Dead Girl Interview Plus a Review and Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Joyce and Jim Lavene back to the blog. Today we're talking about Dead Girl Blues, the second in their Taxi for the Dead series.

Kathy: In the Taxi for the Dead series we see a wide variety of paranormal characters. In addition to zombies, we also have a ghost and sorcerers. Why the variety?

J&JL: We really wanted to have the idea in the story that if zombies are possible, anything is. We chose Skye as a police officer to be one of the least likely people to believe this could happen and gave her an ‘I’ve seen everything’ attitude for this reason. We’re all so sure about the world we think we live it. But what if that world is turned upside down?


Kathy: Zombies seem to be quite popular nowadays. Why do you think that is?

J&JL: Probably the out of control fear many people feel today with world crisis after world crisis. I think many people really believe the end of the world is coming – why not zombies?


Kathy If you were on your deathbed and approached by Abe (or someone similar) would you take his deal and work with him in order to live another 25 years?

J&JL: I honestly don’t know. Skye has a powerful motivation. My kids are grown. That being said, most people would cheat death if they could, I think.


Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for this series?

J&JL: When we were kids, we read all kinds of crazy stories about zombies, ghouls, and ghosts. But they weren’t brain eating zombies. They were people who crossed the wrong person or took the wrong turn. We wanted to get away from the brain-eating and back to the idea that people could be granted extended lives with magic.


Kathy: This series is a little darker and a little grittier than your other series. Was there a reason to write a not so cozy cozy?

J&JL: The characters come to you and you find a vehicle for them. I can’t imagine Skye being different than she is – gritty and a little sad. But she has a story to tell and we’ve enjoyed telling it. We never set out to write cozy mysteries, they kind of came to us. Sometimes other stories come too.


Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Skye?

J&JL: Skye meets her father in Dead Girl Blues. She believed she was an orphan so this is a new shock for her. In the next book, she’ll meet her mother and learn the secrets to why they abandoned her and who she is.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

J&JL: Gladly! We have a new Peggy Lee Garden Mystery, Killing Weeds, coming out in May. It’s the tenth anniversary of that series. We also have a new Missing Pieces book out in June, A Watery Death – and book 8 in the Ren Faire Mysteries in July – Fatal Fairies! Thanks for asking.


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Review

Dead Girl Blues by Joyce and Jim Lavene
The Second Taxi for the Dead Mystery

Three years in to her contract with Abe, the Zombie Master, things aren't going well for Skye Mertz in this second Taxi for the Dead Mystery. Abe's sorcerer has been killed and someone is somehow turning zombies into ghosts and making them disappear. In addition, Debbie's husband's "condition" is getting worse and Skye discovers other "accidents" are occurring just as the one that killed her husband and almost killed her. Lucas has been helping her, but could he really be an evil sorcerer instead of a helpful housemate? Remaining alive for her daughter's sake is much more difficult that she thought!

Dead Girl Blues is a book of discoveries. When the body of Harold the Great, Abe's sorcerer, is discovered Skye is called in to investigate his murder. That task leads Skye to Harold's replacement, Artemis. What she discovers then is death changing. The discovery of not only what Artemis is doing, but who he really is, leads to a revelation about who she really is. Skye also discovers more about the death of her husband and the truth of her feelings towards Lucas.

While the Taxi for the Dead series fits the definition of a cozy mystery (amateur sleuth, no graphic sex or violence) I don't consider it a true cozy. I called the first in the series a "not so cozy cozy" and that remains true in Dead Girl Blues. A cozy mystery has a cozy vibe; its location and atmosphere make it a comforting place where you want to spend time, despite the abundance of murders. While I'd like to visit this part of Tennessee via the books, it certainly isn't warm and inviting. That's not to say Dead Girl Blues and the Taxi for the Dead series is all dark, dangerous, and gritty. There's plenty of humour too. I still giggle as I picture Lucas running from the hedge clippers!

While I don't consider Dead Girl Blues a cozy, I believe that cozy readers will appreciate its family values and the universal truths found within. It's a unique series with unconventional characters that tells a great story. I read and enjoy all types of books and I certainly enjoyed this one. I look forward to discovering more about the characters along with what happens next.


