This is where I’ll share a few cool, awesome things that I’m currently into. So…. occasionally on Wednesdays (although this week is a day early to kick things off), I’ll post a blog about a couple of awesome things I’ve been doing, reading, playing, watching, or a cool thing to share with you guys. This week I’ve got 2 very cool things!

What I’m Playing

I’ve been a Mac user for over ten years now, but I recently needed a Windows computer to run dictation software for my writing (it’s less of a headache on Windows). Thanks to that, I’ve discovered the awesome and vast world of PC gaming and WOW! I’ve been a die hard console gamer my whole life (I won’t say how long, but let’s just say I grew up with the Atari 2600!). It’s not that I’ve purposely avoided PC gaming–I just never had a computer powerful enough to run any of the AAA games in all their high def glory… until now. I just finished Doom (2016) and hated to see it come to an end. We need a sequel to that STAT!

But one really great thing about getting into PC gaming now is the vast catalog of past games I may have skipped–not to mention all the mods available. I love going back and reliving the old Dooms and Quakes–games that I only briefly dabbled with years ago.

One such game from a few years ago that I’ve been playing is Crysis 2. I’ve never been one to demand the best graphics–I’d much prefer solid gameplay over better graphics–but I admit I’ve had to wipe up the drool from my keyboard while playing Crysis 2. The lighting and particle effects in that game are… breathtaking.

Just look at that water. Oh my. No one takes down Liberty and gets away with it!

How a game that’s six years old still looks like it was released last month is mind boggling. Thankfully, it plays awesome, too! I’m digging the sci-fi, nano-tech filled story. For anyone who hasn’t played it, it’s like taking the single player gameplay of Call of Duty and infusing it with nano technology and tossing in a little Predator for flavor. I can’t wait to play parts 1 and 3!

For the techies: I’m running Crysis 2 on a Asus ROG laptop with a nVidia GeForce GTX 1070, 16GB RAM, i7-6700HQ, all Ultra settings, and 1080p.

What I’m Watching

Bring on season 2!

Have you seen the newest trailer for Stranger Things Season 2? If not, stop reading and go watch it! Don’t worry, I’ll wait. I’d go play a round of Crysis, but the trailer is only 37 seconds long, so I’ll sit here pondering the juicy goodies it teases.

You’re back? Was that awesome, or what? Did you see the tentacles? Think there may be a touch of Lovecraftian monsters in season two? Oh, I hope so! I know where I’ll be this Halloween!

That’s it for this week! Let me know what you think about any of the cool stuff I mentioned, or leave a comment and share a cool thing you’re into! I’ve gotta run… gotta save the eastern seaboard from an alien invasion!

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

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After months of writing and preparation, I’m happy to announce that Wanted Witch, book one in the Daughter of Darkness series is ALIVE!

Origin of Zee’s Magical Abilities

As most of you know, I play a lot of video games. The idea for this series started from me wondering what it would be like to have multiple lives–like a video game character. I began forming the image of Zee in my head as someone who discovered she had this ability, and I wondered how she would use it. Would she save everyone she came across–like a superhero? Would she be able to use the Konami code and add 99 extra lives? Would her extra lives be unlimited? If not, would she know how many she has? If her lives are limited, would she have to be selective in whom she saves?

Does Zee Know If Her Next Life Will Be Her Last?

With limited lives, it would inherently cause conflict for Zee. Conflict within herself from dealing with not only her newfound ability but knowing the next person she saves could be her last, as well as conflict with those closest to her.

Zee Kicked and Screamed Inside My Head

For several weeks before I started writing the prequel, Zee was all I could think about. I got the idea for the series as I was finishing Zombie Boy 2–(another series with a video game theme). I couldn’t just abandon Zombie Boy, although Zee would have probably preferred that, so I finished book two in the Zombie Boy series while discovering the ins and outs of Zee’s abilities. Then, I immediately began writing Reborn, the prequel to the Daughter of Darkness story. It wasn’t until I got to book one, Wanted Witch, that things really got fun!

