marlene perez

Dead is So Last Year
by Marlene Perez
Available Now

Something very strange starts happening in Nightshade the summer that the eldest Giordano sister, Rose, gets a job working at Dr. Franken's research laboratory. People are starting to see double. Doppelgängers of Nightshade residents are popping up all over town. Daisy, Rose and Poppy think it's a coincidence, until the rumors start that their father, who disappeared several years ago, has been spotted in town. Meanwhile, Daisy's beau, Ryan is spending all of his time training for football, and like the other guys on the team, he's grown enormous almost overnight. Samantha Devereux's boyfriend's neck has doubled in size since school ended. Could the football players be resorting to extreme measures to win? Between summer jobs, sugar rushes, and beach parties, the Giordano girls get to the bottom of these mysteries and more.

There will be new books in the DEAD IS series! DEAD IS JUST A RUMOR will be out in the fall of 2010 and DEAD IS NOT AN OPTION will be out in the spring of 2011.


IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

MP: Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

MP: With the knowledge that high school is only four years of my life and the company of a great best friend.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

MP: I don't think so. I think it's important to try to shut out those outside voices when you're writing. The most important thing is the story. Of course, I would never put anything in one of my novels that I knew would hurt someone I loved.

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

MP: I think teens look for quality in the books they read, however, I don't think that adults necessarily always pay enough attention to what teens are looking for. We try, but... And I think that teens want to live vicariously through quality books, too. Because they, like all readers, are looking for truths about their own lives reflected in the pages of fiction.

IBT: How have the books you’ve read inspired the books you’ve written, if at all? Can you name some that stand out?

MP: The books I've read have inspired me for sure. Some of the books that have inspired me include A WRINKLE IN TIME, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, THE OUTSIDERS, oh, gosh, too many to list. FOREVER by Judy Blume inspired me to try to be truthful. THE VAMPIRE LESTAT books inspired my love of the paranormal.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

MP: I get inspiration from so many places, but I once eavesdropped on two guys who were talking about their girlfriends. That conversation inspired an idea for a novel I haven't finished yet.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

MP: This is a hard question because I usually really like my main characters. I end up wanting to protect my characters, but I can't, or else I'd end up with a really boring book.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

MP: Oh, I'm a complete chicken, so no sky diving for me. But I'd love to learn to do something crafty, like knitting or whatever. But I'm left-handed so that's a challenge to anybody trying to teach me.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?

MP: I've never experienced REAL writer's block, but I've heard it can be frustrating. I have experienced extended procrastination. What helps me get over it is telling myself to get something, anything down on paper, that it doesn't have to be perfect.

IBT: Paris is the one city I cannot die without first visiting. Do you have a place you've yet to visit but cannot live without?

MP: I'd like to visit Sicily, where my grandfather was from.

ryan mecum

Zombie Haiku
by Ryan Mecum
Available Now

What you are looking at is a document from the early days of the zombie plague. Little is known about the author before his infection--only that he was a poet. This facsimile of his actual journal recounts the events of humanity's darkest hours through the intimate poetry of haiku. Inside you'll find increasingly disjointed and terrifying three-line poems (all in the classic 5-7-5 syllable structure), and follow the undead poet on a journey through deserted streets and barricaded doors. Experience every eye-popping, gut-wrenching, flesh-eating moment of the eventual downfall of the human race from the point of view of a zombie, and gain insight to help you survive--if you can.

Brains are less squishy
and a tad bit more squeaky
than someone might guess.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

RM: Not Freddy Kruger. Maybe Donnie Darko. I'd ask him, "Hey Donnie, WHAT was going down in that movie?! I liked it, but please don't ask me to explain it." Maybe the Kevin Bacon character from Tremors... just in case something like that happens, he'd be able to help us out. Tough question. Piggy from Lord Of The Flies, maybe? He seemed like he would have been a good friend, and he deserved more. Not Superfudge, that kid would screw everything up. I'd take Freddy over Fudge.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

RM: I didn't. Does anybody, really?

IBT: Have you ever written (published or unpublished) something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

RM: It's called Zombie Haiku, found on a humor section bookstore book shelf near you. "Hey mom, check out this book I got published! It's about a boy who turns into a zombie and eats his mom! Tell your friends!"