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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Dead Girl Blues by Joyce and Jim Lavene. Three years in to her contract with Abe, the Zombie Master, things aren't going well for Skye Mertz in this second Taxi for the Dead Mystery. Abe's sorcerer has been killed and someone is somehow turning zombies into ghosts and making them disappear. In addition, Debbie's husband's "condition" is getting worse and Skye discovers other "accidents" are occurring just as the one that killed her husband and almost killed her. Lucas has been helping her, but could he really be an evil sorcerer instead of a helpful housemate? Remaining alive for her daughter's sake is much more difficult that she thought!

Review - Broken Hearted Ghoul

Review

Broken Hearted Ghoul by Joyce and Jim Lavene
The First Taxi for the Dead Novel

Joyce and Jim Lavene start a new series with Broken Hearted Ghoul. It's a little darker, a little grittier, and quite compelling. Skye Mertz is not your average cozy heroine. She's a former cop and a current zombie. Not the mindless shuffling sort, but a zombie nonetheless. Skye was near death after a horrible car crash which left her husband dead when she was approached by Abe, a zombie master, who gave her an option other than death-work for him and live for 20 more years. Unwilling to see her daughter an orphan she took the deal. Now she raises her daughter, Kate, with the help of her mother-in-law, who happens to be a ghost, and drives a taxi for the dead-picking up fellow zombies whose 20 years are up and returning them to Abe.

Something is not quite right, neither with her perky new partner's family life or her job as zombies are being murdered before their time is up.Then an amnesiac sorcerer appears out of the blue, seeming almost too good to be true. Is he?

I enjoyed this not so cozy cozy. A little darker, showing that life isn't always pleasant. Sometimes you have to make tough choices and buckle down and just do what needs to be done in order to survive. I love the many layered characters-each a mystery unto themselves. Is Addie only cranky because she's dead? Or because of her son's death and the fact that she never approved of Skye? Who exactly is Lucas? A sorcerer from the past? How and why did he come to the present? What is Brandon's story and what the heck is going on in Debbie's house? I can only hope we get to peal back more layers and learn about these multifaceted characters. By the end of the book we've solved the mystery of who was killing Abe's zombies before their time, but the Lavene's leave us with more puzzles.

Joyce and Jim Lavene deliver a pulse pounding paranormal mystery incorporating a  unique and varied cast of characters. If you're looking for a cozy that's a little darker and a little different, you've come to the right place in Broken Hearted Ghoul.
 

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Broken-Hearted Ghoul by Joyce and Jim Lavene. This book is the first in their Taxi for the Dead Paranormal Mystery series. Skye Mertz was in a horrible wreck which killed her husband. Dying, she was approached by Abe, a zombie master, and offered 20 years of "life" working for him. With a 5 year old daughter, about to be an orphan, she readily agreed. Now she works collecting fellow zombies whose time is up and returns them to Abe. Pretty easy work for a former cop-even when they run. Skye has now been given a partner, a human working in place of her husband-who Skye discovers is not a zombie, but isn't human either. Questioning what he is, as well as what exactly happens to the zombies once their time is up, Skye meets a mysterious man. If only she could just do her job and raise her daughter with the help of her dead mother-in-law, but I think things are about to get complicated!

Guest Post - Zombies!

I'd like to give a warm welcome to Edward Kent for his return visit to Cozy Up With Kathy. Ed has just published Dead Like Me, the second book in his Ed, Undead series. I'm giving Ed control of the blog today. Check out what he has to say!

Zombies have always intrigued me. They are shells of their former living selves. Mindless and soulless, wandering aimlessly, in search of food and nothing else.

In a way, aren’t we all like that? We are living and we don’t feed on flesh, human anyway, but we all pretty much do the same thing, day after day. Get up, go to work, come home, go to bed, etc. Sure, our lives vary at times, but we struggle to earn a living, sometimes sacrificing a life outside of working.

My main character, Ed Kirk, was a fairly popular young man who was just starting to live life, had a good looking girlfriend, when all of a sudden he is struck with this sickness that is slowly turning him into a zombie. Now his life has become about trying to keep his girlfriend and sister safe from the things that he is slowly turning into.

I wanted to use some of my memories from high school and growing up in the small town of Wilson, New York as a basis for the story. Growing up in a small town is so much different from a city, because everybody knows everybody and there’s very little that can happen that isn’t common knowledge, and for Ed to see undead friends and neighbors wandering around the village, it makes it more personal.