When the Magic Happens

I hate when cool stuff gets spoiled for me because I like to discover secrets as I go, so I won’t do that. However, I will say that while Reborn gives us the backstory of Zee’s magical abilities, Wanted Witch is when Zee learns to deal with her magic and the power it gives her. It’s also when she discovers several truths she wasn’t looking for. I will give one hint–in Wanted Witch we learn why Zee and Alexa are enemies… and it’s a a doozy!

You can get Wanted Witch here for $.99 for a limited time. And the prequel, Reborn, is available FREE. There are three books (plus the prequel) planned for the Daughter of Darkness series. If you guys like it, I’d love to write more!

Stay tuned for the cover reveal of book two!

 Happy Halloween!

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

Today I have a couple of cool things to share. First up, news on my new Urban Fantasy series! The Daughter of Darkness series will debut on October 25th with Wanted Witch. You can get the prequel, Reborn, FREE which includes a sneak peek of book one by visiting Instafreebie. The cover was designed by the talented Lou Harper. I can’t wait to show you the next two!

The Daughter of Darkness series is an adult coming of age story about Mackenzie Adams, a young woman whose life is turned upside down when she discovers she is not only a witch but can cheat death.

And speaking of Instafreebie…. Reborn and Zombie Boy are both part of a major exclusive giveaway today! There’s everything from Game of Thrones to various Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and even a few gaming related books in honor of the NYC Comic Con!

After you get your FREE copy of Reborn, head on over to this list of awesome books. It’s such a huge list, there’s something for everyone!

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

Well, almost, but you can pre-order it here. Zombie Boy 2: Level Up will be released on September 27th… that’s NEXT Tuesday!

The cover was illustrated by my talented artist/musician friend, Jason Whitt. I think he captured the essence of Zombie Boy perfectly! I can’t wait for you to read it! The synopsis is below, but be warned… if you haven’t finished Zombie Boy: Press Start (book 1), there are SPOILERS ahead!

Synopsis:

Trapped in a video game overrun with zombies, Katie’s life is in jeopardy.

Liam Walker, a now leveled-up zombie hunter, suspects that HoriZon Corp, the virtual reality game developer, is somehow behind it all. Liam must use the experience he gained from the first adventure and return to the video game world that took his best friend. With new foes threatening their plan at every turn, Liam and friends battle mini-bosses, giants, and hordes of zombies across many familiar video game settings in search of Katie.

Can he and his friends escape the zombie apocalypse and get out of the game world alive… once again?

Twice the action, double the adventure!

Don’t forget, you can pre-order your copy today, and it will be automatically delivered to your Kindle or Kindle app on release day!

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

Welcome to my list of favorite video games of 2015! You’ll notice I used the PS4 covers for the games (were applicable), that’s because that is the console in which I played the game.

1. Fallout 4
Honestly, does this game need any explanation? If you love Fallout, then you know why I love it so much. When Fallout 4 was announced at E3 2015, I just knew – I had a feeling – that we’d get it the same year. You’d better believe I was stoked when it was made official! I got my Pip Boy Edition pre-order in the day it went on sale.

I could list many reasons why I love the Fallout series so much, from its rich story history and its wacky characters to the varied missions (have you played U.S.S. Constitution mission? OMG that was hilarious!) and the little details I find in the huge wide open world. But my biggest reason for loving it so much? The total immersion factor. No game, other than one (keep reading), has the power over me to zap me into its world and not let go until many hours later like Fallout does. Seriously, it’s like being in a casino with no windows or clocks – when I’m wandering the Wastelands, nothing else matters. That escape is why Fallout – and specifically, Fallout 3 – is my favorite game series of ALL TIME. (For the record, The Elder Scrolls series is a close second, and it, too, has that same escape magic hold over me. More on Elder scrolls in a minute.)

