characters and inspirations to photographic/ Cinematic eye candy! I hope you enjoy it.

If this or any other items pique your interest, please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions.”

HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS

1: What is the working title of your book?

My most current release is Medicine Man I: The Chief of All Time.

2: Where did the idea come from for the book?

I get ideas everywhere, in the case of this book reading some Americana Indian myths and then a visit to a local park in Fond du Lac, WI brought the idea on.  At the time I was at a stage in my life that made me realize a number of truths about being who I am.  I passed these ideas and revelations on to my main character.

3: What genre does your book fall under?

Supernatural mysticism/horror with an underling romance.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Tatanka Means as Shannon Running Deer the male MC

Tonantzin Carmelo as Morning Dove the female MC

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

I’m going to cheat here and place the blurb for the pre-order page here: Medicine Man I: The Chief of All Time

Shannon Running Deer is American Indian by blood, he has forsaken his people's ancient ways to embrace the "modern" world as a wealthy, highly successful trauma surgeon.

His comfortable existence begins to unravel when, seemingly by chance, Shannon finds himself gradually drawn into the past. Pursued by an ancient evil, he knows he can change the future, if he can survive the past.​

In the tradition of Diana Gabaldon, S.R. Howen's MEDICINE MAN is a distinctive and atmospheric novel full of spirituality, mystical time travel, passion, and suspense.

You can read an excerpt here:Read Some!~

6: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Neither, I am publishing through an Independent Publisher, Wild Child Publishing.com

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

4 months

8: What other books would you compare this story to, within your genre?

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five with a mix of Anne Rice and Diana Gabaldon

9: Who or What inspired you to write this book? 

Sometimes Inspiration comes from nowhere, the blank page is there and the ideas come. I thank my muse.  I don’t outline and most times it is as if the characters and their stories already live in my head and are only waiting for me to put fingers to keyboard and let them out.

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It has everything, adventure, mysticism, horror, romance, and a literary story of growth and self discovery. I like to call it an adult second coming of age story, that moment when you realize that you are an adult and that you are a product of your past. I think for most people that comes sometime in their 40’s when you find yourself becoming what your parents were.  Acceptance, or otherwise, it’s a turning point, immersed in American Indian spirituality, and his own past, the MC makes this journey.

“Below you will find the authors, who will be joining me by blog, Next Wednesday. Do be sure to bookmark them and add them to your calendars for updates on WIPs and New Releases!  Happy Writing and Reading.

S.R. Howen”

These are the authors whom I have invited on this blog, please visit their sites and bookmark them to visit them again on Oct 31^st.

1 Matt Campbell

 Blog: blogbyimagine.weebly.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Chosen-of-the-Light/339596115982

Twitter: Http://twitter.com/chosen_archon

2 Patricia Yager Delagrange

Blog: www.patriciayagerdelagrange.com

Musa link: http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=150

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Alcatraz-ebook/dp/B006UJEE3E/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327940072&sr=1-1

3 Husein Taherbhai

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/husein.taherbhai?fref=ts

Books: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=81&products_id=355

4. Marci Baun

Website: http://marcibaun.com/kit-wylde/

Hieroglyphs: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=84&products_id=314

Last Chance: http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=4

5 Bastian Caldwell

Website/blog: Bastiancaldwell.weebly.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bastiancaldwell

Order link for novel: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=407

Out of the dryer . . . or find me a coat hanger

Jeans. Blue Jeans. Levis.  Good old fashioned Blue Jeans. What ever happened to them?  These days it seems that every ad I see for Jeans are not really Jeans at all but stretch pants made to look like jeans. Point one, Jeans don’t snag.  Who the heck wants jeans that snag?  Yup, I want to go out on a wildlife run and bump a cage against my leg and have little white loops of elastic sticking out of my jeans. Or better yet, get a rip in those suckers and you better hope you are not going commando because they are going to rip faster than paper in shredder—what ever happened to the hole in the jeans that just sorta frayed at the edges? You could write on them if you were bored, slash then across the knee is you were going horseback riding to make knees more comfortable . . .

I miss real jeans that lasted for years and years. Not a few months. 

And fur, I don’t know if you’ve noticed but the new, flatter your figure, with tummy tuck panel, “jeans” attract fur and lint like crazy.  I never needed a lint roller with my old jeans.  Brush your hands down them and poof whatever was stuck on them was gone. You could camp for days in one pair of jeans and they still looked good.

Remember lying on the bed so you could zip your jeans?  Pass the coat hanger, please, I need to zip my pants.  Now you don’t even know what size to get, not just because the sizes have changed, but because you take them out of the dryer and they fit rather nice, but 2 hours later you don’t even need to unbutton them to use the bathroom.  How does that slim you?  Old jeans hid flaws, you put them on slightly damp and poof a real lasting tummy tuck.

Now, I thought what about men’s jeans, surely they haven’t joined the elastic revolution.  (Seriously, how would these things survive a zombie apocalypse?) (Oh, wait, I can’t behead this zombie, my pants just fell down because they get bigger as the day goes on.)  Anyway, the men’s department, nothing like a man in 501 button fly jeans—or almost out of them.