The best thing about writing these stories, is that I can live vicariously through the characters, especially Ed. I get to be the hero, the boyfriend, the brother, the zombie. I control the outcomes and the situations. The dialogue. That is one thing I really enjoy.

In the second book, Dead Like Me, I also set the beginning at the theatre at Niagara University. Having spent four years there as a theatre major, it was a nice place to revisit in the story, bringing back many memories. Not to mention that the theatre there has since undergone extensive renovations, and the theatre described in the book is the one from my memories, not the current design. Those who were theatre alumni before say, 1999, will know of what I speak.

The characters are fun to hang out with and I don’t ever outline, so I never quite know where the story is going to go. I may have ideas, but until I start typing, you never know.

How do you write? Extensive maps and outlines? Or by the seat of your pants?

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For more information check out the website: www.ZombieEdUndead.com

You can buy your own copy of Dead Like Me here: http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Like-Me-Chronicles-Teenage/dp/1500935980/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1409585524&sr=1-2

Meet Zombie Ed

It's that spooky sort of time, a time of ghosts, witches, and zombies! As a special Halloween treat I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Edward Kent, author of the Zombie Ed series. In addition to his children's books, Zombie Ed has crossed over to a young adult series with the Ed Undead series.

Kathy: You have a background in education. Is that what led you to write children's books and young adult fiction?

EK: In part, but I also have three kids, 6-8, and have plenty of experience reading children's books, and I decided to try my hand at it, writing and illustrating, because I felt that I could write one just as good, if not better.

Kathy: Why zombies?

EK: There's not a lot of children's books out there with zombies, at least not friendly zombies that go to school and won't eat you!

Kathy: Do you think you'll age Ed at some point and write him for an adult audience?

EK: Possibly. If he makes it that far! Lol. I have had a lot of adults tell me they enjoyed reading the book, even though it's aimed at the YA crowd. You never know.

Kathy: Bullying is a horrible part of life for many people (of all ages). How did you come to write Stop Bullying Me! I'm a Zombie. So What?

EK: After the young boy committed suicide in Williamsville, NY, I felt that I could do something in my books to address it and maybe help, especially on the younger level, to maybe reach out to those kids that might be starting to feel that pressure early on so they could learn and maybe be entertained at the same time. Maybe even reach the bully- wannabes that might learn what that behavior can do.

Kathy: Tell us about your Ed Undead series.

EK: This is a YA Paranormal Dystopian Romance series, where the main character, Ed, is slowly becoming a zombie due to a mysterious cause that he and his girlfriend are fighting to escape and get help. I would like to see it run three parts, with Ed slowly turning and then the choices and story will change dramatically.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

EK: Ed, of course, because he was the "nice guy" in school, and always wanting to do the right thing, and now he has to deal with this affliction and is set in circumstances he didn't ask for, all the while trying to keep his girlfriend from having to kill him.

Kathy: Did you have specific inspiration for your series?

EK: Not really, just my love of zombies, along with the setting, which is based on my hometown and things I was around growing up. 

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

EK: When I was downsized in 2010, I decided to take that time to try and write and publish. The Zombie Ed children's books came first, and the plan would be to get them out there with a traditional publisher, but we'll see. 

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

EK: Stephen King, John Grisham, Dan Brown, and JRR Tolkien.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

EK: Milk, bread, eggs, and Pop Tarts.

Kathy: Would you care to share any hobbies your have?

EK: I enjoy drawing, movies and listening to my iPod.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

EK: I just finished Jaws by Peter Benchley, for like the 25th time since I bought the book in '77

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

EK: I am currently working on the second installment in the "Ed Undead" series.

Kathy: What’s your favorite thing about being an author?

EK: Just being able to write and control the stories and characters. To have things in my mind, play out on paper. And then to see it and have others read it is a kick.

Do you want to meet Ed Kent? If you're in Western New York, Ed will be part of a Halloween Party at Monkey See, Monkey Do Children's Bookstore in Clarence, NY this Wednesday, October 24, 2012. The party starts around 6pm and Ed will be reading from his book Zombie Ed Loves Halloween at about 7pm. If you attend, be sure to say hi.

Keep up to date with all things Zombie Ed at Ed Kent's Blog: e-kent.blogspot.com.