And I get that many fans feel like Fallout 4 is just more of the same. Duh! I mean, I’m personally very happy they didn’t stray too far from what we love. Were the side missions as cool and lengthy as they were in Fallout 3? No, but I still feel like we got a full experience. Wandering around and discovering this little nods and references were also fun. Personally? I can’t wait for the DLC! Bring. It. On!

Interesting tidbit – I earned the Platinum trophy in 150+ hours *and* by some miracle published my third book during that time.

Some things I hope we get in the DLC:
1. More of the Glowing Sea. Such a fascinating place and very much reminiscent of the look and feel of Fallout 3. There were several little things to find in the Glowing Sea that just begged for more exploration – the half buried Super Duper Mart, the underground bunker – they just called out to me.

2. Underwater. You’ve seen the pipeline, right? Who knows? Maybe there’s a secret cover up story that goes along with it!

3. Salem area. Meeting Barney Rook and helping him out was nice, but while walking around the little town, I couldn’t help but wish there had been more to do there.

On with the rest!

2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D – Absolutely beautiful on the 3DS. I never finished Majora’s Mask on N64 (I know, I am ashamed), but I really dug the heck out of this one.

3. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture – Not without its issues, but I still really enjoyed wandering around (there’s that phrase again) and learning about these people’s lives.

4. Until Dawn – A surprise that was a blast to play! It felt like I was not just watching a movie, but was right there with the characters. And it was so easy to get immersed in each character and their stories.

5. The Elder Scrolls Online – Oh, Elder Scrolls. I’m torn. I loved being back in Tamriel, with just one caveat. I don’t need other players in my Elder Scrolls game. I am enjoying the familiar world and the missions, but I’m a soloist at heart. Just give me Elder Scrolls 6.

Honorable Mentions (sort of):

You may be wondering why The Witcher III isn’t on my list. And I have an answer. I did play a few hours of it, but it honestly didn’t grab me. I make no apologies for the fact that my love for Fallout, the immersion I feel when playing it and its play mechanics, has me spoiled. Other open-world RPGs just don’t compare. One day I’ll give it another chance. I liked it, I just didn’t love it.

Normally, a Tales game (like Tales of Zestiria) would make my list, but due to it coming out right before Fallout 4, I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t even broken the seal yet. But since I’ve now Platinum’d Fallout 4, I’ll be diving in soon!

Well, I hope you enjoyed my list of favorite games of 2015. I’ll try to report in throughout the new year whenever a new game tickles my fancy. In the meantime, press start…

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

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It could be debated whether the anniversary should fall on the day I started writing my first book or the day it was published, but I choose the former because it’s the day I took action. – from my one year anniversary blog 1-12-15

Looking back over the last year I had a few ups and downs. The ups were:

– Publishing Monster Girl: Ghost in the Attic (Feb)
– Writing 4 fun horror shorts that I planned to release as an anthology (March)
– Writing my first horror novel (March-May)
– Creating a daily word count goal (Sept)
– Writing Zombie Boy: Press Start, book 1 of a trilogy, using the above daily word count goal (Sept-Nov)
– Publishing Zombie Boy: Press Start (Dec)

When I look at that list of accomplishments, do you know what stands out the most? The period between May and Sept. I hate to admit it, but I did nothing to speak of writing-wise during June, July, or Aug. Not only that, but the horror short anthology and the horror novel did not get published last year. As humans, it’s so much easier to focus on what we didn’t do, which brings me to my downs from last year. Basically it consists of one thing – I let various things in life, both good and bad, interfere with my writing. During the months of June through August, I let a lot of negativity in, and it affected my getting things done.

Thankfully I recognized this, and in September, after reading two books that encouraged the process, I created my first ever daily word count goal. It was small, 250 words per day, but it got me focused. I was able to write Zombie Boy: Press Start in just shy of two months thanks to this goal.

