DEATHBREED: A Zombie Novel by Todd Tjersland

[Todd Tjersland]

http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/6650/2680/400/980910/cover_large.jpg

At last the wait is over! Now on sale at ZombieNovel.com:

DEATHBREED: A ZOMBIE NOVEL (http://www.zombienovel.com)
by Todd Tjersland, The Visionary Overlord of American Horror

The bodies of the recently dead are returning to life. They rise, hungry to kill, to destroy, to devour. No one is safe! With each new kill, their numbers grow. They are the DEATHBREED, an unstoppable army of flesh-eating zombie horror… Where can you run when they are everywhere? Who can you trust in a world gone mad? These are the challenges that confront the survivors. This is the terrifying story of the end of the world, told step by step, day by day. READ IT IF YOU DARE!

The demented debut novel from legendary cult filmmaker, TODD TJERSLAND (The Necro Files), DEATHBREED is pure zombie horror--served red, raw, and dripping--in the tradition of Night Of The Living Dead. It is a brutal, unrelenting story of survival at any cost; a new underground classic that is at once familiar to zombie fans, yet offers a welcome twist...

If you thought all horror novels were the same, think again!

READ THE FREE PREVIEW ONLINE TODAY! (http://www.zombienovel.com)

392 Fear-Filled Pages featuring Ghastly Cover Art by Isaac Cooper, the zombie from the Necro Files

Available in your choice of formats:
Standard 6x9 Trade Paperback (Perfectbound)
Autographed 6x9 Trade Paperback (Perfectbound)
Signed & Numbered Limited Edition 6x9 Hardcover (Casewrap)

[zombie04]

well, you have me interested.

[Todd Tjersland]

well, you have me interested.

That's a start! :D

[Danny]

wait, so that "overlord of american horror" isnt a quote, you just saying it yourself?, good book or not that's sounding a little egotistical you know what i mean?, id just let people read it and use some of there feedback as quotes.

[capncnut]

Todd Tjersland, The Visionary Overlord of American Horror

The demented debut novel from legendary cult filmmaker, TODD TJERSLAND (The Necro Files)

What planet do you live on pal? :lol:


wait, so that "overlord of american horror" isnt a quote, you just saying it yourself?, good book or not that's sounding a little egotistical you know what i mean?

Either that or he's having a laugh with us.

[Todd Tjersland]

Prism, the official publication of the British Fantasy Society coined that title, "The Visionary Overlord of American Horror," for me several years ago in a review of my work. I didn't make it up, LOL. That would be ridiculous...

If I'd made it up, it would have been something less pretentious, like "The New Modern Master of Shock-Horror." :D But since a magazine actually called me "The Visionary Overlord of American Horror," I felt perfectly at home and within my rights using it. I think it's hysterical, and while I appreciate it (and on some level even agree with it*), I don't take it all that seriously. But if someone gives you a fancy title like that, why not have fun and run with it? It's almost like being knighted! Hey, look! I'm horror royalty! LOL :lol:

Oh, and DOOM: Das Phantastik Magazin, called me an "American Underground God," but I thought pushing myself as some kind of deity might be a bit too much. "Visionary Overlord" seemed the lesser of two evils, LOL.

* Since my work is often so much different from what everybody else is doing. Note that I'm not saying "better," I'm just saying different. :D

[DrSiN]

Has anyone read this. The preview was decent but $20 is beyond my impuse buy for a paperback. I don't mind playing it if it's good but I have nothing to go on other than the little preview. Anyone read it?

[Todd Tjersland]

Hi,

The book was just released Monday, January 15, 2007, so I don't think you'll be finding anybody here who's read it yet (aside from myself, and I wrote it, LOL). If you go to the site's preview page and scroll down past the teaser, there is a FREE 23-page PDF preview (http://www.zombienovel.com) you can download. The preview expands the teaser scene considerably and gives you a taste of the general tone and themes explored in the book. Have you read that as well as the preview page teaser?

You're of course free to hold off on purchasing until more reviews come in. I will be mailing review copies out to various websites and magazines in the weeks ahead, but it may be some time for the reviews to come out...

[DrSiN]

Yes, I read the full preview (and to be fair, it's an 8 page preview, not 23). As I said it was decent and I'm on the fence.

[EvilNed]

I have to admit that I've never actually heard of these "all-time cult classics" your website refers too. But I read the preview and it sounded good. If they release the book over here I'll buy it.

[Todd Tjersland]

I have to admit that I've never actually heard of these "all-time cult classics" your website refers too. But I read the preview and it sounded good. If they release the book over here I'll buy it.

By "over here," do you mean England? Or where, exactly? The odds of the book "coming out" anywhere other than internet sales outlets are very low.

I've had five of my films released in the UK since 1999 (Dead City [aka Legion of the Night], Faces of Gore, Faces of Gore 2, Misled, and The Necro Files). I was also featured on an episode of Bravo UK TV's Sin Cities: Season 3 promoting Necro Files 2. This spring, Sin Cities: Season Four is devoting an entire 30-minute episode to me and my films, including the world television premiere of my erotic horror zombie/comedy, True Necromance.