And guess what, even a lot of men’s jeans are now touted as having “comfort fabric.”

But I did discover that they still make 501’s.  Maybe I’ll just hang out in the men’s department for awhile . . . 

Medicine Man I: The Chief of All Time

Available for pre-order now!

E book release Nov. 13th, in print Thanksgiving 2012

Shannon Running Deer is American Indian by blood, he has forsaken his people's ancient ways to embrace the "modern" world as a wealthy, highly successful trauma surgeon.

His comfortable existence begins to unravel when, seemingly by chance, Shannon finds himself gradually drawn into the past. Pursued by an ancient evil, he knows he can change the future, if he can survive the past.

In the tradition of Diana Gabaldon, S.R. Howen's MEDICINE MAN is a distinctive and atmospheric novel full of spirituality, mystical time travel, romance, passion, and suspense.

Read an excerpt here: Medicine Man I: The Chief of All Time Excerpt

Que Rod Serling . . . or Dear Diary

Blogs.  Web log. Dear diary, I really want to write about all the neat and special stuff that happens to me, but instead of hiding it under my mattress, I want it out there on the web for everyone to see. Isn’t that the truth of it?  Blogs (diaries) used to be kept mostly by pre-teen and teen girls.  They wrote all those dirty things that they didn’t want mom and dad to know about.  And sometimes stupid stuff as well that no one cared about except the person writing it.

Most the blogs I read have to do with writing, book reviews, author interviews, publishing news, agents' sites, trends, and so on. I’m not into the ones that talk about what an awful life someone has, I have enough drama llamas in my own life that I don’t need others.  Of course there are those who splash that crap across facebook as well. 

Then there are the special people who don’t get their facts right.  Mostly I avoid these people. It doesn’t do any good to tell them that they are wrong, even if you have five reputable sources to back you up—they will still stand behind their truth.  And then they will have their entire posse wearing sandwhich signs proclaiming their greatness. Look the world is flat! It is only 6000 years old! So I gave up on those as well.

Isn’t that what a blog is, we think that everyone wants to know what we are doing?  Wow, look I have 10 people following me! Fantastic, but if I was walking through the mall and 10 people were following me, I might be alerting security.  If 10 people were following me and peeking in my windows when I was getting ready to shower – well no wait, they’d be blind now, but at the same time . . . (Que Twighlight music) (NO not that Twighlight) (The Rod Serling type Twighlight music) it would be pretty creepy.

But here we are on the information highway seeking more followers – so like me on facebook, or follow my twitters, or join my site because having people follow me isn’t creepy at all, no not even in the smallest bit . . . .

Wild Child Blog Scavenger Hunt

Sell me Superman, or a weed-whacker . . .

Late night infomercials.  I am a night owl, not even really a night owl, I don’t sleep more than 4 hours a day or night, so I am often drawn to the TV at odd hours.  The things they try to sell the late night TV watcher.  Clear skin seems to be a big one, get rid of age spots and acne scars . . . Shouldn’t that be, get rid of dark under eye circles? Look awake and refreshed?  Seal leaks of all kinds, look we made a boat out of a screen door with this stuff, now available in white, I don’t know about you, but when I am up at 2 AM--I am not thinking of fixing my leaking rain gutters, maybe they should have sold this stuff to the folks on the Titanic? No life boats needed, here grab a can of this stuff and make your own life boat?

And the exercise, or should I say no exercise, gadgets.  The magic belt that melts your middle away, the electric shock your muscles into contractions belt . . . maybe that’s how those wrestlers look so good, that belt does resemble the WWF championship belts.  If these things worked, everyone in America would have a 20 inch waist for 3 payments of only $39.95, plus shipping of course.

Then there are the endless ones for weed whackers.  I don’t know about you, but unless you are my weird neighbor, I’m not thinking about yard work at 2 AM either.  The one I saw last night featured this disk with several strands of line on it, looked like a modern rendition of the cat-o-nine tails--circular style. The claim is these strands will never break, (but they do include a life time supply of them) they cut a board with them, then they cut a can with them, and chop a chunk out of a block of concrete with this thing. Okay. Yessss, sir, Bob, that will cut any blade of grass in the world!

Wait? It cuts bricks, concrete, wood, and metal?

I don’t know about you, but I rarely use my weedwhacker in the middle of the yard with only other deadly blades of grass around. I want to use this by my walk way—my concrete walkway.  Or around my shed—my wood shed.  Or around and along the bottom of my fence—my metal chain link fence. I want to use it around my planter boxes—my brick planter boxes.

Anyone see an issue here?  Maybe they should include this in every fireman’s rescue kit, right there next to the jaws of life. It cuts through anything!  And the people using it, look so happy, they never sweat, or huff and puff, or get stung by bees . . .

Pass the remote—next infomercial please.

Tha land of the midnight lawnmowers . . .