IBT: Do you think teens face the same issues and obstacles they did when you were a teen?

RM: There's nothing new under sun. That being said... no. Want proof? I graduated in 1993. If we wanted to sext a picture, we had to draw it and drive to the post office. Plus, teens are WAY overbooked now. Even in the summer they are overbooked. Other than that, its all the same. Want proof, rent Stand By Me, written in the 80's about the 50's, and it all still rings true today. One might argue that this is not proof, but they are wrong.

IBT: Zombies are a bit like haiku, they are deceptively simple. How did the marriage of the two come together for you?

RM: It was a mixing of two of my loves, poetry and dead people trying to eat people. After writing a few, it really did seem like a natural fit, with haiku being so abrupt and subtle.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?

RM: I have never had a problem with writer's block. I simply write when I feel like I have something I need to put on a page. If nothing's cooking up in the brain, I don't write. I have found that if I ever open a blank word document with hopes of writing something that has yet to bounce around my my head, what ends up on the document is nothing too interesting.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

RM: A friend's blood clot that made a vein in his stomach look like he has a snake living in his ribs brings nothing but inspiration. Look for its cameo appearance in Zombie Haiku!

IBT: Vampire Haiku is coming out in August, can you tell us a little about this book?

RM: Short version - It's about a vampire that writes haiku.

Long version - It's about a guy on the Mayflower who turns into a vampire on the boat, and writes haiku about his life as he survives through all (and causing some) of American history.

IBT: What’s your favorite type of hero?

RM: The everyman! Batman beats Superman. Die Hard beats Rambo. Paul Blart beats Dwane Johnson. I fully plan to one day write the best action film ever about a kindergarten teacher dealing with an evil kidnapping ring.

IBT: What is your Zombie invasion escape plan?

RM: It used to be "get to an island" until I saw Zombie II, with that underwater zombie fighting a shark. If they can walk underwater, they could get to my island. Now, despite what Dawn Of The Dead or The Mist might have taught me, I still think the best bet for me and my family would be to get to a Super Wal-Mart. Hammer the doors shut, make cricket bats for the family, and live like blue collar royalty until the food runs out. The Walking Dead "living inside a prison" option also seems like a smart move, which might be the best option if the Super Wal-Mart ever gets compromised. Oddly, this is also my escape plan in case of Cthulhu Invasion or Second Coming Of Christ Invasion.

Dan Waters

Kiss of Life
by Daniel Waters
Available Now

The phenomenon that's been sweeping the country seems to be here to stay. Not only are the teenagers who have come back from their graves still here, but newlydeads are being unearthed all the time. While scientists look for answers and politicians take their stands, the undead population of Oakville have banded together in a group they're calling the Sons of Romero, hoping to find solidarity in segregation.

Phoebe Kendall may be alive, but she feels just as lost and alone as her dead friends. Just when she reconciled herself to having feelings for a zombie -- her Homecoming date Tommy Williams -- her friend Adam is murdered taking a bullet that was meant for her. Things get even more confusing when Adam comes back from the grave. Now she has romantic interest in two dead boys; one who saved her life, and one she can't seem to live without.


IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, whowould you choose?

DW: My top-of-mind response was Buddy Glass because I think he might be the
fictional character I would most like to hang out with, but there are
probably better choices if one is considering overall benefit to humanity.  I
guess an obvious choice would be Superman (although I'd pick Power Girl,
because she has all of his powers plus the powers of being A. female and B.
gorgeous), but then I thought it might be actually doing humanity a
disservice to bring to life someone whose sole purpose was to solve all our
problems for us.  So then I thought maybe a common enemy like Galactus or
Sauron would be a good thing, something that unites the world in purpose, but
then I worried that the broad social policies of say a Sauron would be too
attractive for a large segment of the world's population to pass up, thus
defeating my initial reasons for giving him life.

Maybe I should stick with Buddy Glass.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

DW: With a few scars and bruises, like most other people.  I enjoyed my teen
years, although it isn't a time of my life I'd care to revisit, except for
maybe 19.  19 was pretty cool.  Actually 17 was really good, too.

