The family that slays together....

by Brittany Geragotelis

...stays together?

I just had to show this photo that I found online yesterday. This might be the BEST. PHOTO. EVER! I only hope when I have kids we can bond like this...

Now, for the fun. Come up with your best caption for this photo and the winner will be featured on a later blog!

5x5,
B.

Running from zombies is excellent exercise

by Brittany Geragotelis

Okay, so some of my boyfriend's co-workers were over at our apartment the other night filming something for work and before they left, one of the guys was talking about a 5K run he was doing this weekend. Pretty typical, right?

Uh, not quite.

He went on to explain that the event is called "Run For Your Lives" and is an apocalyptic race that involves zombies who run after you and try to "turn you" as you attempt to complete 12 different man-made and natural obstacle courses.

By this time, I was totally fascinated and enthralled with the whole thing, so I took a look at the website and decided that this might possibly be the coolest thing I've ever heard of. Or the scariest. Because, although you'd logically know that the zombies are just people dressed as flesh-eating undead....I have a feeling part of me would be wondering if they really were zombies. Nobody wants to have an anxiety attack mid-race. Especially when some really cool medals are at stake.

Check out the video below to get your blood pumping and then visit the website for more info, including participating cities and dates.

5x5,
B.

Review: The Dark and Hollow Places

by Brittany Geragotelis

I'm a big fan of zombie stories. Forget vampires...they're so overdone right now. But zombies? Well, they've certainly been done, but I really feel like there are so many good stories out there just waiting to be written!

photo credit: Ember

photo credit: Ember

I recently finished reading the third book in the zombie series by Carrie Ryan. Now, I have to admit, I mostly picked up The Dark and Hollow Places because I'd heard of the other books Carrie had written: The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves. And though I hadn't read either, I'd heard from others that they were really good, and thought it was about time I checked them out.

photo credit: Ember

And I've gotta say it was worth it.

The Dark and Hollow Places is about a girl, Annah, who's just trying to survive the current outbreak of zombies in the city where she lives. She's been waiting for several years for her old friend—and onetime crush—Elias to come back home after joining up with an army of men called the Recruiters. She's just about to leave the city for good, when she runs into her long-lost twin sister whom she'd always thought was dead. Even more shocking is that Elias is with her sister and tagging along is another handsome young man called Catcher. When this new group of loners escape from the incoming horde of zombies and find refuge on an island nearby. But the same place where they've gone to seek safety is about to become just as dangerous as the streets filled with the undead. Now Annah and the others must find a way out...and they might not all make it out alive.

I really enjoyed reading The Dark and Hollow Places and understand why Carrie's books are so well-liked. She writes very epic tales...not just about creepy crawlies that go bump in the night or a zombie or two popping up out of the darkness. But instead, it's more about the infestation of a disease—in this case, zombies—and the will to survive. I'd thoroughly recommend this book....of course, since it's sort of a spin-off of the other two books, I'd probably pick up those ones first. Which actually works out well, because The Dark and Hollow Places doesn't come out until March.

5x5,
B.

DELETE—Little Miss Pukey Pants

by Brittany Geragotelis

Once a week, my guest blogger (who shall remain nameless...okay, not nameless...let's call her Ms. Sassy Pants. Sassy for short) stops by to share all the things in her life that deserve a big, fat DELETE. Anyhoo, her majesty is back and trying to figure out whose fault it is that she fell sick this weekend. Check out what she had to say and then come up with a few DELETE's of your own.

This weekend was supposed to be the weekend of all weekends. I had plans to attend an annual fundraiser that I haven’t missed in three years. I had the dress picked out; I had appointments to have my hair and makeup professionally done—Ms. Sassy Pants was on her way to becoming Ms. Fancy Pants—until I woke up on Saturday morning and felt the strangest sensation...Like my insides were about to be ripped out! And then I got sick. How could this have happened?!? All my plans had been DELETED!

Bottom line: I wished that I could've just been DELETED. No human should ever have to endure the misery I went through. I felt like I was a victim of the bubonic plague. It was seriously worse than any hangover you could imagine (and I've had my fair-share). As I was claiming squatters-rights to the bathroom, I began to run through a list of culprits that could've been responsible for my weekend's downfall.

So, here we go…the list of possible causes to my most recent plight:

The guy in the subway that was sucking on chicken bones and then throwing them at me. You just know they were full of e-coli or botulism or some sort of melt-your-insides type of bacteria. I don’t know if I was part of some sort of twisted voo-doo ritual or if the guy just had a screw loose, but throwing chicken bones in the subway…DELETE!

