Pen to paper, pen to paper, sleep sometime later, says the muse.

Saying farewell to 2014 with less of a bang and more of a mad plea — more caffeine, more chocolate, more tea, please, more! –, we have a total of 31 pages! Not bad for a scant few weeks’ worth of work, not so bad at all. We are looking for progress here, and progress we have. How many pre-orders thus far? 16! No kidding!? Best get back to writing…

If you are wondering what in tails I am talking about (admit it, you are just a little bit, aren’t you), it would be The Novel. Well, I call it that. It is about zombies — and if you know me even a smidgen, this will come as absolutely the opposite of a surprise. Zombies? Naturally. What about vampires? Ah, well, that’s for the fourth book. Shh! -don’t tell anyone!

But, so what if it’s a book about zombies? I hear you thinking, in the back of your mind, in that particular tone of voice (you know the one), what is so different about this zombie story? Hollywood has stuffed us full of zombie stories! Sure it has, I say, but I derive my inspiration from The Zombie Autopsies and the ravings of passing giraffe. And of course, if you happen to like picturesque Marin County, California — I do, although I suppose perhaps I don’t, so much, all considered — well then you’re in for a treat! A bloody treat, because zombies. But just the same.

The sickness starts in this lovely little county, full of beautiful rolling hills and some 256,000 potential cannibals. Excited? I am! I can see it now: blue skies, a light breeze, citizens blazing down Las Gallinas Avenue with a horde of hungry, hungry hippos trailing…

The muse is not to be deterred, so I say, ta!