It's Okay to be a Zombie!

Authored by Nathaniel Lambert 
Illustrated by Danny Evarts 

Sure, zombies are pretty scary. They stink. They want to eat your brains. They're terrible house guests. Who says zombies can't be fun, too? Don't they look kind of silly falling down and bumping into things? Sometimes they can even be cute. So, before you run away screaming for your lives, stop and appreciate the beauty of the undead. And remember, It's Okay to be a Zombie.

A darkly humorous, tongue-in-cheek, full-color UNchildren's book!

See the Book Trailer HERE.
Order it HERE


What Are People Saying?

"Evarts and Lambert do for zombies what Jesus and Kenny Rogers did for beards."

-- Andersen Prunty, author of MY FAKE WAR

"A delightful lesson in tolerance and rotting. Right up there with Heather Has Two Mommies and Stellaluna-with cooler illustrations...and more rotting."

--Gina Ranalli, author of SUICIDE GIRLS IN THE AFTERLIFE and CHEMICAL GARDENS

"... a delightfully humorous child's-eye view of the world of the walking dead." 

--Myrrym Davies - Editor, Graveside Tales Publishing

About the Creators

Nathaniel is the co-author of  Sideshow P.I.: The Devil's Garden and Sideshow P.I.: All Fall Down. He lives in North Dakota with his wife, two kids and a bulldog. The cold weather works wonders on his rigor-mortis. E-mail Nathaniel.

Danny likes to make pretty pictures, and often not-so-pretty ones. His works can be seen in the likes of Shroud Books and Magazine. He makes a home with his partner in the woods of Maine, where it's easier to avoid torch-bearing mobs. Visit him on the web HERE.

Publication Date: May 28 2010

ISBN/EAN13: 0982727526 / 9780982727522

Page Count: 28

Binding Type: US Trade Paper

Trim Size: 8.25" x 8.25"

Color: Full Color with Bleed

Shroud Submission Update: The Importance of Revisions

We've almost completed a full month of our submission period and I have had the pleasure of reading dozens of exceptionally well-crafted short stories.  A big "thank you" to the writers that have chosen Shroud for possible publication.

We have also begun to make notifications, thus making response times currently at LESS than one month.  In most cases we will try and offer a personalized response with some constructive feedback, but not always.

Why not always?

Well, here's the thing.  If your story has substantial merit, but needs a a few tweaks, then we will humbly make our suggestion(s).  However, if it appears that your story has not made it through a revision phase then we will likely send you a polite "pass."

As writers, we cannot expect a first draft to be publishable.  It may be good, it may be original and it may be entertaining, but it is not publishable.  All writing requires subsequent revisions.

Ursula K. Le Guin said that “forced to weigh your words, you find out which are the styrofoam and which are the heavy gold. Severe cutting intensifies your style.”

I am seeing a large number of Shroud submissions that are at the 5000 word mark but could clearly be cut down substantially.  Many contain unnecessary adjectives and adverbs, run-on sentences, excessive exposition and summary, unnecessary scenes, unnecessary dialogue attribution, etc. etc.

This is not to say that longer stories are inherently "bad" or "wrong."  However, there are many of these longer submissions that would benefit from the "intense cutting."

A word on adjectives and adverbs from Chekov:

“When you read proof, take out the adjectives and adverbs wherever you can. You use so many of them that the reader finds it hard to concentrate and he gets tired. You can understand what I mean when I say ‘The man sat on the grass.’ You understand because the sentence is clear and there is nothing to distract your attention. Conversely, the brain has trouble understanding me if I say ‘A tall, narrow-chested man of medium height with a red beard sat on green grass trampled by passers-by, sat mutely, looking about timidly and fearfully.’ This doesn’t get its meaning through to the brain immediately, which is what good writing must do, and fast.”

We must learn to chip away at our sentences so that they support the timing and tone of the scene and/or the nature, disposition and emotional state of the character.  Every sentence does not require rich and dense descriptors and flowery prose--some will, some won't.

So please. if you are rushing to meet the deadline for this submission period and skip any meaningful revisions, please understand that you will likely (and unfortunately) receive an unspecific "pass."

Best of luck and keep writing!

READ SHROUD MAGAZINE'S SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Sample a Shroud Publishing Anthology!

Tom Piccirilli's ALL YOU DESPISE (2nd printing) open for pre-order!

When  Shroud Publishing released Tom Piccirilli's rare limited edition novella, ALL YOU DESPISE, over a year ago, we quickly sold out of our original, small print run.  We had originally planned the initial print run at 500 copies, but in the end, we capped it at 100. The popularity of the novella was proof-positive of our reader's interest in short-tun limited editions, and, quite simply, the demand far outweighed our supply.  At the time,  we promised to do another small print run as soon as our schedule and resources allowed for it.

That time is now.

We are going to open ALL YOU DESPISE up for pre-orders while we set up another very small print run.  It is our intent to keep quantities very limited in order to maintain the collectable quality of the book.  As a result, we will only have 50 signed, hardcover copies available from the printer with an estimated arrival date of June 1st, 2010.

Pre-orders are available now, and we have to limit orders to two per person.