The girl that claimed the bathroom stall right next to me. The entire bathroom was empty and she just had to use the stall right next to mine. I'm sure it was a part of her evil plan to spread her sicky-poo germs all over unsuspecting victims. And, hello?!?! Some privacy please? DELETE!

The co-worker who insisted on coming in to work with her runny nose and glassy eyes after being attacked by some sort of virus. I personally think it was a Night of the Living Dead-type sickness because that’s how she looked—and how I felt—after she spread the mutant virus onto me. If you are sick or have been attacked by a zombie, don’t go in to work…DELETE!

Chocolate syrup. How could this have made the list, you ask? With all of the delicious goodness it has to offer? Apparently you're supposed to keep it refrigerated after opening. Probably not a good idea then, to make a shake with chocolate syrup that has been sitting in the cabinet for two weeks after being opened and not refrigerated. They should have made that print a little larger…DELETE!

So kiddies…Ms. Sassy Pants is now on the mend and coming around slowly. Today’s blog was almost in danger of being DELETED due to this recent mishap (I know that would've been a tragedy) but the show must go on.

See you next week and stay away from booze, bums, zombies and chocolate syrup and you should have a happy, healthy week ahead.

5x5,

B.

Majoring in "Evil"

by Brittany Geragotelis

photo credit: New Line/Austin Powers

I was talking to a friend of mine who recently headed to NYU for her freshman year and she was telling me how there's a school offered there that allows you to create your own major. The Gallatin School of Individualized Studies lets students really zero in on a specialty. And apparently, according to NYU admissions, one guy decided to major in EVIL. Yep, that's right. His degree was actually in EVIL and now he's become a pretty successful lawyer, who's considered an expert on the subject.

How cool is that?

I wish I'd gone to a school that had allowed me to really tailor my education to what I was actually interested in learning. I can honestly say all the math and science I use today, I learned in grade school. Imagine all the stuff I could've learned in school had I been given a little more freedom to choose. I mean, wouldn't students be more excited about learning if they were taking classes they were actually interested in? In fact, it would seem like it would take some major creativity to come up with an original major and then have to plan out all the courses you'd need to achieve it.

photo credit: Universal Studios/Heroes

But the idea of majoring in EVIL brings up a great question. What sort of major would you want if the sky was the limit? Me, I think I might have majored in something like "HEROES" and I'd take a look at the history of heroes in fiction, film, music and real life; the psychology behind what drives a person to want to do heroic things; the definition of a hero and what constitutes one. And that would just be to start.

Or maybe I'd major in "FEAR" and study the history of the horror film; the psychology behind people's attraction to fear; a deep look into the physical ramifications that fear can have on a person; delve into the most common fears and ways to overcome them.

Or maybe "SUPERNATURAL STUDIES" and then I could look into ghosts, demons, vampires, werewolves and other supernatural topics, discovering their origins and their impact on society.

Man....the prospect of coming up with my own degree is actually kind of making me want to go back to school (and I hated school). Maybe I could just start by taking one class: The History of Zombies, perhaps?

If you could create your own major, what would it be? Leave your comments above!

5x5,
B.
W

Author Stacey Jay talks Zombies

by Brittany Geragotelis

photos courtesy of Stacey Jay

Few authors over the past couple of years have really made me excited to read their stuff. Not that I don't like a lot of the stuff I read and review, but it's rare to find those authors who are so unique and have a voice that just makes you say, "OMG, I'm in love with this book" or "Wow. This author and I could totally be BFF's." Of course, this list starts with my fave author EVER, Meg Cabot (how awesome is she?!?!). But another author who recently made my list is super-fantastic zombie slayer, Stacey Jay. Her books You Are So Undead to Me and Undead Much? were to die for. Equal parts clever, funny, creepy, smart and way fab. Very reminiscent of "Buffy."

Anyhoo, being the Stacey fan I am, I just learned on her blog that Razorbill has decided not to publish her third book in the Megan Berry series. To say I was sad to hear this is an understatement. I loved the character and the voice was dead-on (Get it? A little zombie humor here.). But lucky for us, the lovely Stacey has decided to publish the last book, a novella, herself. Now, we may have to wait a few years (she has other projects she has to finish first—ones that have been greenlit by publishers, so we probably won't be reading it until Spring of 2011), and it'll only be available in ebook form, but we WILL get to see what happens to Megan Berry. And that's all that really matters, right?

