Interview: Author Stant Litore and His Extraordinary Undead

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007FJHDBI

One of the great things about being an Indie writer is the true sense of community I've discovered along the way. Writing is a tough and largely solitary slog, so finding connection with others in the same boat is vital if we are to keep sane and true to the journey.

Today I am pleased to share some time with one of my favourite folks I've 'met' over the past year... zombie author extraordinaire Stant Litore.

Now before you nay-sayers out there roll your eyes and groan 'not more zombies', you need to know that Stant's Zombie Bible series has raised the bar for this genre. His work is lyrical and beautifully crafted. The emotion is raw and heartfelt in ways that surprise and hook you at every turn. This is not all about half-rotten ghouls staggering after the hero endlessly growling for 'braaiiinzzzzzzzz'. Stant peels away the layers to the core of our own humanity, and the spiritual stakes are very high indeed. Even if you are not a fan of zombies, give Stant's fiction a try. If you do love zombies, I urge you to have a look at this fresh and intelligent take. It is not for the squeamish, certainly-- but it is so much more than a gory yarn. This is truly literary stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007EUOF6Y

Stant has also been incredibly fortunate along his own Indie journey. After launching on his own and creating a devoted following, his books have been picked up by Amazon's publishing imprint 47North! New and fantastic cover art has been revealed [we'll insert the images here] and the excitement is mounting ahead of the release dates: August 14th for the first two books Death Has Come Up to Our Windows and What Our Eyes Have Witnessed, and October 16th is the much-anticipated launch of Strangers in the Land. Here are the links for the books:

Death Has Come Up To Our Windows: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007FJHDBI
What Our Eyes Have Witnessed: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007EUOF6Y
(Strangers in the Land is forthcoming: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007EUOP3W)

Welcome Stant! And congratulations. This is all very exciting!

First of all... why Zombies?

Zombies have always held an eerie fascination for me. It’s the eyes – that these are bodies that look at you and do not see you; they see only food. That’s a terrifying thing. It’s terrifying to the gut, and it’s terrifying in a metaphysical sense.

What inspired you to meld this very specific horror sub-genre with such heightened spiritual matters?

I have no idea. Perhaps just the chance of watching Night of the Living Dead while reading the biblical book of Judges. But zombies do allow us to explore some very intense spiritual questions about both our relationship to our dead … and our relationships with the living. Questions such as “How do we remember our dead, how do we grieve for them and say goodbye to them?” and “What do we see when we look at another human being? How often do we look at another person and see only food – fuel for our desires, our fears, our ambitions?”

When you first began, what were your goals for your books?

Writing them. And holding nothing back.

What's changed?

Not much in terms of the what, but a lot in terms of the how. Originally, The Zombie Bible was going to be a long book containing five novella-length stories. It rapidly became clear that these were big stories, and their character deserved more. It is now a series of very ambitious scope. Of the original five stories, one has been published, one will be published this October, and the other three are yet to come. Along the way, other stories I wasn’t aware of when I began have insisted that I write them.

Tell us about how the 47North deal was born.

I’ve told the full story here, under the title “How the Kindle and KDP Helped Save My Little Girl”: http://zombiebible.blogspot.ca/2012/06/how-kindle-and-kdp-helped-save-my.html It’s worth a read.

Did you ever at any point feel yourself falter along the way? If so, how did you keep yourself on track?

The short answer is no and the long answer is yes. No, not since opening up The Zombie Bible – these stories have torn themselves out of my chest and have not let any doubt or any obstacle get in their way. The long answer is that for years during my twenties I moved very slowly and often faltered in my writing—less from doubts about my craft than from doubts about whether this was the life I *should* be committing myself to. I did not keep myself on track.
Then I had children. I looked down at my daughter’s beautiful face and realized it was time. There could be no more waiting, no more dithering. How could I teach my girls to follow their dreams if I did not pursue my own aggressively and with truth and ferocity?

You're a busy man with a growing family. How have you managed your life/work balance?

Precariously, and with diligence. It helps that I write fast and I revise fast. I trigger myself into a creative mood with music, and I get in fast. That’s not luck, it’s hard work – I’ve trained myself to do that over years. But it does mean I can accomplish a great deal over a lunch break or after the kids are in bed.

What future writing projects are in the cards?