The key to surviving any attack on the psyche is to have a rich interior
life.  Most teens are inward-looking and introspective already, which is half
the battle.  The other half is to be able to understand other people and
society; reading widely and playing sports can help with this.    Pickup
basketball and frequent trips to the library made for a much healthier teen
Danny.

IBT: As a zombie fanatic myself, I though your Zombie mythology was refreshing
and fascinating. How did you get from brain eating zombies to the Differently
Biotic?

DW: Thank you.

The decision to eschew brain-eaters in favor of my kinder, gentler zombies
was almost purely instinctual, but it was one of those almost reflexive
actions that made more and more sense once the initial blush and frenzy of
writing cooled and I started to figure out what it really was I was trying to
do with the story I wanted to tell.

There were a number of things about the modern American myth of the zombie
(basically ignoring voodoo traditions and thinking Night of the Living Dead
forward) that struck me as being rich material to work with.  In most Romero
inspired treatments, individual zombies aren't really much of a threat
(unless they are/were a close relative!  Then you'd better watch out!).  All
you need is a ten foot head start or a baseball bat to avoid a lone zombie.
But collectively, zombies have power.  This is where zombies differ from say
vampires, which are basically undead superheroes, able to fly, beguile,
perform acts of incredible strength, etc.  I liked the idea that the
"monster" of the story, in societies' terms, was pretty much powerless.

Another concept that often got lost in "traditional" zombie fare was the
degraded humanity of zombies.  Many of the post-NOTLD films seemed to be
about maximizing kill count rather than exploring the idea that zombies are
basically us, but dead.  But then, maybe maximizing the kill count was the
point, the idea that one can cathartically experience what it is like to
waste dozens of people that were just like us not so long ago?  This to me is
one of the most frightening aspects of the American zombie myth.

I also realized that many of my favorite science fiction/horror tales were
also zombie stories, in a way-1984, The Stepford Wives, The Body Snatchers.
Much like the brain eating zombie stories, these stories were all about the
fear of assimilation, the loss of individuality to a homogeneous horde, the
destruction of one's personality and identity.   I'm not sure that people
today have that fear-the fear that society will assimilate them-that they did
years ago.  People are more free to carve themselves out as individuals, to
reinvent themselves continually, to add 62 pieces of flair to their Facebook
page-but the fear of today is that a person can be as individual as they can
be and society just might not care.  I'm thinking of this great story in the
parody newspaper The Onion  where Marilyn Manson does his level best to shock
and get a rise out of a middle American neighborhood-at one point going
door-to-door wearing "a suit of human noses"-and the reaction is this very
blasé, world-weary "whatever".  Or those cable or satellite commercials,
whatever they were, where a suburban mom is serving lemonade to Freddy
Krueger/Jason Voorhees-esque movie monsters or gang members and explaining
how she used the cable or satellite services' "parental controls" function to
block them out so her kids won't be exposed to their particular
worldview-much to the remorse of the tearful monsters/thugs.  I love those
commercials! They completely flip the dynamic of the Stepford wife and make
the soccer mom the most powerful being in the universe!

But the point of all this is the modern concern that being allowed to exist
or being a fully realized individual in a society doesn't necessarily mean
that your voice will be heard by that society.  The zombies in the world of
Generation Dead aren't looking to assimilate other people (via 'turning'
others through the consumption of their brains) or replace them-they are
actually looking to rejoin society, a society that they believe will be made
better and stronger by their participation.

And then there's the multiple levels of zombie-as-consumer, etc. that are so
fun to work with.  I could go on ad nauseum.  Basically I either riffed
heavily on or inverted as many traditional zombie tropes as I could think of.

IBT: How have the books/movies you've read inspired the books you've written?
What are you currently reading?

DW: Everything you read, watch or experience goes into the big Hadron collider in
your head, and when you write, all of those images, thoughts and ideas
hopefully come back out in interesting ways.  Sometimes the influences are
obvious and overt, others are subliminal to the point where even I might not
recognize them until I reread/re-watch whatever it was that influenced me in
the first place.