The take away here is, every little bit counts. No matter how small, it adds up. If there is something you’re struggling with (saving money, writing a book, etc.), my advice would be to create a daily plan to get it done. Plan out a small step for every day, stick to it, and I promise it will add up before you know it!

You can check out my latest book, Zombie Boy: Press Start, now! It’s available at all your favorite retailers!

Available on: Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

I mostly read non-fiction, whether it’s to gain knowledge about a particular subject (like indie publishing or photography), or just to learn about other geeks out there like me.

Non-Fiction

5000 Words Per Hour – Chris Fox

This book, along with Monica Leonelle’s “The 8 Minute Writing Habit”, has changed my writing routine for the better. I admit, I’m a total pantser, but I wanted to see if this book could still help me. And it does! While I’m no where near writing 5,000 words per hour, this book has been helpful in two ways. 1.) I’m writing every single day again, which is awesome! Some days I may only manage 250 words in my work-in-progress, but my personal goal has been to form a daily habit of writing at least 250 words. The good news leads me to… 2.) Most days I double and triple my daily goal! Again 500-750 words may not be huge numbers, but in time they will add up. I encourage any writer struggling with Butt In Chair Time each day to read this book. Do the sprints. Even short sprints add up.

The 8-Minute Writing Habit – Monica Leonelle

(See above for some of why I LOVE this book! Seriously, just like the title suggests, it helped change my writing habits.) “The 8-Minute Writing Habit” basically inspires you to write – at a minimum – for 8 minutes a day. Who doesn’t have 8 minutes to spare? The great thing about this mini-Pomodoro method is that once you get through those first 8 minutes, you’re usually in the flow of things and don’t want to stop. So, get this book, and learn how to turn an 8 minute habit into productive writing!

Writing Into the Dark – Dean Wesley Smith

I follow Smith’s daily blog (formally called “Writing in Public”) religiously. Really, the man needs no introduction. He writes every day and shares his word totals with with the world. Very inspiring stuff! His career spans four decades and has written both traditionally and self-published, as well as for his own publishing company, WMG Publishing. “Writing Into the Dark” is about learning to follow our Creative Voice whenever we put our Butt in Chair to write and to ignore our Critical Voice. You know, the one that likes to tell us “that story isn’t good”, or “you’ll never amount to anything writing like that.” Following Creative Voice and tuning out Critical Voice is no easy feat, but this book will help any author develop that skill. Personally, I’m a total pantser, and I loved this book even more because it was like talking with an old friend who shared my writing style. Not that I needed the validation. Outlining just isn’t for me, and it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

Prosperity for Writers – Honoree Corder

I loved this book so much I just bought and read her follow-up: the Prosperity For Writers Productivity Journal. This book helped cement the belief that I can succeed as a writer. This will be one of those books that I turn to time and time again.

You’re Never Weird on the Internet – Felicia Day

It’ll make you laugh, cry, and make you fall in love with gaming all over again (not that anyone would fall out of love with gaming). Highly recommended even if you aren’t familiar with Day. If you’re a fellow geek, you’ll enjoy it.
On the iPhone – David Hume Kennerly

This book inspired my first daily photo challenge from April 2015. While I do enjoy shooting with my Canon 70D, my iPhone is my favorite camera. Why? Because I always have it with me. And I’ve captured more memories and beautiful shots than I ever could have planned to do.
Grandma Gatewood’s Walk – Ben Montgomery

Not only is the story of this 67 year old lady’s thru hike on the AT a fascinating one, it’s also a nice history lesson. A lot has happened in our modern world just since the 1950s (interstates were built, cars were manufactured, etc), which really puts things into perspective. If you’re a hiker or enjoy the outdoors (and living off the grid), give this one a read.

Fiction

As you can see, my non-fiction list far outweighs my fiction lists. This is pretty typical. I’d like to up the number of fiction books I read in 2016.
Devoured (The Hunger #1) – Jason Brant

A fast, fun zombie-filled ride. Except that these are no ordinary zombies. I won’t spoil it for ya, you’ll just have to read and enjoy it for yourself.

