“... Scalps litter the torn wounds of the driveway,
some of them stuck between the gaps like raw meat caught in cement teeth....”
For the Love of Death
by Tamara Rose Blodgett
(Death #7)
(Death #7)
Publication date: September 5th 2014
Genres: Adult, Dystopia
Genres: Adult, Dystopia
The year is 2049 and in the new dystopian order, the Randoms have risen to the top like cream. Earth faces dire consequences because of the Helix Complex and their illicit use of mass-sterilization. Many who could have children, were made into mules from the virulent Zondorae concoction of 2030.
Now middle-aged, Death’s children do their best to move forward in a world where technology and paranormal powers collide in a mix of tragedy and circumstance. Zombies have been raised for the slave trade by those Randoms in power.
Paxton Hart and Parker’s twin girls are grown and on the radar for those that understand how critical they are for the future. The tight-knit circle of friends continues to network for solutions to the depravity that has taken hold.
Can the original group right a tremendous wrong? Will the new generation of Randoms find a solution for propagation, or will their power base cannibalize those who choose harmony instead of greed?
Now middle-aged, Death’s children do their best to move forward in a world where technology and paranormal powers collide in a mix of tragedy and circumstance. Zombies have been raised for the slave trade by those Randoms in power.
Paxton Hart and Parker’s twin girls are grown and on the radar for those that understand how critical they are for the future. The tight-knit circle of friends continues to network for solutions to the depravity that has taken hold.
Can the original group right a tremendous wrong? Will the new generation of Randoms find a solution for propagation, or will their power base cannibalize those who choose harmony instead of greed?
EXCERPT
“Mom—no. Brother,” I rake a hand through my hair, on the
look out for the BS bots.
They swarm inside the toxic fog of smoke, everything all
screwed up by noise and odd pulse tech gone haywire.
Two ram together, fall on their mechanical asses and
stumble to get up. They knock heads and fall again.
The parents watch them crash into each other.
“Not very bright,” Dad remarks.
God, Dad.
“Right, listen... you guys we need to get to Pax. He's
taken off to find Deegan and he's the blinker in the group and we don't want to
be stuck with them.” I sweep my hand out and they take in the idiot bots.
“They appear to ignore mundanes and focus on the
paranormal.” Dad is sliding into the default Scientific Observation Mode.
Great.
“Yeah, they're juiced about everyone but Organics.”
“Caleb,” Mom says, her voice a shadow of the strident
Nazi-word queen of my youth, “I think we need to go wherever we're going—right
now.”
A bot advances, its circuitry is buzzing, some of the
lightweight flesh of whatever alloy they've used in the manufacture torn away
like a flap of scalped skin.
Instantly, I think of the Skopamish.
I repress a hysterical chuckle, the crooked mouth rising
like a Phoenix. Don't think the parents will dig the humor.
“I think this one is a little brighter than the rest,
son.”
It shambles forward like a metal zombie. I notice it has
been soundly torched but whatever covers its body has shielded it from the
blanket of my bungled torch episode.
Cripes.
Zombie Romance; Death-Style
Did you read that title?
No one could love a zombie.
Well, I do. And so do a bunch of other peeps,
apparently. Zombie fiction isn't all post-apocalyptic, disease carrying,
mindless brain eaters. (Some of my zombies do get distracted by a tidy meal of
brains. But that's for another guest post.)
As I write this, FOR the LOVE of DEATH is getting ready to
blow up on Amazon for all the hordes of readers to descend and devour.
I'm all for that.
Is the Death Series about zombie love? Oh yes. But
it's a bunch of other things too. It's dystopian. Dark fantasy ( a soft sort of
horror, but horror nonetheless). Death is also suspenseful, witty and
coming-of-age. My main demographic of readers is females ages 25-34. After
that? It's post-60. Isn't that something? I never thought a teen male-POV would
interest anyone except... you got it: a teen male-POV. Then Death got its teeth
in the readers. Guys discovered it, middle-aged women (I'm one of those so no
diss there, girls), teens and older people. Yes, I said elderly. They read and
everything. (That's tongue in cheek, lest I get hate mail.)
What makes Death different? For starters, it's male POV.
And there's just not much lit out there that is. There's even less from a teen
boy's POV. I didn't know any better. I have four sons who complained endlessly
about all the “drivel” of chicks who thought they could write like a guy
thought.
So this chick thought: why not? It's
certainly harder to speak from a teen girl's POV as there aren't any of them
galloping around the house. I went for it, and the rest is history.
I thought I'd “grow” the teens through high school and be
done at book six. But they kept talking, and readers kept asking for Death (I
love how that sounds). Now they're all grown up with some kids of their own.
It's a futuristic setting so I've taken liberties with some of the characters
as you'll see if you begin the Death odyssey. I know it's a little weird, but
my fave character is the MC's grandpa, “Gramps.” You ever meet anyone that
knows who they are to the marrow? And they're simply indifferent to change or
compromise? Filter-less? Yes, that's Mac O'Brien. And I simply can't seem to
“retire” him. I also adore the MC zombie, Clyde. He died in a post-depression
America and has not let his principles slide. He and Mac get along great.
I threw romance in Death #7, parallel earths, horror,
action, comedic dialog, agony, drama and suspense. The pace is fierce (I guess
I'm not terrific at slow pacing), and some resolution takes place, along with
questions.
Does Deegan's zombie survive? Will Paxton save his Gram?
Is Brad Thompson and his dad going to corrupt another earth through Zombie
slaving? It's a new earth with the same problems. Where there's power, there is
also greed. I had a terrific time writing Death. So much so, I'm already
devising a Death 8. Since Death 7 is a spin-off; a case of the “stales” shall
not be had.
Book one, Death Whispers, is currently in audio
production and I have to say, it was in the top ten surreal experiences of my
life to listen to my own words. What I really got out of listening is how
mature DW is in some respects. It captures the changes teens experience on the
chasm of near-adulthood. Death began as a YA crossover series and is now firmly
in the new adult/adult genre. Fans of dystopian, hard sci-fi, paranormal
romance, fantasy and action with snappy dialog should dig death.
If you're looking for a unique narrative, jam-packed with
action and fast pacing, Death just might be for you. Especially for if you have
a crush on zombies....
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tamara Rose Blodgett is the author of forty titles, including her NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling novel, A Terrible Love. Tamara writes a variety of dark fiction in the genres of fantasy, science fiction, romance and erotica. She lives in South Dakota with her family and is an ardent reader who enjoys interacting with her readers.
Author links:
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