I'm currently reading stacks of non-fiction, books you would generally find
in the "Cultural Studies" of your local bookstore, for a project I'm working
on.  I also made a list of the "Twenty Works of Fiction that Most Influenced
Me as a Writer" and have been reading those as well.  I'm realizing as I
reread some of these formative books that their impact on me as a writer and
a person is considerable.

IBT: How do you decide what ideas make it on the page? What were some of the
ideas that didn't make it?

DW: I think all of my ideas make it onto the page-some page!-eventually. Scenes,
characters, whatever else can and do end up on the cutting room floor.
Early drafts of Generation Dead were far different from the final result. One of the main characters-a point of view character-disappeared entirely, gone. He got in the way, he was dull, he added nothing to the story and subtracted much. I still felt oddly guilty and criminal when I removed all traces of him from the book, even though it was the right thing to do.I cut one especially horrific scene from the book because it didn't work with the rest of the book. I can't tell you about it though because it may show up in a later work!

IBT: What is your favorite type of hero?

DW: Sandwich, definitely.

I don't know that I have a favorite type of literary hero-I like flawed heroes, perfect heroes, inept heroes, antiheros-whatever is right for the story. The unity of a story is more important to me than following a particular "type".

IBT: As an author how do you respond to those who think that censorship is a
necessary evil?

DW: I always try to start from the position of "seek first to understand". Quite
often you find that people have different definitions for the words involved; unless we start from a position with a commonality of meaning we're kind of stuck.
Let's say the "necessary evil" folks believe that "censorship" = "expunge the
work/genre in question from our libraries, schools, and bookstores, and then
salt the cultural soil from which it sprang so that nothing may ever grow
there again", than we are likely to have a serious difference of opinion that
I--as a writer or really just a member of society--have a moral obligation to

oppose strenuously.

If however, the necessary evil contingent has a more tightly focused belief,
such as "censorship" = "make it more difficult for children to gain access to
certain works without clearing certain societal/parental channels first",
then we may have some common ground.

I'm opposed to censorship, but I think there's a tricky line to walk as
someone who writes for teens or children. I believe that cultural artifacts
have the right to exist-even if they are "offensive" to a segment of society.
Art's "purpose" quite often, is to offend segments of society, to overturn
the status quo.

That being said, I also believe in the family's right to limit their own
exposure to cultural artifacts, especially where children are concerned.
There's a lot of garbage in the world, even-believe it or not!-on bookstore
shelves!

The toughest question that I ever have to field-even tougher than these
questions!-is "my son/daughter is X years old. Is your book appropriate for
him/her?" The answer is-I don't know. I don't know your child! I don't
know you! I can tell you what my publisher recommend, or I can point you to
various sources that many educators consider reputable for a recommendation,
but even the best intentioned of these organizations might ascribe to a moral
world view that differs from yours. That being said, I think my book is both
entertaining and "worth" reading, that it would be wrong for a parent to
prevent indefinitely a child who wanted to read it from reading it. I also
think that most teens can "handle" serious subject matter, and that such
subject matter improves and enriches their lives and therefore the lives of
everyone around them. But who cares about my opinions?

Maybe I should say something like "My personal belief is that this book is
appropriate for just about anyone, but it is up to you, preferably in
conjunction with your child, to determine at what age it is appropriate for
them."

Yeah, that line is guaranteed to boost sales!

My answer hearkens back to those commercials I mentioned previously. I
absolutely believe in the right for Freddy Krueger and the fictional The
Wire-esque thugs to exist, but I don't intend to let my young kids access
them until I feel that they can understand them for what they are.
Sorry for the multiple digressions, but certain issues are too complex to
answer definitively. I don't pretend to have done so here.

On a side note, I'm surprised and hurt that no one has banned Generation Dead
that I'm aware of yet.

IBT: What's next for you after Kiss of Life?

DW: I'm working on a few different things, all young adult projects. I recently
turned in a third Generation Dead novel called Passing Strange to my editor.

IBT: If you woke up tomorrow to a traditional zombie invasion, what would your
escape plan be?

DW: My plan would be to make myself less tasty.

claudia grey

Stargazer
by Claudia Gray
Available Now

The vampire in me was closer to the surface . . .

Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.

Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning. . . .


IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

CG: This is a tough one! So many of them come to mind: Wouldn't it be fun to get Lizzie Bennett's take on all your problems? Or hear the snide things Rhett Butler would say about people you disliked? If I chose Seeley Booth from the TV show "Bones," could I get him to go out with me? Or would I prefer to hear the poems Randolph Henry Ash (from POSSESSION) would write today? I could pick dozens. Right this second, while I'm waiting in an airport, I think I'd pick Sydney Bristow from "Alias," because she has her own plane and could give me a lift. Plus, if I were ever in trouble, she could break in to rescue me. And maybe I could borrow the awesome clothes from her spy closet.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

CG: Hiding in books, hoping for a better tomorrow. That and luck.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

CG: Sometimes the more passionate scenes in the EVERNIGHT series make me squirm when I think my parents might read it. But that's when I know the scene is
finally hot enough!

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

CG: I don't think I can stand up and say all teenagers need to be thinking about X or Y. I mean, we're all individuals, and we all have different concerns -- maybe somebody needs to think about being independent and thinking for himself, and somebody else needs to think about dealing with mental illness in the family, and everybody else has their own top concerns. (And the really universal issues -- like taking care of our environment,
or ending violence against women -- those aren't things teens need to be thinking about; they're things we ALL need to be thinking about.) I suspect that no teenagers want to be preached to or told how to think, but that they are open to a wide range of stories -- from the escapist to the realistic, and all the books that fall in between or manage to blend both.

IBT: How have the books you've read inspired the books you've written, if at all?

CG: There's no one answer to this question, but I would say that every single time I write a book, I try to look for what the author is doing well. Even
the worst books I've read have *something* about them that the author gets right, and I've learned a lot by looking for the virtues of books that I don't like. Maybe that sounds funny, but it's true!

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from? Where did the inspiration for this series and these characters come from?

CG: I once got a very good story idea while waiting in a drive-thru line at Wendy's. I thought, if only my car could fly, I could just get out of this
stupid line. I can't explain how the flying-car moment led to the inspiration, but it really did!

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

CG: Yes, sometimes. But that's natural. When you are a fan of a book or TV series, you can come up with thousands of potential stories for those
characters and believe in them all equally; when you're the author, you have to pick one storyline and commit to it. So I think about other routes I might have taken, and sometimes really wonder if I made the right choice.
But I don't really have regrets, because making those choices is part of being a writer.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

CG: If I really want to do something, I do it! Actually, I hope to try skydiving for the first time next summer.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer s block? What helps you get over it?

CG: Luckily, writer's block is not a huge problem for me. I always outline my stories, so whenever I sit down to work, I know what I need to accomplish.
As long as I have a few periods of inspiration a year, I can build the outlines I need to keep me busy the rest of the time. Not everybody can
work with an outline, but I always urge would-be writers to give it a try. It's worth a shot.

IBT: Paris is the one city I cannot die without first visiting. Do you have a place you've yet to visit but cannot live without?"

CG: Russia. I can't wait to visit St. Petersburg and Moscow.

IBT: Most vampire fiction depicts the male play that role and I loved that you switched the usual roles. Would you ever write from Lucas's
perspective?

CG: I'm so glad you enjoyed the switch! The whole EVERNIGHT series is from Bianca's perspective, but I would definitely consider writing a short story
or book from Lucas' POV if the right opportunity came along.

Thank you Claudia!

perry moore

Hero
by Perry Moore
Available Now

"....I filled my head with thoughts of the future, of infinite possibilities. There's someone out there for who will one day find me and fall in love with me and prove that all this waiting actually meant something...."-Hero.

Thom Creed is used to being on his own. Even as a high school basketball star, he has to keep his distance because of his father. Hal Creed had once been one of the greatest and most beloved superheroes of The League-until the Wilson Towers incident. After that Thom's mother disappeared and his proud father became an outcast.