The Haunted Mask, One Day at Horrorland, and Why I Quit Zombie School – R.L. Stone

Goosebumps are just plain fun. And “The Haunted Mask” is just plain creepy. What more could a Monster Kid like me want? I got on a Goosebumps kick later in the year thanks to my nephew (the same one who inspired my book, “Zombie Boy: Press Start“), and the ones listed above were some of my favorites.

Until next year…. !

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

2015 was a pretty good year

While I didn’t accomplish all of my writing goals, I did manage to publish two books that I’m very proud of: “Monster Girl: Ghost in the Attic” and “Zombie Boy: Press Start“. I also wrote the vomit draft of my first horror book as well as several short stories, all of which will be published at a future time. I was hoping this year would be a good time to bring my books to the audio world, but it’s something I decided to put off a tad longer.

One big goal that I hoped to accomplish this year just recently happened. ALL of my books are now available at all the major online retailers: iBooks, Nook, Kobo, and, of course, Amazon. I’m in this for the long haul, and going wide to all the other stores just seemed like a no-brainier.

It was also a good year for me personally due to all the hiking my husband and I were able to do. And also for the two hiking-and-gaming-filled visits by my best friend and her husband. Unfortunately, with the good comes the bad, and 2015 also brought me both home and auto repairs to deal with. Bleh. However, I am very blessed with what I have!

My focus for 2016

Book sales are still low, which is to be expected. Readers don’t read my books if they don’t know they exist. So, 2016 is the year of promotion and more writing. Writing needs no explanation. I’m a writer, therefore I write. However, I can’t efficiently promote unless I have a decent number of reviews. I’m working on a plan that I can implement hopefully in the first quarter of the new year that will net me more reviews, and thus allow me to promote more. I’m sure readers hear/read it all the time, but it’s true. Reviews are so very important to indie authors like myself. Think about it. When you’re browsing an online store for a product, you check out the reviews, right? I know I do. I want to get a general feel for what other users think of said product. Does it perform as advertised? Is it a good value? Has it held up over time?

Books are no different. We buy them based on what our peers say about them. I’m gonna toot my own horn here for just a second. Knowing how important reviews are, I try to return the favor as often as I can. Granted, life is hectic and I don’t always remember to do it, but I do practice what I preach and write reviews for some of the books I read. (I mainly review on Amazon and Goodreads since the Kindle has been my preferred reading platform for a while now.)

And speaking of reviews…. One thing I would like to do more of in 2016 is read more fiction! I read a crapTON (yes, that’s a word) of non-fiction. I’d like to make a concerted effort to read even more indie fiction this next year, especially in the horror and thriller genres. With that will come more reviews, too!

See how I brought that back around? I firmly believe ya get what ya give.

Stay tuned for books 2 and 3 in the “Adventures of Zombie Boy” series! Be sure to check out book 1, “Zombie Boy: Press Start” available NOW!

Available on: Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Happy New Year, everyone!

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

My iPhone has been used in two daily photo challenges this year (one from April and the second is going on right now), and it gets a lot of use out on the hiking trails. One of my favorite things to do with my iPhone’s camera is use the Olloclip 4-IN-1 lens attachment and shoot macro. Spring and summer bring out the bugs, and while I prefer them to not be in my house, I do love taking extreme close-up photos of strange-looking bugs that I find outside. (Click here to view photos on my Flickr page: Bugs and iPhoneography.)

Not only do I love the built-in camera, but my iPhone is used to edit photos, read books, watch movies, listen to music and podcasts, and even, wait for it… write stories. I’m writing this blog on my iPhone right now. My latest book, “Zombie Boy: Press Start” was written almost entirely on my iPad. (See #2 in the “5 Things I Learned” Post.)

