Zombie
Uprising
Voodoo
Child
Book
One
William
Burke
Genre:
Horror/paranormal with Action/adventure
Publisher:
William Burke
Date
of Publication: June 17th 2016
ASIN:
B01H9E4HDA
Number
of pages: 333
Word
Count: 96,000
Cover
Artist: Deranged Doctor
Book
Description:
The
forces of darkness are out to destroy mankind… Too bad they never
reckoned on facing Maggie Child!
Army
chopper pilot Maggie Child has a reputation for being fearless,
professional and, above all, rational. But when she's shot down over
Iraq her well-ordered life spirals into a paranormal nightmare.
Alone, wounded and surrounded by hostile forces, Maggie is rescued
from certain death by a demon straight out of Dante's Inferno. Then,
barely alive, she's abducted by a private military corporation
conducting insidious medical experiments. Her escape from their
covert hellhole lands her on a Caribbean island where an evil voodoo
spirit and a psychotic female dictator are conspiring to unleash an
apocalyptic zombie plague. Then she uncovers the most terrifying
secret of all—her own destiny. It seems a Voodoo oracle has
ordained her the only warrior capable of saving humanity from a
supernatural Armageddon … whether she wants the job or not!
But
saving the world isn't a one-woman job, so she teams up with a trio
of unlikely heroes—a conspiracy obsessed marijuana smuggler, a
Voodoo priestess with an appetite for reality television, and a burnt
out ex-mercenary. Together, they'll take on an army of the walking
dead, with the fate of humanity resting in their eccentric hands.
Voodoo
Child, Book One: Zombie Uprising is the first novel in a new horror
series packed with supernatural thrills, rousing adventure, dark
humor, Voodoo lore and plenty of zombie stomping action. But a word
of warning; don't shoot these zombies in the head … because that
just makes them mad!
It's
the legions of hell versus Maggie Child … and hell doesn't have a
prayer!
Voodoo
Child, Book One: Zombie Uprising by William Burke is a fast-paced
horror novel with quirky characters…Reviewed
by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite
About
the Author:
After
two years of ghostwriting, William Burke has released his first novel
VOODOO CHILD, Book One: Zombie Uprising. It's the first installment
of a new horror series chronicling the exploits of Maggie Child and
her Voodoo priestess partner Sarafina as they battle to save the
island of Fantomas from the wrath of evil Voodoo spirits.
The
author was raised on a diet of late night creature features, comic
books, Mad magazines and horror stories. As a result every volume
will be packed with eccentric characters, dark humor, chills,
zombies, ghosts, monsters, military hardware and plenty of stuff
blowing up.
Prior
to writing Voodoo Child he was the creator and director of the
Destination America television series Hauntings and Horrors. He has
also written scripts for two Cinemax television series, Forbidden
Science and Lingerie, which he also produced. He has also written
magazine pieces for Fangoria and the Phantom of the Movies Videoscope
among others.
William
began his film and television career as a perfectly respectable video
engineer at the venerable United Nations. Budget cuts shifted him to
becoming a production manager and assistant director on an array of
New York based indie films. With that experience under his belt he
relocated to Los Angeles where he eventually produced sixteen feature
films and two television series for the Playboy Entertainment Group.
After years of producing T&A extravaganzas, kickboxing epics and
gangster rap videos, he created a self financed television pilot
entitled American Mystery Tour. Canada's CTV picked up the series
under the title Creepy Canada, which was then re-titled Hauntings and
Horrors in the USA. Since then he has successfully produced three
series for HBO/Cinemax as well as documentaries and other … stuff.
After
hundreds of hours of film and television production he is basking in
the freedom of the written word, where small budgets and giant egos
are only memories. He lives in Toronto.
If
you enjoyed the first adventure please visit
www.williamburkeauthor.com where you'll find lots of interesting
information about Voodoo and military hardware, along with excerpts
from Sarafina's personal diary AND, as a gift to readers, the author
will be serializing a prequel novella
Aunt
Interview
I’m originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, also the
birthplace of film director Ed Wood… that’s pretty much our claim to fame. But
I’m nomadic by nature and during my time in the military I lived in Germany
(back when there were two of them) and Louisiana. After leaving the military I
lived in Manhattan for eight years, Los Angeles for seven and then moved to
Toronto, Canada where I’ve been for the past eight years. So I’m either an
enlightened, rambling free spirit, or just carnie trash with a library card – it
depends who you ask.
Tell
us your latest news?
The latest news is really this book tour, which
gives me a chance to reach out to readers and, more importantly hear their
thoughts. How this book series goes forward is very dependent on the feedback I
get from readers… so don’t hold back, I can take it.
When
and why did you begin writing?
I began writing as a teenager, but later shifted
into the creative aspects of television and film rather than trying to write
novels. Ultimately I’m finding more satisfaction in the book realm than I ever
had in film or TV.
When
did you first consider yourself a writer?
When my first script was accepted by HBO for the
series Forbidden Science. That made
me feel like I could cut it.
What
inspired you to write your first book?
After years of working in television and film as a
producer and occasional writer I became more and more frustrated with how
difficult it was to get anything read by broadcasters, never mind produced. At
the same time I was ghostwriting, which is enjoyable but has no payoff, except
more anonymous ghostwriting.
So I channeled my frustration by taking a project
I’d originally developed for television and adapting it into a novel. But once
my imagination was free of worries like budget and special effects I found
myself throwing away most of the television concept away and going wild. It’s a
great feeling.
Do
you have a specific writing style?
