Blend Well, Strain, and Serve

Hmm...sounds like a cocktail recipe.
Don't worry, we'll get around to that.
It often amazes me how things come together in the writing world. I don't know why I'm so surprised when these things happen. After all, as writers, we're creative sorts, and most of us love a challenge of one form or another. Even so, I continue to be impressed by how quickly and easily a vague, seemingly random comment can mutate into an unstoppable juggernaut.
A case in point is the Lesbians Vs. Zombies line from Noble Romance Publishing, which kicked off Monday with the release of KevaD's "The Zombie With Flowers In Her Hair." My own tale for this line, "Dead Means Dead," debuts on February 13th. Hey, Valentine's Day and zombies . . . what could be more natural? I'll get back to that in a minute. (And yes, the recipe's coming. Just hold your horses!)

The whole thing started with Amber Green, one of the editors at Noble Romance and a member of Erotic Romance Authors, my crit group, making a remark in the group's private chat room: "I wonder if we could do something that combines lesbians, zombies, college, and music."
My initial reaction to this looked something like O_O. You would think, having been around her for some three months at that point, I would have learned to expect anything and everything from Amber. The concept really puzzled me, because I've never been a big fan of zombies. They're not exactly what you'd call versatile creatures, even less so than vampires. They eat people. Whether they're the delicate connoisseur type who's only interested in braaaaains (Yup. Intentional.) or the less particular variety (leg, thigh, breast, it's all the same to me), whether they run, walk, or crawl, that's what they do. Period. The end. Munch munch, crunch crunch, hey, you're a zombie. Have a nice day. Try the rump roast, it's delicious.
Thankfully, lesbians are much more, ahem, flexible.
One of the more amusing highlights of this conversation was when Amber asked me, point blank and in all seriousness, if I could write lesbians. This prompted a blink, and then a snicker, because I already had a vampire/ghost lesbian story to my credit: "Espiritu Sancti," from the Red Roses and Shattered Glass anthology. I laughed and said, "Oh, I think I'll muddle through."

So, a zombie's a zombie's a zombie. (Except that they're not. At all. Remind me to send a thank-you note to KevaD for showing the rest of us mere mortals up >.<) That left lesbians. I sat down, lit a cigarette, and got to work.
Only to run face-first into a migraine-inspiring stall.
I had the setting and the zombies. I even had a vague idea of what my heroines should look like. But what I lacked, and didn't realize until I was five thousand words in, was a musical angle that made any form of sense.
@*&%$##*! Back to the drawing board.

It didn't take me long to find the perfect solution, though. And with that last piece, the puzzle fell into place. In less than two weeks, I had sent off my story and moved on to other projects.
Here's the blurb for "Dead Means Dead." I'm still waiting on cover art, or I'd throw that up too. :) I hope you all enjoy it!
Stay tuned after the blurb for my own recipe for a zombie. Just the thing to chase the chill on those cold winter nights! And, if that's not enough zombie goodness for you, here's a link to the official LvZ blog, where you can find the prologue to "Dead Means Dead!"

Louise is having a bad day: a near-fatal overdose of nicotine while cramming for exams, rehearsal under a director she can’t stand, and ill-fitting shoes.  Surely there has to be a limit to what a girl has to put up with!  But then she meets the pretty new stagehand, Angie.  Instant attraction leads to a sexy sojourn in the dressing room. 
The day’s looking up, until the director barges in on their interlude and falls no-pulse dead on the floor–only to recover and attack Louise.  Angie savagely defends Louise and they flee to the safety of the quad.  The girls discover that their fallen assailant is only the first wave of a horrific outbreak and that their campus is cut off from the outside world. 
Their best hope to stay alive is to stay together.  Exploring one another’s bodies and learning the deepest secrets of their hearts in the enforced closeness, each finds in the other’s arms something she never knew she wanted.  But before they can fully explore their new passion, they must learn to survive in a terrifying new world.  
There oughta be a law: Dead means dead!

J.S. Wayne's Zombie recipe

1/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz orange juice
2 splashes Grenadine
1 tsp sugar
2 oz light rum
1 oz Captain Morgan Tattoo spiced rum
1 oz lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with a fruit slice, sprig of mint* and a cherry.

*Optional

Have a great month, everyone! (And let me know what you think of the Zombies! You're welcome. :) )

Until next time,

Best,

J.S. Wayne