ALL YOU DESPISE

In All You Despise, a signed, illustrated, limited edition hardcover, Piccirilli’s characteristically lean prose grimly illustrates the high price of redemption and the violent limits of brotherly love.

When a nameless man awakens to find his blood-spattered brother passed out in his trailer it sets off a chain of painful, hard-hitting events that tests family loyalty and shows the savage impact of a father’s dark legacy.

Fast-paced and packing a visceral punch, All You Despise will keep the reader anxiously turning pages all the way to its unexpected conclusion.

This exclusive offering from Shroud Publishing features a special introduction penned by Bram Stoker-winning author Brian Keene and stunning illustrations by veteran illustrator Alex McVey.  Both contributors will also sign this special limited edition alongside the author.

Limited to only 50 copies and available only from Shroud Publishing, ALL YOU DESPISE will be a unique addition to your quality book collection.

All You Despise will be priced to move at only $34.99 (78 pp, jacketed hardcover, signed)

At this price, supplies will definitely not last.

Tom Piccirilli is the author of twenty novels including THE COLD SPOT, THE MIDNIGHT ROAD, A CHOIR OF ILL CHILDREN, and THE DEAD LETTERS.  He's a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award and has been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award, the International Thriller Writers Award, and Le Grand Prix de L'Imagination. Learn more at www.tompiccirilli.com

Brian Keene is a two-time Bram Stoker Award winning horror author. His novels include Dead Sea, Ghoul, City of the Dead, Terminal, The Conqueror Worms, Fear Of Gravity, and many more. Several of his books and stories have been optioned for film, video game and comic book adaptations. The New York Times, Fangoria, the History Channel, and others have credited Keene with ushering in the new era of zombie popularity in pop culture.

Alex McVey is an award-winning illustrator whose work has been published internationally, ranging from album art to graphic design to book illustration.  He has illustrated the works of Stephen King, Joe R. Lansdale, Gahan Wilson, Brian Keene, Ramsey Cambpell, and Richard Matheson, among others. His clients include ad firms, gaming companies, film studios, bands, and book and magazine publishers.

"Very few authors working today put pain on the page with the skill that Piccirilli does. From the narrator to Danny to the innocent people that become embroiled in their bitter lives, Piccirilli packs DESPISE with a living, breathing cast that comes alive and embeds itself in your brain in a scant 78 pages."

-- Blu Gilland, Bookgasm Review

Hiram Grange and the Chosen One Coming soon!

Hiram Grange doesn’t believe in fate. He makes his own destiny. That’s a good thing, because Queen Mab of Faerie has foreseen the destruction of the world, and as usual… it’s all Hiram’s fault. He must choose: kill an innocent girl and save the universe… or rescue her and watch all else burn. Just another day on the job for Hiram Grange.

In Book Four of the Scandalous Misadventures of Hiram Grange, author Kevin Lucia, takes his readers on a wild chase through Belfast's darker boroughs as Hiram Grange faces his toughest--and perhaps most unusual--assignment yet.

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER.  Should be available in 1 week.

About Kevin Lucia

Kevin Lucia is a Contributing Editor for Shroud Magazine. His short fiction has appeared in several anthologies. He teaches high school English, and is working on a Creative Writing Masters Degree at Binghamton University. He lives in Castle Creek, New York with his wife and children. He is also currently writing his first full-length novel. Visit Kevin online at www.kevinlucia.net.

What are People Saying?

“H.P. Lovecraft meets Ian Fleming – and H.P. Lovecraft wins. Lucia delivers non-stop action and shocks from the get-go, with tentacle very firmly in cheek…”

 - Joseph D’Lacey, critically acclaimed author of MEAT and GARBAGE MAN.

“In the mood for a wild ride of a book? Something smart and scary and exciting? Kevin Lucia’s HIRAM GRANGE & THE CHOSEN ONE fits the bill to perfection. It teems with monsters and demons, with arcane lore, black magic and narrow escapes. Even the hero is edgy and obsessed. What could be more delicious? Long live Hiram Grange!”

- Robert Dunbar, Bram Stoker Nominated author of THE SHORE and MARTYRS & MONSTERS

"Kevin Lucia's writing is both scary and smart--a lethal cocktail that makes for mesmerizing storytelling."

- Tosca Lee, critically acclaimed author of DEMON: A MEMOIR

"Packed with high octane dark adventure and brimming with humor, Kevin Lucia’s HIRAM GRANGE & THE CHOSEN ONE thunders across the pages like a herd of wild horses.  This is what cult fiction is all about!"

- J. L. Comeau, Count Gore's Creature Feature

“Fans of Kevin Lucia’s short story work have long awaited his first novella. And his book in the Hiram Grange series is the perfect vehicle for Lucia to not only please his old fans, but to show new ones just how damn good he is.”

- Gregory Hall- author of AT THE END OF CHURCH STREET and host of the Funky Werepig

"Hiram Grange and The Chosen One is one of those stories you simply lose yourself in, and hate to have end. From the opening to the final scenes it never lets up with over-the-top action and plenty of dark laughs. I loved it! And want more Hiram Grange, please!"

- Bram Stoker-Nominated author  of SOLOMON'S GRAVE, Dan Keohane