Our house is pretty sound tight.  By this I mean if you drive into the driveway unless the dog or the raccoon and a few of the cats alert us, we most likely don’t hear you.  The exception is the kitchen and the bathroom.  A few nights ago, I went into the bathroom at 2 am and what did I hear?  At first I was sure I wasn't hearing right, now I don’t live in Alaska, the land of the midnight and 2 am sun, so . . .

The clear sounds of a lawn mower were echoing around outside.  

Now explain this to me?  Our riding lawn mower has headlights, and even if I wanted to cut the grass at 2 am, I don’t think they would illuminate well enough to actually cut grass at night, I’ve never really understood why riding mowers have headlights, I guess if you use some of the tools, like the wood-splitter, or trailer, you might want to use the lights, if you wanted to split wood after dark . . . for emergency fires and all that. Or maybe that’s what they mean by midnight gardeners?  No, that’s something else entirely, but maybe you could use that lawn mower’s headlights to dig up your 50 gallon drums of survival food after the zombie apocalypse . . . Machete ready, since everyone knows zombies are attracted to noise.

So I am still back to why someone was cutting grass or whatever at 2 am.  

We lived in an old Victorian home once that had been converted to flats and efficiency apartments, and there was an old guy who cut the grass, who lost his driver’s license to one too many DWI’s, and he used to take the riding lawn mower to the bar.  But we live in the hind end of the sticks in nowhereville, it’s 6 miles just to the edge of town, and no bars or BYOB (BUY your own bottle) stores open on a Sunday night.

Perplexed, I went outside and tried to see who was using the thing.  I figured I could see the lights somewhere.  All I could hear were the sounds of that mower, and it did indeed sound as if someone were cutting grass with it.

I have no idea why they were doing this, or how they were seeing what they were cutting.  But there it is, the joy of yard work at 2 am . . . unless maybe they are a vampire and that’s the only time they can cut grass so they don’t burn up in the sun?

I’ll just sign off now, I think I need to go buy some garlic and make a few wooden stakes . . .

I had this idea for a blog going round in my head all night, whenever something woke me, I thought yeah that’s what I will write about tomorrow—well I should have written it last night, because by this AM when I had to give up on sleep, POOF the blog muse had left the building.

Not writer’s block, a concept I don’t believe in anyway, but just poof.  Senior moment? I do keep getting those ads for AARP.  Lack of sleep, well, now that I would believe.  Maybe one of the critters came by and sucked the idea out of my head, no wait that zombies and eating brains, or is that cats and baby’s breath . . . ?

Anyway, the idea was gone.  So I thought I would find it on Twitter, nope, did get distracted for an hour trying to find it though.  Then I went to see what the whole ta-do is about Goodreads.  And got sucked into another time waster, rate the books you’ve read, really?  I think I stopped after 45 of them.  The idea wasn’t wandering around that web site either.  I went to Absolute Wirte, listed one of my books in the library there, didn’t find the idea there either, got sidetracked into Amazon where I discovered that two anthologies I am published in, Amazon does not have me down as an author so I could not add them to my author’s page.  My idea wasn’t there either. Then I went to Facebook, this is the great time sucking hole, as bad as cracked.com, or the onion . . . when I cam up for air I had not found my idea either.

So I went to the blog for the WCP scavenger hunt and found the clue I needed but didn’t find my idea there either, I was sure I would.

I guess this evolves to where the frack do ideas come from anyway, and when they go away where do they go?  Is it like old junk mail that somehow manages to get behind the refrigerator?    Or like the remote that somehow gets under the couch?  Lost but found if you look in the right place or feel along in the dark, or lost until you move or have to buy a new fridge? 

Just where do ideas go? 

I think when we don’t act on an idea that they zing across the space time continuum and slip up someone elses nose and into their brain.  Ever notice how when you are doing something you think wow, if only I had a (something) like this?  And then poof a few weeks later (or maybe a year) you see an infomorecial about the very thing you were thinking of, like how to recycle skinny pants into arm guards so your left arm doesn’t get sunburned when driving. Now why don’t they make right armed ones for the passengers?  Now just watch, tonight when I can’t sleep and am surfing the infomercial dead land I will see, NEW presto arm guards for your passenger . . .

Bloggers phone app is driving me nuts!  That aside I dropped my phone and cracked the back cover, it was acting wonky and discovered that the sim card was loose and that seems to have fixed it.  The back cover has been fixed with super glue.  

Have you entered WCP's scavanger hunt yet?  You can win a $25 gift card to Wild Child Publishing!  There are two blogs ot visit today, it's fun folks, give it a try!

I know not much today, but good news is coming, watch for it . . . .

Two blogs to visit today here's the second one with CLUE # 4 :http://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/

Starting October 1st, Wild Child will be sponsoring a scavenger hunt, spotlighting 37 different books every day of October with a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Wild Child Publishing each week. You can find the list of the blogs we will be visiting at Close Encounters with the Night Kind blog. BLOG LIST!