Joining me on the blog today is the awesome Jesse Petersen, author of The Living Dead series (one of my faves!) Jesse is also offering 2 copies of Flip This Zombie to 2 lucky winners, so be sure to check the giveaway details at the end of this post!
Please welcome Jesse to the blog!
Jesse, thanks so much for stopping by the blog! It’s a pleasure to have you here!
Thank you so much for having me!
For those that haven’t yet discovered your awesome zombie series, can you tell us a little about Sarah and David?
Well, Sarah and David are a couple who are in the middle of a marital crisis. They’ve been going to marriage counseling when their regular appointment turns weird. Their counselor ends up being a zombie and then they have to use all her marital advice in order to survive the zombie apocalypse.
When you started writing Married With Zombies, did you have an idea of how many books you’d like to have in the series, or did you just decide to see where it took you?
I actually wrote the entire first book to entertain myself. I had the concept and the first scene where Dave and Sarah realize their therapist is a zombie and I just ran with it. It wasn’t until the book was done and my literary agent flipped over it that I had any concept of even selling it. Once Orbit bought it, they wanted two more zombie books and we all came to the decision that Dave and Sarah needed to carry on and had more adventures in them. Hence, FLIP THIS ZOMBIE and EAT SLAY LOVE.
It says in your bio that you’ve been writing for 12 years. Do you remember the first thing you ever wrote?
I wrote all through school, but the first book I wrote was a romance novel during my sophomore year of college. It really set off a bug in me to write and a couple of years later, after graduation, my husband encouraged me to start pursuing writing full-time.
What are some of your biggest literary influences?
I cut my teeth on Laura Ingalls Wilder and L.M. Montgomery, Montgomery especially made me want to write. As I grew up, I loved Tolkien and other fantasy writers. Honestly, any book I read probably inspired me to want to write more and more.
Do you have any current favorites?
I wish I had more time to read, but I’m swamped right now writing. I’ve been reading a book lately called “The Happiness Project”, which is a non-fiction about a woman who took a year and every month tried to do things that would increase her happiness. It’s really interesting and I can’t wait to get back to it.
It says on your website that you like to volunteer at the local zoo in your free time. That sounds amazing! Can you tell us a bit more about it?
In 2009 I started volunteering at our small local zoo. My duties have included preparing diet for the rainforest animals and also feeding out the diets at night before the zoo closes. I used to feed the tamarins (cotton top and golden handed), the sloth, the calimicos, birds, sea lions (when they don’t do their show in the winter), river otters and red pandas. I’ve also done cleaning, worked with the children’s petting zoo and was a story reading witch at the annual Halloween celebration. Right now, since we’re in the process of selling our home and my schedule is a bit crazy, I’ve been doing data entry of the daily zoo notes (otherwise known as “As the Zoo Turns”). But I still get to play with the animals from time to time. I love working there and feel so lucky that I got to have so much contact with so many wonderful animals.
From the awesome pic of you and your husband at the Great Wall of China, I assume you like to travel. What’s your favorite destination so far, and if you could go anywhere, where would it be?
We do! In 2008 we went to China on a 10-day trip. I think our favorite destination was Shanghai. It’s such a vibrant, modern city with so many beautiful things to see. I also love visiting New York City. I go about every other year and always enjoy myself.
What’s something that makes you laugh out loud?
How I Met Your Mother always makes me laugh out loud. I can’t help it, I’m a Barney girl. And the cats. Our cats are always doing something ridiculous. They are comedians with fur.
What’s one of your biggest pet peeves?
Having my name spelled wrong. It’s right on the book cover, PetersEn. Just double check people!!!
Is there any news of upcoming projects or events that you’d like to share with us?
A few things! Orbit is releasing “Shambling With the Stars” on June 15. It’s a short zombie story that is part of the “Living With the Dead” world. After that, EAT SLAY LOVE hits bookstores everywhere at the end of June. I’m also very excited to announce that I’ll be independently publishing a collection of short zombie stories also set in the “Living With the Dead” universe. It’s called IN THE DEAD: Volume 1 and will be available on Kindle and Nook in August. If readers enjoy it, I’ll be doing a second volume by the end of the year. I also have some books up my sleeve for next year, so there is a lot going on!
Visit Jesse at her website!
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Makes me wonder about zombie books……Maybe I should read one!
annawlewis at gmail dot com
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annawlewis at gmail dot com
This series sounds really interesting and fun to read. A great twist on the zombie genre.
Thanks for the giveaway!
candicerjames [at] gmail [dot] com
GFC follower: Candice
candicerjames [at] gmail [dot] com
Mary D
zenrei57 (at) hotmail dot com
Another fun series to add to my ever growing wish list! *must have these* lol
Mary D
zenrei57 (at) hotmail dot com
GFC follower: Mary DeBorde
ohh Flip was great.
terilhack at gmail dot com
Looks really cool!
Rachel Leigh
TheOneRing111 at gmail dot com
Thanks for posting such a great interview. I'm just itching to dig into a great zombie book!
andreat78@yahoo.com
Thanks for the giveaway!
I follow via email andreat78@yahoo.com
Fun interview! I really enjoyed book 1 and would love the next one :). Looking forward to more in the series.
pams00 @ aol.com
i follow via email (same as below)
pams00 @ aol.com
Thanks for hosting this giveaway!!
Happy Holidays!! =)
SpadesHigh @ http://SpadesHighReads.com
TValeros18 AT gmail DOT com
EXTRA ENTRY
GFC Follower: SpadesHighReads
Thanks for hosting this giveaway!!
Happy Holidays!! =)
SpadesHigh @ http://SpadesHighReads.com
TValeros18 AT gmail DOT com
Sounds really good! Thanks for the giveaway.
erinberry12 at charter dot net
GFC follower(Erinberry)
erinberry12 at charter dot net
Thanks so much, this looks great.
thegirlonfire27 at gmail dot com
GFC follower
thegirlonfire27 at gmail dot com
Yay!! Zombies 🙂
Vivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
GFC follower
Vivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
I've been wanting to read this book! Thanks for the chance to win a copy:)
jwitt33 at live dot com
I am an email subscriber and a GFC follower:)
jwitt33 at live dot com
I am a follower and email subscriber. Tore923@aol.com
I would love to read this book. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
GFC Following as Jenn of Frequent Reader Infrequent Blogger
jennlovesed14 at gmail
jennlovesed14 at gmail
great giveaway
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drakebdog@gmail.com
This sounds like a fun read. Thanks 😀
mendyha26@gmail.com
GFC- Mendy
mendyha26@gmail.com
I love that you wrote to entertain yourself 🙂 edysicecreamlover18@gmailDOTcom
GFC Krystal Larson
katklaw777 at yahoo dot com
Thanks for the giveaway.
GFC follower
heiss(dot)britta(at)gmail(dot)com
I'll definitely have to look up this series.
Sounds like a great read! I want to win!
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
Oh I need this one!
books (dot) things (at) yahoo (dot) com
I'm a gfc follower!
books (dot) things (at) yahoo (dot) com
thanks for the giveaway. its looks really good!
katie_tp(at)yahoo(dot)com
i am a GFC follower
katie_tp(at)yahoo(dot)com
Great giveaway! Thanks!
mljfoland AT hotmail DOT com
What a cool book! I WANT it!
HobartsMama @ aol.com
I follow on GFC
HobartsMama @ aol.com
Please enter me. I've heard this is a good book.
lovemybabysquid@yahoo.com
Cool giveaway! Thank you!
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I follow on GFC as TommyGirl and via this email – tommygirl828 (at) gmail (dot) com
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