Interview with Tonia Brown
I was delighted to see that Tonia Brown and I (Chris Bartholomew) are both in some work together - Ladies of Horror 2009 , Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes: Zany Zombie Poetry for the Undead Head available now from Coscom Entertainment , and Tooth Decay an Anthology coming this month from Sonar 4 Publications . We wanted to interview her about her upcoming book with Sonar4Publications entitled: The Blooming , publisher Sonar4Publications.
Here is a blurb for the book:
When a documentary film crew is hired by an award winning botanist to film the wild life of a remote tropical island, they end up with more than just footage of trees and samples of bugs. The doctor is in hot pursuit of a rare and powerful flower, while the rest of the crew is overwhelmed with sudden desire and find themselves in hot pursuit of each other. But things take a turn for the deadly when they learn the flower they are seeking is not only a powerful aphrodisiac, it also causes a unique infection that changes its victims hunger for flesh from sexual, to literal.
As you may have already guessed, this is an erotic zombie story set on a remote island out in the Atlantic Ocean , near the Polynesian area. – And you all know how I LOVE Zombie's so let's support Tonia by buying her book when it's released!
1. Tell us about your book, The Blooming, and when it'll be out for us to read.
The Blooming is your basic erotic zombie horror story. The tentative release is March, by my good friends at Sonar4. It's about sex, violence, death and botany.
2. What an interesting concept! Where did the idea for this book come from, and how long did it take you to write it?
The idea actually came from the owner of Sonar4, who asked me to pen a horror novella for her. She told me to mix the two things I loved the most; zombies and erotica. She suggested that it should be set on an island, and by shear coincidence I had just finished a whole bunch of research for a steampunk novella set on a Tahitian island. In the process of deciding how to mix sex and the living dead, without touching on the uber proscribed sex with the dead, a simple solution came to light. And so we have The Blooming. Once the basic form was set, the actual writing process was an amazing three weeks of non-stop fun!
3. Tell us a bit about your new venture with Shells Walter of Sonar4, with a radio program.
I'm co-hosting a new show about writing and writers. It should start September 20 th with guest Michael Hanson. It's gonna be fun on a bun folks!
4. What other projects are you currently working on? Short stories? More books?
I just finished another full-length romantic erotic comedy, Love at Second Sight. It's about a young woman who is haunted by her dead twin sister, and the problems this causes in her search for love. I am currently seeking formal representation for that one. I just signed on with Lyrical Press for my erotic steampunk novella, Clockworks and Corsets. And I am always scratching a new story about everything from romance to erotica to horror. I just finished a tale about a witch who specializes in helping out zombies. I'm hoping to parlay that one into a full-length book.
5. What is your favorite genre to write, and why?
I'm torn between horror and erotica. Not just romance, but raw, sensual sexy sex. I love the nitty-gritty ideas that both erotica and horror bring out in the reader. Both genres invoke such basic emotions, and induce that sudden rush of the pulse and sweat on the brow I love to experience myself when I read.
6. What type of books do you like to read? Favorite book?
I love to read everything. Horror, erotica, paranormal romance, if you give it to me I will consume it. I am also a huge science fiction nerd. It's odd that I don't write more of it, because I read some pretty hard-core sci-fi authors. I also love kids books, and lighthearted fantasy.
7. Who are some of your favorite authors?
Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Alan Dean Foster, Neil Gaiman, Author C. Clark, Neil Gaiman, Isaac Asimov , and Neil Gaiman.
Did I mention Neil Gaiman?
8. What is your myspace address, and do you have any other online places you'd like to direct readers to?
www.thebackseatwriter.com
I also have some work at www.sugarandspicepress.net under my pen name, Regina Riley. You can also find me soon at www.phaze.com and www.lyricalpress.com for more novellas.
9. How long have you been writing?
I have written, creatively in one form or another for most of my life. I used to pen a fare bit of poetry, because I lacked the nerve to try my hand at fiction. Only in the last few years have I taken on the task of serious writing. I started with a full-length novel in 2006, and haven't stopped writing sense. |