Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Blog Tour: The End Of The World Playlist By Dan O'Brien


Welcome to the first day of the The End of the World Playlist blog tour. It will run until August 1st and will feature excerpts and new author interviews each day. But first, here is the obligatory blurb about the novel to settle you into this dystopian world:

The world as we knew it had ended. Deep in the mountains of the west coast, six men survived. In the town of River’s Bend, these six friends continued on with their lives as zombies inherited the Earth. As they navigated the world that had been left behind, the soundtrack of life played on.



A few questions for the author:


Tell me about your book.  

The novella actually started out as a screenplay that I shopped around for a little bit. After a period of time had passed (and studios passed on it), I decided to turn it into a novella. The idea came from a discussion I had with some friends about how they would spend the end of the world. 


How did you get interested in writing this particular genre? 

I have always loved zombies, especially anything Romero made. Lately, there has been a surge in zombie fiction and I thought I might throw my hat in the ring. Horror and isolation, post-apocalyptic stories can be very interesting to read.


What kind of research did you do for this book? 

Only so far as asking the people on whom the characters are based if they thought I captured them appropriately. Everyone was pleasantly surprised about my portrayal of them at the end of times. 


What's a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal? 

I am a pretty organized person. I operate two businesses, as well as my writing, so there is an element of planning that goes into any writing session. My office is also my gym, so I have a pretty effective space to think and write. I set time-based goals as opposed to word counts, but I am not averse to altering my schedule to reach a deadline.



Here be an excerpt for your enjoyment:


Track 1
Have You Ever Seen the Rain?


There was a cabin deep in the woods. Inside that cabin sat a young man at a table. He was the very description of an average man: brown hair, brown eyes. He smoked a cigarette like it was the greatest thing ever, as if he were enjoying a fine wine or admiring a fine painting. 

He is William, or Wills; perhaps even Captain as he had people call him on occasion. Will coughed hard, the sputtering, wet variety that usually signals a not-so-good-for-the-well-being chain of events recently transpired. 

Moving in closer, it is easy to see that the scene is not hopeful. It is the other kind: the kind that starts and ends with obscene action. Leaning forward, he looked deep into the fire. 

Light crossed his face, revealing heavy lines of sleeplessness that are dwarfed by the caked blood and dirt that hide his youthful features. A dark stain has begun to spread across his gray shirt. But young William’s story began earlier in the town of River’s Bend.




Bio: A psychologist, author, editor, philosopher, martial artist, and skeptic, he has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Path of the Fallen, The Portent, and Cerulean Dreams. Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) or visit his blog http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com. He recently started a consultation business. You can find more information about it here: http://www.amalgamconsulting.com/.





Would you like to win a copy of The End of the World Playlist?

All you have to do is comment on a post during the tour. Two randomly drawn commenters will be awarded either a physical or digital copy of The End of the World Playlist.

Visit http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/ and follow the blog for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!


1 comment:

  1. Now that is the kind of excerpt I like, short and two the point but interesting... I already want to know more and I always am up for an end of the world zombie book!

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