Ah, now that would be telling. You have to be surprised. But I will say that The Zombie Bible will be ongoing for a while, and that you should expect a few fantasy novels in upcoming years that do not involve zombies. Expect panache, pirates (though not on Earth), true love, giants (this is beginning to sound like The Princess Bride), and tales of insane things happening to not entirely sane people. Expect novels that will demand that you hold on tight for a very fierce ride.

Any advice for aspiring Indie authors that you'd care to share?

Find out who your characters really are, let them show you, and find the truth your novel has to tell. Nothing matters more than that. Do not compromise or take shortcuts. Do not chicken out under pressure and write the easier path for your story. If that means you find out two thirds the way through that a near-complete rewrite would give you a story nine times as powerful, you do it. If you won’t have the courage to let your story dig deep into the heart, you’re wasting your time.
Secondly, if you are an indie writer, hire a good developmental editor. This is crucial. I have heard a lot of indies talking about the need for a good copy editor, and that’s certainly essential. But you need a good developmental editor, too – someone who will take an experienced and impartial look at your story and talk with you about which scenes to cut, which scenes to move, where a character is inconsistent or falling flat for a while. Don’t skip this phase. That one additional draft with an expert’s questions to prompt you may be the difference between an okay novel and a great novel.

As always it's been a pleasure-- I hope you'll return and let us know how the books are faring in the coming months!

New Chills and a Giveaway... Coming Soon!

I just finished my final edit on a short story, 'Family Secrets'. This is a newer and (I think) far better version of what was my first-ever published work of fiction in a mystery and suspense anthology-- Wordscape 6 --put out by the Canadian Authors Association back in 2000. The evocative cover art has been designed by Neil Jackson. What do you think? Pretty creepy stuff. Who's the figure on the dock... and what's his big secret? You'll have to read it on Kindle to find out. I am attempting to fly solo with the all the formatting and downloading hoopla. It's likely easier than I think. This should be up by the end of the month or the beginning of March.

Next week on February 29th, my story 'The Transformation' will be published in Dark Light-- the debut anthology from the intriguing new company Crushing Hearts and Black Butterflies. http://www.crushingheartsandblackbutterfly.com/dark-light-excerpt.html I'm happy to be in print again with a new dark tale of a lonely woman swept up in a dream of a romantic new life... but at what cost? The other stories look good, too. If you like the darker side of fiction, this may be something you'll want tin your library... and keep an eye on C.H. & B.B. for more amazing new writing!

To celebrate the launch, I will be holding a giveaway... stay tuned for details!

Meantime, Base Spirits was given another fantastic 5 star review! An American reader, Victoria Maggio, took a chance with my novel and loved it. "Strong characters, vivid descriptions and historical detail join together to create a world where I could lose all thought of myself and dive headlong into the unknown and not want it to end. Having to stop reading was a jolt to my system and I couldn't wait to get back to the story and find out what happened to these lives I had become a part of. What evil awaits them in the darkness... ?" You can link to the rest of her review here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3BXI2AH38RQ8S/ref=cm_cr_dp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B005L38G8E&nodeID=133140011&tag=&linkCode=

I also had a blast with a local book club discussion of Base Spirits the other evening. They unanimously loved reading it, and I loved talking with them about it and answering their thoughtful questions.

Keep an eye peeled (God, but that sounds painful!!) and watch for my new stories... and next week's giveaway!

Big Hearts in February

I had a lovely incident of kindness shown on my blog earlier this week from TJ Reed. He's someone I don't know in real life, but he'd happened upon Spirited Words and liked what he read... so much so that he awarded me with a Liebster Blog Award! The rules are thus: if a reader finds a blog with less than 200 followers but feels the blog deserves more attention, they can award it with a Liebster.

I found the story of the Liebster's origins here on author Crystalla Thoma's 'Rexrising' blog which also clearly outlines the details of the rules: http://chrystallathoma.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/liebster-blog-award-and-other-news/

First off, I'd like to thank TJ Reed for his kind nomination. His blog They Won't Get Us is found here: http://theywontgetus.blogspot.com/

If you're reading this now, why not go check out their stuff and join in the fun?

As for naming 5 blogs I think deserve more love, here are a few of the many I'd like to see gain more of a following:

http://dantesheart.blogspot.com/ Stant Litore is a zombie author with a heart of gold and is capable of prose that will knock your socks off.

http://gevsweeney.blogspot.com/ For lovers of historical fiction, Gev Sweeney is well worth a visit. She is someone to watch.

http://authorsanon.wordpress.com/ A showcase of some very exciting new indie authors championed by the tireless Anon!

http://peculiarwriter.blogspot.com/ Horror writer Billie Sue Mosiman has lots of great books and not nearly enough followers!

http://theebookwriter.blogspot.com/ And lastly JT Warren-- another horror guy with heart and aspirations to help fellow indies.