The last thing in the world Thom would ever want is to disappoint his father. So Thom keeps two secrets from him: First is that he's gay. The second is that he has the power to heal people. Initially, Thom had trouble controlling his powers. But with trail and error he improves, until he gets so good that he catches the attention of the League and is asked to join. Even though he knows it would kill his dad, Thom can't resist. When he joins the League, he meets a motley crew of other heroes, including tough-talking Scarlett, who has the power of fire from growing up near a nuclear power plant; Typhoid Larry, who makes everyone sick by touching them, but is actually a really sweet guy; and wise Ruth, who has the power to see the future. Together these unlikely heroes become friends and begin to uncover a plot to kill the superheroes. Along the way, Thom falls in love, and discovers the difficult truth about his parents' past.

"...I looked over to him, a little boy just wanting his dad to look back at him with approval... I wanted him to muss my hair and take me home... I wanted him to tell me everything would be okay..."-Hero.


IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

PM: Just one?!?! How unfair! Let me think of a couple off the top of my head…

Colossus from Ultimate X-Men—especially the Ultimate version who is gay.

Heathcliff—from Wuthering Heights, I'm such a sucker for the dark, brooding Byronic Hero...

Hercules—love the Greg Pak comic book series, and he’d (good ol' Herc) love me, I stand to wager… Would love to see him and Colossus duke it out for my affection.

Javier Bardem – the personas that actors present, with a few wonderful exceptions I know, are about as real as any character in literature. They’ve created their own fictions that they live by. Would be so interesting to see what they’re really like underneath the facade.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

PM: Don’t quote me on any of these, but this is what comes to mind…

Comic books

Faith

Libraries

Great books

Mythology (I’ve been obsessed with all kinds since second grade.)

Some exceptional teachers (my English teacher Pat Hume at Norfolk Academy, in particulary!)

Volunteer work (a medical mission with Operation Smile to the Philippines when I was sixteen, and then the work I did for them for the rest of my teen years... so formative, so important.)

Supportive friends for life (I based Scarlett’s voice on my best friend ever—Bretta!)

Dreaming of becoming free, that all this suffering would be worth something

Academics (I was an ace student)

The fun part of sports where you actually got to play, and none of that other ray-rah nonsense.

The beach (thank God I lived right by one!)

Being a camp counselor and mentor

And more comic books

And a little beer, here and there, safely imbibed, no driving involved, never hurt me.

My fraternity brothers (Jimmy, Chad, and Greyson) who dragged me kicking and screaming out of the closet when my teen years turned into twenty.

And getting out of the house and out of school as much as was humanly possible, which I did on a very regular basis. As long as I made straight A’s, my parents never bugged me about going to or missing class. (I was ready for college after ninth grade.)

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

PM: You ask tough questions. The answer is yes. HERO was tough. A lot of the things Thom faced were things I went through verbatim. The story about how his father sat him down and told him what it meant to be gay, as a result of a newspaper article on Martina Navratilova, is word for word how I was told. I pulled a lot of punches though. I mean a lot. When I found out HERO was to be published, I gave it to my mother, and my sisters (my little sister Jane is my biggest fan—she eats up young adult literature and can really tell the good from the glorious, so what she thought means a ton to me), and then we were all talking about when the heck and how I was going to give it to Dad.

I mean, he’s in it. The book is ABOUT him and his relationship with his son. Nothing could hit closer to home. So I sent it to him, and halfway through he called me and said, “Perry, I wasn’t that much of a monster, was I?” I just said, keep reading, Dad, keep reading. And he did. And he’s very, very proud of it. As he is of me. Dad’s my hero, no two ways about it.

IBT: I used Hero as one of our Book Club titles last year and a funny thing struck me by the reaction of a few of the teens, they were so surprised at the struggle Thom faced coming out. I know that San Diego is not the most conservative of places, but my brother struggled to come out twenty years ago. I remember the anguish he went through, he had no idea how our family would react, it’s something I can never forget. Have you noticed a significant difference for kids today?

PM: First of all, thank you, I’m very honored that you used HERO in your book club. I wish the book were taught widespread in high school English classes. I remember we always read books that opened our eyes to growing up black, growing up Hispanic, growing up mentally ill, growing up over-yet-underprivileged. Yet there’s very little about growing up gay that straight kids would want to read to. Call me biased, but I think HERO is that book. And if you want understanding, start young.

