Secret life of a townie: Halfway Dead

1. It’s the zombie apocalypse and writers have got to stick together to survive. Pick 3 authors to be on your zombie apocalypse killing team and tell us why you’d choose them.

Terry says: That’s easy. You need to assemble a team of people who are so morally bankrupt that they won’t balk at the most gruesome crimes against humanity. You also need to select people who can organize the kind of mission that requires a level of expertise we rarely see. That’s why I’ll pick three people—my editor Jennifer Clark Sell (I imagine her screaming at zombies as she decapitates them, “THAT is a dangling participle, bitch!”) as well as Amber Dalcourt (She’s a veteran of corporate nonsense. I see her working out a lot of frustration with each killing stroke). The final cog will be my distant twitter friend Peter Cawdron. He’s an Aussie and a natural fan of science, so his contribution would be dual—a desire to understand the outbreak, and then the wherewithal to feed the Zeds to any nearby animals. In Australia, EVERYTHING eats people. It seems like a natural fit to have him on the team.

2. If Stephen King and J. K. Rowling were drowning in a river, who would you save first? And now you have to tell us why.

Terry says: J. K. Rowling, and the reason is science. Her lack of subcutaneous fat would assure her of drowning before Stephen King.

3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?

Terry says: I feel you. I wish I never had to sleep, because that would free up valuable time for reading, writing, and eating pie. I’m in the middle of Islands of Rage and Hope by john Ringo. It’s gun porn with an accidental dose of zombies, and it’s fantastic.

4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?

Terry says: The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey. I’ve loved it since I first cracked the spine, and it never gets old. Rereading it is like a visit from a best friend.

5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?

Terry says: I was introduced to clockpunk through a book titled “Chasing the Star Garden” by Melanie Karsak. It was utterly unique to me. I found the vibe/atmosphere to be a little like Indian food—different, zesty, but demanding my attention.

6. This year my favorite read has been The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2015?

Terry says: Dave Vs. the Monsters by John Birmingham. Dave is a foul mouthed reprobate who kills demons, and I loved every page of it.

7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?

Terry says: I would be known as Ursu the Bearmaster. I would control a cavalry of bears.I would ride one of the bears, and my friends could ride the others. We would take them to car washes, keep them looking clean and fluffy, and trim their nails. We would get our way anywhere and everywhere. Seriously—are YOU going to tell me I can’t have extra bread at a restaurant? Not when I have sixty bears high-fiving me in your parking lot.

8. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?

Terry says: Checkered chair. Two cats on either side, one dog present. Large drink of tea/coffee/water. Legs extended onto the ottoman, feet tucked left under right. It’s between 10 PM and 3 AM, and the house is quiet around me. That spot, that confluence of elements—it’s perfect. If there is pie, even better. If there is pie and milk, then I will dominate. And then nap.

9. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, but there are some scenes I’ve written that really stick out in my mind. Tell us your favorite scene from your book "Halfway Dead".

Terry says: That’s easy—it’s the first scene. Carlie (a witch) kills a disgusting Wendigo with an enchanted pebble. I could tell you it’s a metaphor for David and Goliath or girl power or some other nonsense, but the truth is that among mythological creatures, there are few things more grotesque than a Wendigo. Having small, intense woman execute one in the first scene was both squishy gross and deeply satisfying. It sets the tone for the book and lets the reader know that Carlie, despite her stature, is not to be trifled with.

10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?

Terry says: I get accused of being Ring Hardigan because he has dark hair and likes beer, fishing, and naked women. We are CLEARLY different people. He’s 6’3. I’m 6’2. So there.

11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Terry says: WELL OKAY. 1) The Cult “Rise”, because I love them and I must rock. 2) Yaz “Only You” because Alison Moyet’s voice is so expressive, it urges me to write with more emotion. 3) Anything by Lera Lynn. I want to marry her voice. 4) Nothing But Thieves “Trip Switch”. The bass line is hypnotic. 5) Queen. Anything by Queen. (Seriously, Kanye, don’t ever try to sing Queen again. Ever.)

12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?

Terry says: Ignore and mock every single person who gives you advice IF they say that serious writers don’t do the following: 1) Write Science Fiction of Fantasy. 2) Write more than one book a year. 3) Want to make a living as a writer. To those people, I say go straight to hell and take your elitist idiocy with you. Was that too harsh? Heh.