I'm not surprised you haven't heard of me or my body of work, however. Most of my projects have received spotty distribution despite good reviews. I've been plugging away at various genre-related projects since high school, having been a comic book illustrator, TV horror host, magazine publisher, actor, director, producer, writer, editor, special effects makeup artist, film distributor, etc. This year marks my twentieth anniversary in the horror business and I'm still waiting to become an "overnight success," LOL. :D

[EvilNed]

Sounds interesting. I live in Sweden, which, as you might know, is generally pretty big on "underground" stuff. Everything from the obscurest heavy metal records, the strangest giallo films and pretty easy access to old nazi antiques as well.

Just because I've chatted to you, I'm going to seek out some of your stuff and when I do I'll tell you what I thought of it.

[Todd Tjersland]

Just because I've chatted to you, I'm going to seek out some of your stuff and when I do I'll tell you what I thought of it.

Cool. I'll keep my fingers crossed... :confused:

All I can guarantee with my (non-mainstream) books, mags and movies is that you'll either love 'em or hate 'em. Which is generally most people's reaction to me personally... :D

[MikePizzoff]

The book has me interested. Will you sign my copy if I buy it?

[Todd Tjersland]

Sales are good so far and I'm getting a lot of nice traffic from HPotD. Thanks to everyone here who bought a copy of my novel! :)

[Todd Tjersland]

Hey,

www.ZombieNovel.com just won the HorrorFind.com Platinum Freaking Scary Award! Pretty cool, huh? :D

[deadwrtr]

Hurry up and ship it already, willya? :)

Looking forward to reading it. I haven't read a good zombie story in a while.

:skull:

Bring it.

[Todd Tjersland]

Bring it.

Oh, it's already been brung! Wait--is that a word? LOL
Aw, hell. You know what I mean! :D

Here's a copy of the book's press release... :D

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 16, 2007

Horror Author Warns Society Can Collapse In Minutes!
A controversial new zombie novel tackles tough social issues underneath all the scares.

Olympia, WA, January 16, 2007 – Horror Author and Filmmaker Todd Tjersland (The Necro Files) has something important to say in his book, Deathbreed: A Zombie Novel. The author deftly uses the horror genre as a stepping stone to explore human nature and to shed light on a variety of tough social issues such as race, religion, and gender roles in society. Unlike the mindless gorefests of many of his contemporaries, the author relies on his human characters, rather than their undead adversaries, to deliver the shocks in a controversial and thought-provoking fashion.

“Deathbreed is not just a zombie novel. Certainly, you can read it that way and enjoy it as simple entertainment, but there’s a lot more going on under the surface,” Todd Tjersland claims. “The book stresses that humanity walks a fine line between civility and savagery. Our fragile society—the so-called rules we live by—are artificial man-made constructs that can collapse in a matter of minutes, zombies or not! When they do, humanity will revert to the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest. That’s what makes Deathbreed compelling fiction that transcends genre.”

Deathbreed is being released today in trade paperback ($19.99) and a special, signed and numbered, 666 copy limited edition hardcover ($29.99) by Astaroth Entertainment Group. It includes an exclusive author interview and a preview of the sequel, Deathbreed 2. The book is available through the publisher’s website, www.ZombieNovel.com.

A widely recognized expert on the horror genre, Todd Tjersland has been named “The Visionary Overlord of American Horror” by Prism, the official publication of the British Fantasy Society. Deathbreed is his first novel; his previous books include the horror film review guides Fear Without Frontiers (as a contributor) and Sex, Shocks & Sadism!

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[Todd Tjersland]

There's a review of Deathbreed: A Zombie Novel up at The Zombie Review here: http://thezombiereview.com/modules/article/view.article.php?64

You can read a FREE preview and buy the book from
http://www.ZombieNovel.com

Also, congratulations to the Deathbreed/HomePage of the Dead Competition Winners. The books shipped Friday, March 30; you should be receiving your copy this week.

[Todd Tjersland]

Check out Zombie Friends: A Place for Zombies. It's like MySpace but for zombie fans. Join up and add me to your friends here:
http://www.zombiefriends.com/?vi=2713

[KillerABN]

I bought the book a month ago or so and here is what I thought of it. At first I wasnt sure that I would like it at all and the first part of the book was very much into developing the character and I get bored easily so I thought about quiting the book. Being the Zombie fan I am I stuck it out and I can say that I am happy as hell I did.
The last half of the book was hard to put down the wife even became upset a couple times because I kept reading the book all the time. I cannot wait for the second book now and I will be one of the first to get it.
Thanks for a great book.

[Todd Tjersland]

Thanks for a great book.

Glad you liked it! :)

As you point out, Deathbreed is definitely not front-loaded with zombie action, beginning several days before the plague hits. I did this on purpose so that there would be a lot of character development--so you could get to know the characters in their normal daily lives. There are clues and hints (from chapter two on, IIRC) that something BAD is happening, but these events don't affect the main characters in the book for awhile.

Most zombie movies give you about 5-10 minutes or so before the zombies show up. I wanted to do something different, so when the **** hits the fan, it really catches you offguard. Hopefully, by then you're emotionally invested in the characters enough to really care whether they live or die.

One lesson I've learned over the years is that to write a quality script or novel, the action should revolve around the story and not the other way around. Otherwise, you end up with something that may have cool set-pieces, but little else to recommend it. ;)