Zombies! discussion

Journalist, John Pender has returned to his home town of Whiteshead to rekindle his marriage. Ex-British intelligence officer Dave Johnson has arrived to isolate himself after his fiancé is murdered during a mission that went terribly wrong. But excavations for the new shopping centre unearth a mysterious contagion that threatens to throw their lives into chaos.
Now the residents of Whiteshead are trapped within a quarantine zone with the military on one side and ravenous hordes of living dead on the other. Escape is no longer an option.

Far out in the mouth of the estuary a small Keep sits forlornly surrounded by an apron of jagged rocks. This refuge has always been unassailable, a place of myth and legend that has grown in folklore through the years. Now, it’s the survivors’ only hope of sanctuary. But there are thousands of flesh-eating infected between them and the Keep and time is running out …

This is my latest book release. It's out just a couple of weeks (published by Permuted Press) and here's what's been said about it:

"ALMOST FIFTEEN THOUSAND MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN TURNED INTO FLESH EATING ZOMBIES BY A LONG-FORGOTTEN NAZI CHEMICAL WEAPON...SOUND LIKE YOUR THING?"
David Moody, author of HATER.

"A SEEMINGLY IDYLLIC SETTING, CHARACTERS FULL OF HUMAN WEAKNESS AND HEROISM, AND A MYSTERIOUS CONTAGION THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY EVERYTHING - FANTASTIC INGREDIENTS FOR THE MODERN HORROR NOVEL!"
Gav thorpe, author of MALEKITH

and two recent reader reviews:

"Awesome addition to the genre!"

"a satisfying Z read!"

Thanks!
Derek

I've had a couple of terrific reader reviews for my latest release, THE ESTUARY, posted at Amazon.com and .co.uk and Goodreads but this is the first "official" review from [url:]http://www.horrornews.net/[/url:]

A brief taster -

" The Estuary is a complex tale that had me turning pages non-stop ...Mr. Gunn twists history in a believable and original way...The scares here are realistic and human, so to me the feeling of terror is more prolonged never wavering till the last page...Mr. Gunn uses science (Ala Michael Crichton) to explain the cause of the sudden zombie outbreak...The story is tight and quick never easing up on the beautiful bleakness of the setting and the dangers surrounding them but the characters always have a strength that never lets them give up hope even as the odds of surviving grow smaller and smaller.

The scares here are realistic and human, so to me the feeling of terror is more prolonged never wavering till the last page. The Estuary is a zombie novel but it’s not just for zombie fans."

Check it out at their site under "book reviews"

D

I entered the GoodReads First Reads drawing for this, but even if I don't win, Derek, I'd planned to read it anyhow. Looks fun! My kind of fun, in any case.

Thanks Natalie and I hope you win a copy.

Hey that's great to hear Jo - thanks!

A definite on my list. I love the Zombie novels that, from what I've heard, deal with the nuts and bolts of survival. Shelter, food, weapon gathering and using to stay alive and the chemical weapon release sounds interesting if not believable.

Thanks CJ!

Just to let everyone know - there are just 3 days left to enter the giveaway of THE ESTUARY here at Goodreads:

Giveaway ends on:Aug 31, 2009
Release date:Jun 30, 2009
Copies available:5
People requesting:866

The giveaway is now over and 5 copies of THE ESTUARY are gone in the post to the winners - thanks to everyone for entering!

FANGORIA news!
Well I'm not only delighted that Fangoria has reviewed my latest release THE ESTUARY, but I'm blown away by their review! Here's a taster:

"A story, which is an action-packed survival horror Irish zombie novel, features something completely refreshing and new among the hundreds of zombie reads out there. The newest novel from horror novelist Derek Gunn features everything a horror fan could hope and dream of!...The pages will soon enough stick to your sweaty fingers as you swipe each page in anxiousness as you live through the citizens of Whiteshead, Ireland.

this story is much more than the typical zombie novel, serving us classic horror ingredients that constantly invigorate and excite. Gunn’s ability to jump from one character to the next is flawless as we are presented with some of the best, clear and concise action sequences this reader has ever come across. The story reads very quickly as you can never seem to put the book down; constantly looking over your reading shoulder in paranoia and fear.

I want to immediately read a sequel and grab popcorn for the big screen movie adaption! This book is a definite recommendation for any fan of the horror and zombie subgenre as well as Gunn’s magnificent and adventurous writing style that will grab your bloody beating heart and never let go!"


You can read the full review at:
http://www.fangoria.com/reviews/6-boo...

Outstanding review Derek. I can't wait to read your book. Thanks!

Just finished this novel, very good read. I cant wait for the second installment, which I assume could be coming by the ending. I wont go into the story, as I'm not the best at writing but would like to give congratulations to Mr Gunn. Read it, you'll like it.

Congrats, Derek. I'll have to get a copy.

Thanks CJ for letting me know that you enjoyed THE ESTUARY :-)

Scott, if you do get a copy, I hope you enjoy it!

📚 BOOKS BY R. S. MERRITT 📚

Love zombies, apocalyptic survival, horror, or dark fantasy? Pick your next binge below.

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💉 THE TOX SHOT Zombie Apocalypse • Survival • Military Action • Found Family

A miracle drug was supposed to save the world. Instead, it created the infected. Follow Joel, Terry, Lisa, and a growing band of survivors as their fight for survival turns into a war for humanity.

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TURNING THE TIDE • KNOCKING ON HEAVEN'S DOOR • COME HELL OR HIGH WATER

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☣️ CRAWLERZ — COMPLETE 7-BOOK SERIES YA Apocalypse • Mutating Infected • Family • Survival

An ancient tomb is opened during a livestream and something gets out. Drew, LeBron, and Yue must survive a world where the infected aren't simply dying. They're evolving.

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🧟 ZOMBIES! — COMPLETE 7-BOOK SERIES Zombie Apocalypse • Family • Survival • Action

Seven books of zombie survival following ordinary people trying to stay alive, find the people they love, and somehow keep going after civilization collapses.

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🗡️ ZOURNAL — COMPLETE 6-BOOK SERIES Zombies • Dark Humor • First-Person Survival • Mayhem

The apocalypse through Steve's eyes. Zombies, survival, questionable decisions, and a much heavier dose of dark humor.

ZOURNAL • THE WICKED AWAKEN • STILL ALIVE
REAP WHAT YOU SOW • FEELING LUCKY? • THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

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🩸 EXPLOITED BLOOD — COMPLETE 6-BOOK SERIES Apocalypse • Dark Fantasy • Monsters • Survival

Humanity faces an entirely different kind of apocalypse in this six-book saga of survival, blood, monsters, and a world rapidly coming apart.

THE ONSLAUGHT • THE TURN • THE RITE
THE WAR • ARMAGEDDON • THE END

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⚔️ SON OF THE KEEPER — COMPLETE FANTASY TRILOGY Epic Fantasy • Magic • Lost Heir • Coming of Age

Chris discovers he is heir to a kingdom from a magic-filled universe his people were forced to abandon more than two thousand years ago. Now he has to learn who he is before an ancient war reaches Earth.

PRINCIPLES OF MAGIC • THE WEIGHT OF THE CROWN • THE FATE OF THE WORLD

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📖 WANT TO SEE EVERYTHING?

Zombie apocalypse. YA survival. Dark humor. Horror. Fantasy. Pick your poison.

👉 VIEW ALL BOOKS BY R. S. MERRITT

Thanks for reading, reviewing, and supporting indie authors!

R. S. Merritt