My MacBook Air fills in the gaps (which aren’t many), and is also used to compile and publish all my books. Which brings me to the point of this blog entry. Books. Specifically, iBooks.

Like many indie authors, I did a stint of time in Amazon Kindle exclusivity, but now the time has come to spread my wings and take that next step into my writing career’s future.

I’m happy to announce that not only is “Zombie Boy” now available on iBooks, but ALL my books are! It was a goal of mine to “go wide” to all the major book retailers this year, and I am beyond thrilled to have reached that goal! Being published in 51 countries is a pretty awesome feat! That’s 700 million potential customers who love their iPhones as much as I do.

To celebrate, “Zombie Boy” will be on sale for a limited time for $.99! (Links for each book are listed below.)

Be sure to let me know what you think by leaving a review on iBooks. It may seem small, but reviews help indie authors in a HUGE way.

Thank you!

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

From video game references to the different ways to describe zombie goo, I had a blast writing my third book! Like always, it was a great learning experience. Here are a few things I learned.

1. That setting writing goals is a MUST.
After reading “5000 Words Per Hour“ and “The 8-Minute Writing Habit“, I decided to set a daily writing goal of my own. My initial goal was to meet one of the following every day: either write for 8 minutes OR write 250 words. I basically do my own shorter version of the Pomodoro Technique. Because, honestly, I have no excuse to not write 8 minutes every day. It really is amazing what setting a daily goal did for my productivity. I typically write longer than 8 minutes, and most days I at least double, and sometimes triple, my minimum word count. (And the 1,000 word days are like Heaven!) Using this technique, “Zombie Boy” was written in just shy of two months. Compare that to the seven months for “Monster Girl” and five for its sequel. The takeaway from this is, no matter how small, every little bit adds up. Another good book to read on that very subject is “The Compound Effect“.

2. That I can write first drafts using a keyboard.
When I wrote my first two books, “Monster Girl” 1 and 2, I did so longhand using only pen and paper. For most of my writing life that is how I preferred to write. But I’ll be honest, transcribing from paper to screen is so not fun. It’s such a drab that with “Zombie Boy”, I wanted to learn how to tap into my creative flow using a keyboard the same way I am able to do it with pen/paper. Surprisingly, it was easier than I expected! I even wrote paragraphs using my iPhone but I mostly wrote entire chapters on my iPad since those are two devices that I always have at arm’s length. My MacBook Air was mainly used for editing.

3. That I’m still a total pantser.
For the record, I do outline key events, but it’s usually nothing more than a few sentences. Mainly to get what’s in my head down on paper so that I won’t forget it before I write it. I’ve mentioned before that Stephen King writes using a similar method, but I also recently read another book on the subject that I really liked. Dean Wesley Smith’s “Writing Into the Dark“ is a great read for anyone feeling unsure about your pantsing methods. Not that we need permission to write the way that feels most natural, but it is nice to know we aren’t alone.

4. That there is a fine line between enough and too much.
“Zombie Boy: Press Start” is chock-full of video game references. Some are obvious and others not so obvious. Balancing how many references was tricky. My love of gaming could have lent itself to a reference every other page, but I had to make sure that each one fit the story. I do feel I captured that balancing act, and I promise there will be more fun references in future sequels!

5. Naming characters/places/games/etc. is hard.
You’d think it would be easy, but it’s something I struggle with all the time. Naming stuff can be fun, but when that perfect name eludes me – the one that encapsulates the very essence of that person, place, or thing – it feels like pulling teeth. I have two criteria for naming: 1.) it must sound good, and 2.) it must have meaning, whether apparent to the reader or not. Even coming up with the subtitle for this book was a challenge. The book needed an immediate reference to gaming since it plays a major role in the story, and I think “Press Start” does an excellent job of conveying that. If you’re one of the people I hit up for name ideas, THANK YOU for your ideas and putting up with me!

Thank you for reading!  “Zombie Boy: Press Start” is available at all your favorite online bookstores! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Available on: Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!