If you haven't already read Stacey's books, go out and get them today. I promise, you won't be sorry. And in the meantime, check out this interview I did with her...After you're finished reading, you may just want her to be your BFF, too!
Q: You’re the brains behind the zombie-riffic Undead book series! Growing up, did you ever think this is where you’d end up? Stacey Jay: No way! Acting was my major in college. I thought I was going to be an actress, but acting’s not a dependable career when it comes to putting food on the table. I wrote plays and screenplays in college, but didn’t start writing novels until my first son was born. Becoming a mom made me get serious about earning a living. And since I’m not qualified to do anything but play pretend—I got my B.F.A. in acting—I decided I’d write books and make money to support my precious baby. Once again, not a very well thought out plan on my part—writing is another undependable career—but thankfully it worked out!
Q: Have you always wanted to write for teens? Stacey: I started out writing romance novels for adults, but I love writing for teens more than any other age group. The teenage years are such an exciting, drama-filled time, and some of the most enthusiastic readers I’ve met have been young adults.
Q: How does it feel to see your labor of love out on bookshelves and in the hands of teens? Stacey: It’s unbelievable. I’m so grateful to my readers. As cheesy as it sounds, continuing to write for a living is a dream come true for me. No matter how hard I push myself, it’s a dream that would have ended after my first book if it weren’t for all the awesome people picking it up off the shelves and taking it home.
Q: Why zombies? Were you always a fan of the lore? Stacey: Because they’re so scary! Just thinking about them freaks me out. And I love being scared almost as much as I love reading about people falling in love—both are a big part of the Undead series. I write romantic stories, and I’m not afraid to put that out there. Romance rocks!
Q: Where do you get your zombie intel from? Stacey: I did a lot of research on voodoo and the history of zombies—both on the Internet and at museums across the south. Also, the voices in my head are very helpful, too. (Kidding!)
Q: Do you remember having your first “I have arrived” moment? Stacey: I’m not sure that I have arrived, but it was pretty strange to come across a yahoo question page where a slew of people were discussing how old I was. (I’m 32.) I couldn’t imagine that anyone would even know my name, let alone care how many years I’d been wandering around the earth making stuff up.
Q: What inspires you? Stacey: My two little boys and my amazing husband (pictured left as zombies), my mom and dad and everyone who enjoys reading my books. Also cheese. I really love cheese. I find a good feta or a well-aged gouda quite inspirational.
Q: For Megan, high school has been a pretty dangerous place. What was it like for you in high school? Stacey: I loved high school. Junior high was terrifying and stressful, but high school was so much fun. I loved getting to take classes that I actually enjoyed instead of the same old stuff all the time. I loved the friends I made—friends from all different social groups that all got along and had great times together. Sure, there was drama, but life is full of drama. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop once you get out of high school. But I choose to remember the positive things about my teen years as well as my twenties. Hopefully I’ll feel the same way about my thirties!
Q: Are you a fan of other books that go bump in the night? Stacey: Of course. I’ve always loved paranormal books. I only wish I had more time to read. With two little boys and work, it can be a challenge. Though my 5-year-old and I are really getting into Halloween picture books. We read them all year round.
Q: What’s your writing process like? Stacey: Very methodical and goal-driven. I set word goals for each day of the week and work my hardest to meet them. I always tell my kids that a dream isn’t something that comes true because you sat on your rump wishing for it. I try to be a good example of that—though I do have to sit on my rump to type…
Q: Can you describe your journey to being published? Stacey: I started writing fiction in 2005. After 16 rejection letters from various agencies, I signed with my agent in the summer of 2007. We got the offer for You Are So Undead To Me from Razorbill in October 2007 and it was published in January 2009. (It takes an astoundingly long time for a book to go from submitted manuscript to pub-ready book!)
Q: What advice would you give aspiring writers? Stacey: Read and write. Read everything you can get your hands on—each book will teach you something about storytelling. Write every day—because you can’t get better if you don’t practice. (Something every cheerleader knows, of course.)
Q: In your journey to being published, was there ever a time you wanted to give up? How did you push yourself to go on? Stacey: There are still times when I want to give up—like when I get a bad review, or a mean email from someone who thinks that writing about zombies is “evil” and “weird.” Or when I read over my latest work in progress and think it stinks and have to delete everything and start over.
But in the end, I really feel that writing is what I’m best at. It’s a career that suits me and I’m committed to continuing to push myself to improve at my craft and write even more entertaining books for my readers. Also, this is how I earn money. My kids are big eaters (as you can see by the pic), and the little one uses a lot of diapers. Diapers, I’ve come to find out, are very expensive!
Q: When the zombie apocalypse finally happens (and we all know it will eventually), can you give our readers any tips to being one of the survivors? Stacey: Totally! Move to a zombie-free island. It’s a known fact that zombies are very bad swimmers!
Check out the full interview at americancheerleader.com.
5x5,
B.