I’m from the South, so I’ll say this: old bigots don’t bother me. They die. It’s young people that concern me the most. And there’s something in HERO for everyone. Yes, I have noticed from the heaps of e-mails I get that there are so many more young people coming out or considering coming out everyday.

This is a great thing. But we’re not there yet. I get a few letters from parents, thanking me for the book, giving them a tool to talk about it. I do interact with the people who write me, and it’s one of the most rewarding parts of the gig. To have someone write you and say you’ve saved their life, you’ve given them hope, you’ve inspired them to come out… I wasn’t prepared for any of this, but it makes me feel the power of HERO is just beginning.

As more and more teens come out, a demand for more and more material like HERO will follow. I advised a few young people, who found it difficult to say the words, “I’m gay” to their parents or friends, to give them the book as an icebreaker so they could sit down and discuss it.

It was harrowing for me to give the book to my father, in particular, before it was published, and I’d already come out years ago, but it took me right back. He was not a big fan of the publicity HERO drew, citing me as an “openly gay writer.”

That’s a funny term to see in print. Imagine describing Stephen King (whom I love) or John Grisham as an “openly straight writer.” Kinda makes me laugh.

But back to your question, yes, there is a difference today. But it’s still hard to come out. Especially if you’re on a sports team. Name one male role model who’s actively playing football, basketball, baseball, hell, even tennis, my favorite sport. YOU CAN’T NAME ONE! There are a few who come out after the fact, but I don’t think that part has changed; it’s just as difficult an environment to be a gay athlete as it was when I was in school.

Even my mother is a great example. She is the most loving Christian woman I know. And she really did her homework when I came out. She’s educated, and that’s her way. She called me once to inform me she’d read that they’d discovered a “gay gene.” “God doesn’t make mistakes,” she said. “God made you like this for a reason, and I feel sorry for all the ignorant people who don’t understand.” That part’s wonderful. But then she had a great “mom” moment when she was trying to be understanding, and said, no, it’s not a choice, it’s something you’re born with, like a birth defect.”

“Uh, mom,” I said. “Being born liking men is not really like a birth defect.”

She was quick to say she was sorry, but I know she’s well aware of Matthew Shepard’s fate and other hate crimes. They still exist. That’s undeniable. And I’ve faced discrimination for being gay. I can’t tell you about it, because it would land me in hot water, but maybe in a few years…

And I still wasn’t satisfied with media stereotypes of gay people. HERO defies almost all of them. One review even made a checklist of all the clichés and how HERO avoided all of them. That was a proud moment for me. I thought I was really sending a message without being preachy. After all, HERO is first and foremost an entertaining story. Hopefully, at best, an inspiring one.

For all the steps we’ve made taken in the right direction, we must still push forward!

IBT: How have the books you’ve read or movies you've seen inspired the books you’ve written, if at all?

PM: Oh, I think I’m inspired by all my favorites. Margaret Atwood, certainly there’s no better. I like how she’s adamant about how what she writes (e.g. Handmaid’s Tale) is SPECULATIVE fiction, and not science fiction, because it could happen. Same goes for another favorite of mine, Octavia Butler. Even though, may she rest in peace, she won the Hugo and the Nebula Awards, she called her genre not sci-fi, but “literature of the imagination.” And all of the comic books that inspired me, like Alan Moore’s Watchmen, and everything else he wrote. Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried,” that’s a major inspiration. Since my father wouldn’t’ talk much about Vietnam, he gave me that book and said, “if you want to know what it was like for me to be over there, read this.” So I did. I was interning for the White House at the time (during the Clinton’s first year), and I remember writing letters back and forth to Dad about the book and how visceral experience was, how it put me in the shoes of an American soldier.

So when it came time for me to write a book, I wanted Dad and everyone else to know what it was like to grow up in the shoes of a gay teenager. And I chose to marry that concept with the world of superheroes, and that’s what provoked HERO. Now matter how supernatural the powers are, the reality comes first, characters first, real humans, real human emotion. That part was really important to me. I learned that from working as a producer on the Narnia movies, it was something the director Andrew Adamson said over and over in creating that world: the best fantasy must be grounded in reality.