I consider my style to be very “pulp” – like the old
action adventure paperbacks of the 1960’s and 70’s minus the buckets of
exposition and the rampant misogyny of that period. One of the problems in the horror
or action genres is that strong female characters are often really overly sexualized
male fantasy figures. So I strove to have actual women as the central
characters who provided the emotional center of the story. Embracing a pulp
style also means doing anything and everything you can to keep reader’s eyes
glued to the page, freeing me to leap from humor to action, to graphic horror.
Fortunately those kinds of shifts in tempo felt very organic to the book’s tone
and storyline.
How
did you come up with the title?
Well, of course there’s the classic Hendrix song.
But in truth it came when I was taking a class at my gym. The song Rouge Traders song Voodoo Child (written by Elvis
Costello) by was playing over and over while I was doing bench presses or
some other painful thing. The chorus played over and over until I realized,
“Hey that’s a good title.” I thought the “Zombie Uprising,” part had kind of a
pulp-western vibe. I think “Sioux Uprising,” was the title of one of
the old “Edge” series of western novels.
It’s not plagiarism- it’s homage.
Is
there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
The main characters in my book are very eccentric so
I suppose the message is that your perception of people is often very different
from the reality. If you look beyond those preconceived notions about folks you
just might find the genuine heroes you need.
How
much of the book is realistic?
Well, the concept is pure fiction, but that’s no
excuse to skimp on the actual details. I think readers can always tell when a
writer has really done their homework and I’m pretty proud of mine.
In the course of writing I did extensive research
into the actual practice of Voodoo. It’s a very misunderstood religion, and I’m
probably not doing it any favors. But I incorporated as many genuine aspects of
the belief, including recognized spirits (or Loa) like Baron Kriminel, and
proper usage of terms like bokor (a practitioner of dark Voodoo). I also made
my Voodoo priestess (or Mambo) Sarafina into one of the heroes, even though 99%
of the time that character would be depicted as a villain. In reality women
like Sarafina are often the heart and soul of their community, and I wanted to
portray that. I didn't want to insult those who practice Voodoo (more properly
Voudon), which is why I chose Baron Kriminel as the supernatural villain –
nobody actually worships that particular spirit because he’s just pure evil, which
makes him pure awesome.
I did an equal amount of research on the book’s military
hardware, like Maggie’s UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, Rip Flowers DC-3 airplane
and even the Saracen Armored Vehicles that are important to the book’s finale.
I probably spent a solid week just writing the chapter where her helicopter is
attacked, ensuring that all the technical details were authentic.
That attention extended into other; seemingly minor details,
like getting Maggie’s Army rank correct. Like the majority of Army Chopper
pilots she’s a Warrant Officer, not a traditional commissioned officer. So she
went straight from high school to flight school. There are female military helicopter
pilots like her risking their lives every day, so the least I could do was get
the information right.
It’s important because I think readers deserve the
best and most authentic book possible. It’s even more critical because the
supernatural aspects of the book are completely off the map in terms of
reality.
Are
experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
A bit of Maggie’s unusual upbringing is borrowed
from my own childhood. My mother was a professional psychic and our house was
very metaphysical and new age, which isn’t as cool as it sounds. Great people,
but it was an odd environment to grow up in.
Lavonia’s biography (or more properly Her Excellency Madame Lavonia Dawes, Prime
Minister of the Republic of Fantomas) sprang from some sad childhood stories
I was told by models when I worked at Playboy.
Because they were pretty as children many of these models were forced into the
circuit of toddler and teen beauty pageants by their stage moms. That kind of childhood
really did a number on their heads, leaving them insecure, vulnerable and
unprepared for the real world. Most of them also discovered that mom had spent
the prize money they earned, so they were broke to. Of course in my book these
childhood experiences turned Lavonia into a murderous sociopath, who ultimately
becomes dictator of a Caribbean country… she’s a lot of fun.
What
books have most influenced your life most?
At an early age I delved into some of the more outré
authors available, and I think Harry Crews and Harlan Ellison both had a huge
impact on me. They showed that fiction does not have to have rules, and the
expression of ideas is limitless. I recently reread Crew’s novel A Feast of Snakes, and was once again
struck by his melding of beauty, sadness and humor.
On the guilty pleasures side I’m a huge fan of
Warren Murphy’s book series The
Destroyer, which appears to be part of the manly adventure genre, but is in
truth a merciless satire of virtually everything that caught the writer’s
fancy.
If
you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I would probably pick Harlan Ellison, even though
I’m not in any way a science fiction writer. His versatility and discipline are
inspiring. He also says whatever is on his mind, regardless of the
consequences, which I have to admire.
What
book are you reading now?
I recently shot a video about my literary
influences, which inspired me to reread some of those books from my past. Right
now I’m finishing Jim Thompson’s Population
1280, and it’s given me an even greater respect for his talent because it’s
so dark, twisted and amazing.
Are
there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Well, maybe new-ish. Christian Cameron is an author
I really respect and admire. He’s breathed new life into historical fiction
with his Tyrant series. Jim Mullaney
is an author who ghostwrote over a dozen of the best Destroyer novels, and has recently released his series of Crag
Banyon novels, a hilarious satire on the hardboiled detective genre. Crag is a
down on his luck private eye whose clients include Santa Claus, Satan and Poseidon.
What
are your current projects?
Voodoo
Child, Book Two: Title TBD. This time the US Navy is headed
for Fantomas to quarantine the island and render aid to its citizens. In doing
so they’ll ignite a disaster of global proportions, unless of course Maggie and
Sarafina can save the world.
What
would you like my readers to know?
Just that I work for them, so please shoot me any
feedback or customer reviews on Amazon. Also they can check out my website
www.williamburkeauthor.com – where I have some fun articles about Voodoo,
zombies and military hardware. Thanks so much and I hope they enjoy the book.
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