Cover Reveal for Donna of the Dead by Alison Kemper!

So I should start by saying that when I was younger, I was terrified of zombies. Couldn't watch even a trailer for a zombie movie without having nightmares afterwards.

But then Shaun of the Dead came along and cured me of my fear, with its wry humor and wit (sort of like when Professor Lupus teaches Neville to picture the scary Snape boggart in his Gran's silly hat).

Well, along came a book that also helped me see zombies in an entertaining light--or more precisely, a main character who slays them with her wit and wits. Donna is a hilarious and kickass heroine!

I know this because I had a chance to read the manuscript early on when Alison Kemper and I traded manuscripts, and now the release date of March 4 is almost upon us! With that in mind, I'd like to share the cover and blurb:

Donna Pierce might hear voices, but that doesn’t mean she’s crazy. Probably.

The voices do serve their purpose, though—whenever Donna hears them, she knows she’s in danger. So when they start yelling at the top of their proverbial lungs, it’s no surprise she and her best friend, Deke, end up narrowly escaping a zombie horde. Alone without their families, they take refuge at their high school with the super-helpful nerds, the bossy head cheerleader, and—best of all?—Liam, hottie extraordinaire and Donna’s long-time crush. When Liam is around, it’s easy to forget about the moaning zombies, her dad’s plight to reach them, and how weird Deke is suddenly acting toward her.

But as the teens’ numbers dwindle and their escape plans fall apart, Donna has to listen to the secrets those voices in her head have been hiding. It seems not all the zombies are shuffling idiots, and the half-undead aren’t really down with kids like Donna…

The Donna of the Dead page on Entangled has all the buying details, plus an excerpt! Go check it out!

Angela Townsend: Journey of Amarok and Zombies

If you were to ask me, what was the most exciting event of my writing career, I would tell you it was getting the call. Although it actually started with an email and then a phone call.

I came home after a very long day to find an email message from my super-agent, Jill Corcoran. It said I had an offer from Spencer Hill Press. I can honestly say for a fraction of a millisecond, I felt like it just couldn’t be real. So many, many emotions poured over me I couldn’t even think straight.

Gathering myself together, I immediately called my agent Jill. The first thing I wanted to do was to thank her for not letting me give up when I wanted to toss in the towel, for cheering me on and for giving me advice on how to make my manuscript stronger.

Jill Corcoran is truly an amazing agent who rolls up her sleeves and fights hard for her clients. Thank you Jill!

The next few weeks were like a whirlwind. Working with Spencer Hill Press was an awesome experience. I learned so much in the following weeks.

Kate Kaynak, editor in chief of Spencer Hill press, is an absolute genius in the publishing field. She assigned me the fabulous Kendra Saunders as head of marketing for Amarok. Kendra not only provides awesome marketing feedback for Amarok, but she is a positive person filled with encouragement and endless energy for my project.   

After all the blood, sweat and tears and then more tears…My novel Amarok will be in print, November 2012!   

Anyone interested in Amarok Swag? Please email Angela with your snail-mail address and email I’d be glad to send you some.

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On May 15th, please tune in to my Zombie Radio broadcast. Here is a little more on the program:

Zombie movies have always been a hit, but in the last 10 years they have multiplied. And it's not just TV. Zombies are taking over the television, books, and even ambling down our streets. (Has your town hosted a Zombie walk yet?)

Join us as the Geek Chicks and a special guest host to talk about everything ZOMBIE! It will be a blast. Find out more information HERE.