Zombie Wolf: The Next Generation #1 - WIP

Introduction - The Werewolf Invasion

Zombie Wolf: The Next Generation #1 by Ally Thomas

Copyright 2013 Ally Thomas | All Rights Reserved | Cover Design by Ally Thomas

### The following introduction and short story (included in Chapter 1) were originally published in the zombie anthology, Darlings of Decay. You can read the complete book here at Wattpad - http://www.wattpad.com/22897222-darlings-of-decay ###

Introduction - The Werewolf Invasion 

The subject of stories I began writing in 2013 seemed to be werewolves, and the theme revolved around a star-crossed lovers' romance where a female werewolf or vampire got involved with the drop-dead handsome vampire or werewolf hero, but shouldn't have. A paranormal tale about Romeo and Juliet. 

I think taking the departure from my vampire series was something I really needed to do because 1) I hadn't completed the next installment in Rayea's story, 2) I couldn't figure out what to write about, and 3) I just wanted to disappear from the whole writing scene. I didn't realize all of that at the time. Now I get it. I had burned myself out and I needed to go underground. 

Creating a few pen names to write under gave me the freedom to begin a different world. I enjoyed writing romance, even though it's far more difficult - for me - than I ever thought it would be. As one of my readers told me, I have a great imagination. And I think that's entirely true. My favorite things to write are dialogue, unique monsters, fight scenes, horrific situations for my heroes to escape from, and more dialogue. Description, emotion, love and betrayal, detailed scenery, and (OMG) sex scenes? I simply suck at it. But I had to find out, so taking the time as a writer to explore the romance genre this year was a good idea. 

At the same time I have to say, my hat goes off to those Indie Authors out there who write romance, especially erotic romance - and write it well - because they can deliver a book for you to read that hits you right in the heart. You simply never want the book or the series to end. I have several author friends who write romance exclusively and I've learned a lot from them over the past months.

 Why Zombies? 

In August 2013, I had a story published in an anthology about zombies called "Darlings of Decay." You can find it for free here at Wattpad and also at Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and several other websites where free ebooks are available. 

A few months before I wrote this story, two author friends had approached me and wanted to know if I'd like to contribute to an anthology they wanted to offer free as an ebook. Even though I had not written anything recently about zombies, I jumped at the chance. I have to thank Indie Authors Kristen Middleton and Chrissy Peebles, who are fans of my vampire series, for asking me to contribute. They didn't have to do that because while they both have popular zombie series, I don't. When I questioned this observation, they both dismissed my concerns and asked me one little thing: Do you like zombies? The answer was yes! 

Being in the mental spot I was at during that time, their offer really helped pull me out of my funk. I had been struggling with my next steps as a writer for a full year (from Summer 2012 to Summer 2013). After writing this story, I realized I should give writing another try, and I realized how much I had missed my heroine, Rayea, not to mention Blick.

The Name 

I like to invent new ways traditional monsters can be created or originated in the world of Paranormal fiction. Hybrids, mutants, etc. are all fascinating subjects to me. The idea behind a zombie wolf began because my husband is a fan of the legendary musician, Frank Zappa. If you don't know who he was, that's okay. You can google his name or his son's name, Dweezil. Frank Zappa's music is extremely weird, but despite that fact the man was a genius when it came to composing music. Anyone who has ever tried to play any of his songs, even a basic bass line, will attest to that. (For example, there are no "basic bass lines" in his music. Everything Zappa wrote is complicated to play.) 

One of my favorite Zappa songs is called "Zomby Woof." It was the name of my husband's first band when he thought at fifteen years old that he wanted to be a rock star. (We met in college so obviously being a musician full-time on the road wasn't a path in life he took. Instead, he traded in his Les Paul guitar to pay for his first semester, a decision he still regrets because owning a classic Sunburst Les Paul now would be like owning a piece of musical history.) 

Anyways... 

The name stayed with me for several years. Typically having the title or name of a story first is the first step to writing that story for me.

The Idea 

As I did with the Vampire from Hell, I posed a question to myself for this zombie short story I had to write. The question was: What if Rayea, a vampire from Hell and Blick, a hellhound turned werewolf had a child after Rayea was bitten by her venomous snake-vampire sister, Stephanie? 

If you've read my vampire series, then you won't have much trouble jumping with me into a new world of zombies. If you like the following excerpt, post a comment and let me know what you think. 

Please note that the story is written in 3015 A.D., well into the future AFTER Rayea writes her adventures about being a vampire from Hell. (To learn more about Rayea and her friends, read the Vampire from Hell series.)