All in all, it seems a lovely way to pass on the love in this month of hearts and flowers! Have you some folks in mind who deserve a Liebster, too?

A Love Letter to Books & Imagination

I happened across this brilliant short animation from Moonbot Studios this morning: 'The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore'. If you love books and writing, you MUST see this. I was in awe, in tears and inspired to get more of my writing actually done and OUT there for readers.

Grab a Kleenex and give yourself over for a few minutes. Utter brilliance. I love the homage to Buster Keaton idea as well-- this is truly a thing of beauty.

When you're done, dry your eyes, turn off the computer and grab a book. Or, if you must stay on the computer, open up a Word file and start writing.

But first, click below and watch this wonderful gift from Moonbot Studios:

http://vimeo.com/35404908

Stant Litore on Creepfest!

Creeping away... and please remember to enter for a chance to win a bunch of great e-books! The rules are simple: http://ruth-barrett-spiritedwords.blogspot.com/2011/12/welcome-to-12-days-of-creepfest.html The prize includes the first of the groundbreaking Zombie Bible series by today's guest Stant Litore. His zombie books are terrifying, toothsome reads... but there is a heart and soul and eloquence that I find unique in the genre. Here's Stant with his heartfelt take on "My true love gave to me..."

I’m going to say a word about the most beautiful gift I have ever received for Christmas. It came with love, it came with a delicious kiss, and it also came with enough courage and trust that it shook my heart. The moment is so personal and has such a halo in my memory that it feels quite awkward inviting other people to hear about it, especially as I’m likely to paint that halo in such grayscale that I deprive it of any of the beauty others might see. Still, I have to try.

The Christmas after our first date and our first kiss, the woman I later married gave me a book. A holy book, actually, sacred in my faith. Now she and I are of entirely different faiths. In fact, we are about as different as it is possible to be and still speak the same language. I’ll tell you what I mean. I grew up butchering livestock and frying bacon in as much grease as possible; she is a vegetarian who makes falafel on the weekends. I grew up with wetlands outside our back door and my father always had a shotgun handy; my wife is as city as they come, and didn’t use to know what a possum was. I rise early; she sleeps late. I could go on. But man, we are in love and have been for a number of years. And to come to the point, we are of entirely different cultural traditions and different faiths. We look at the world differently.

That made dating a bit rocky at first. I think we were each a little fearful that the other might try to convert us. Or fearful that all our dark fears and dread about the other’s view of the world, all of our stereotypes, might at any moment be terribly confirmed. And that brings me to Christmas.

This was in Colorado, and the windows were so iced over they might crack if you tapped them. We stole away from the world to find some time just the two of us together, with a poinsettia to serve as a Christmas tree, and she offered me as a gift a holy text. I will never forget the look in her eyes, or the words she wrote inside the cover. Today that book is beaten up pretty badly, and I kid you not I have held the spine together with green duct tape, but it is the most meaningful gift I was ever given. Because her eyes said to me: I am not willing to be afraid of how different you are. I love you.

This story has a happy ending. We wrote our own wedding ceremony weaving together our traditions in a grand duet, and even had two officiants who read the ceremony together in their own duet. I set aside my fear of her ways, too.

There’s a lot of fear in our world right now. There always has been. And I’m not going to hand you platitudes; my writing isn't about that, and I’m not about that. Some differences really are insoluble. And just settling for saying that every way of life is equal cheapens all ways of life and too often becomes a way of avoiding the topic and dismissing a conversation you don’t want to have. But I will say this, and it might be an important time of year to say it. Often you learn more about your spirituality, your convictions, and what matters to you from people with other ways than you ever do from the community you already know. And life is only really exciting and sexy when there’s some friction. Just remember that you’re out to dance with your fellow human beings, not clobber or be clobbered. This isn’t survival of the fittest; it’s which pairs stay until the last dance.

Stant Litore writes about the restless dead. His Zombie Bible series retells old biblical tales as narratives of humanity’s long struggle with hunger and the hungry undead. His first book is an Amazon horror bestseller and you can find it here:

ZOMBIE BIBLE: DEATH HAS COME UP INTO OUR WINDOWS
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005SNK13K
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zombie-bible-stant-litore/1107395760?ean=2940013826816