We’ve reached the end of the A to Z April Blogging Challenge 2013 ! This was my third challenge, but I still get surprised on the last day of April. What? No more AZ posts?
If you participated, are you completely wiped out? Did you post every single day as per the AZ calendar? I’m co-hosting the challenge on Amlokiblogs, so drop me a comment there if you have something to say about the challenge itself.
On this blog, I’ve been featuring mostly indie-published book excerpts for all of April. I love reading, and supporting author-friends, and this is a good way to do both. Today, for the last letter, Z, I give you a novel of obsessions and humor: Zombie Candy by Frederick Lee Brooke.
Elevator Pitch: Weaving elements of mystery, horror and romance in a story that starts in Chicago and ends in a quaint medieval town in Tuscany, Zombie Candy transcends any single genre. Embark on a journey that will tickle your taste buds as it wakes up your funny bone.
Excerpt:
“We don’t have weddings like this in Chicago. The food … the music … the grapes.”
“My uncle’s house is nice,” Giancarlo agrees. “But I am sorry for Lucia. She has married a playboy. I do not think they will be happy.”
“They certainly look happy.”
Giancarlo makes a face. “I should not talk about the details. I know him. I’ve known him all my life, and he will never change. I tried to talk to my cousin, but she is in love and blind. What can we do?”
Giancarlo’s smile, Candace realizes, has a hypnotizing effect. Thank God a fast dance is starting, the Bee Gees. He makes no attempt to bring her back to the table, merely releases his hold on her waist.
“You are a beautiful dancer,” he says when the Bee Gees song ends. The band takes a break. Everyone is leaving the dance floor. Her heart sinks. Somehow she has managed to cling to him for two dances, something no woman before her had managed. Now he will bring her back to her table, his duty done. He will go back to his people.
“Thank you for the lovely dances.”
“Come, let’s get some fresh air. I’ll show you around,” Giancarlo says. And the really amazing thing is he doesn’t let go of her hand.
Buy the book on Amazon.
Born and raised in the Chicago area, Frederick Lee Brooke graduated from Amherst College and studied writing at the University of Montana. He has worked as an English teacher, language school manager and small business owner. Having lived in Germany, France and Switzerland, he has also travelled extensively in Tuscany, the setting of part of Zombie Candy. The first book in the Annie Ogden series, Doing Max Vinyl, appeared in 2011 to wide acclaim.
ur elevator pitch pitched in the crisp details and seemd to have the positive tone to it. so i just hope its a great book to pick up from the shelves:)
I’m nominating you for a Versatile Blogger Award
Yup! I read the background 🙂
When I think of it, the “monster” that would scare me the most, if ever, would be a zombie, because it’s practically — uhm — deathless,…well, you know what I mean ;p This sounds like an interesting read!
Yes – and the zombies in this book are all angry women … it’s all about a cheating spouse, if you know what I mean.
Thanks so much for hosting me on your challenge, Damyanti! It was a big success.
Yay! Well done and now you can have a well deserved rest! 🙂
This looks promising! I have to say, my favorite zombie book is Isaac’s Warm Bodies *he’s working on the sequel now* I’ve enjoyed your reading recommendations this challenge!
A good excerpt.
I like writing about Zombies as well!
That’s a great excerpt, I’m getting into the Zombie stuff a bit thanks to Jack Flacco. Thanks for sharing all these books this month and for visiting my blog all month. Best wishes 🙂
Catherine
Congrats on making it through to the end! And I love your take on it by choosing novels. Well done.
I have this one. on my Kindle Just haven’t read it yet.
I feel like an idiot for asking this, but is this a zombie novel?
Charles, it’s a bit of a zombie satire … the main character’s cheating husband spends all his free time on Sundays watching zombie movies. So when she decides to take her revenge, she concocts a ruse in the language he understands best — zombie! Thanks for stopping by …
You’re welcome. I know a guy who does spend all his free time watching zombie movies and reading zombie books. I think he’ll get a kick out of this.
That’s good. I was partly inspired by my friend’s dad, back in high school. He would sit in his basement and watch Godzilla movies. He was a pathologist … go figure!
That sounds like my life from 9-11 years old. Except for the pathologist part.