I think I took that notion and ran with it in telling my own story. Just with some superpowers, to boot.

Movies used to be my primary inspiration, but no longer. Once you work in that business for so long…. Well, I want to put positive things out there. That’s why I’ve never worked on one of those “let’s-disembowel-the-teenagers-and-get-rich-quick” movies. Not for me. It’s a business driven by spread sheets. I was so shocked that Disney considered Narnia to be a “surprise” hit. I never had any doubts about the power of that story, nor did I have any doubts about the widespread fan-base. I guess that’s one of the advantages of having grown up Christian in the South. My entire perspective has never been limited to Hollywood. I’m really proud to be part of the amazing team that put together the screen version of “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe,” and I’m always shocked by people in the industry who didn’t see its success coming. So, no, some movies still inspire me, but not many new ones. Most of the best new work from interesting perspectives is being done in literature (books and comic books) and cable television. That is one distinct way the business has changed!

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

PM: A PICTURE OF A DEAD MAN WITH HIS BRAINS SPLATTERED ON THE DIRT ROAD HE WAS LYING ON. I found this picture in my dad’s secret collection in the attic. I have no idea if it was an American soldier or a Viet Cong. I was fifteen, and I was shocked. Even more shocked because Dad caught me looking at it. He didn’t freak out. He sat down with me, and we went through this whole box of pictures he’d taken when he was in the Army fighting in the Vietnam War. His camp was overrun one night by the enemy. Dad earned a Bronze Star for Valor, but there were so many holes to the story. Parts of the story were vivid. He said he’d found the mama-san who’d been their barber strung along the barbed-wire; apparently she’d been working with the other side, and he’d remembered how many times her razor was shaving his neck. How easy it would have been to kill him. But she’d waited with the rest for this one night. He remembered this native American soldier he’d been buddies with, who died in the tower that night. Lots of details. But I was to rapt with attention to ask all the questions I wanted to ask. As far as I know, he’s never talked about that night since. That was the one time he opened up about it. You’d get a piece here or there over the years, but not much. That was the way of the Vietnam Veteran. No parades for their homecoming. Just scars. Lots of scars.

And in many ways, discovering those pictures inspired specific scenes in HERO. Hal and Thom polishing his Dad’s old uniform, his father opening up, but then the walls came right back up. The secret history of pictures Thom finds of his mother, her secret life as a hero.

I suppose on a creative level, you search for answers and explore questions you’ve been holding inside for such a long time. I chose to explore them in HERO in these ways…you can find many other examples in the tragic character of Hal Creed, Thom’s complicated father.

IBT: Where did the inspiration for Goran come from, he is a special favorite of mine and want to hear more about him.

PM: You will learn so much more about Goran and his past in the SEQUEL TO HERO! Look for it! Imagine what he had to do to get here in this country with his little brother safely. I’ll leave it at this, it was anything but easy. And there are consequences that will come back to haunt him. I hope he and Thom survive these new challenges. It will take every ounce of heroism in them, and it will test the depth of their relationship to its very limits!

My inspirations for him were specific and many. Colossus. I grew up totally in love with that big galoot from the X-Men. Here was this huge, young guy, always trying to do right, in a strange land. And he had the heart of an artist, but rarely the words to express his true feelings. I tutored at a high school here in lower Manhattan where most of the students were from another country, so it was easy to come up with how he and Thom initially met.

I named him Goran as a fuck-you and an homage. The fuck-you was to tennis player Goran Ivanisevic, who on his umpteenth try finally won the Championships at Wimbledon…. In the post-game interview, he called a linesman who made a call not in his favor, “a faggot.” Just after winning Wimbledon. And no one reprimanded him, at all! Could you imagine if he’d used the N word? Yet, it was totally acceptable for him to call this linesman a faggot. So take that, Goran Ivanesivic! THE hottest gay superhero is named after you. Live with it! And I also named him after the actor Goran Visnjic on ER, because have you seen that guy? He is all kinds of dark and brooding and handsome. The ideal older version of who Goran is now, physically at least. It’s also a common first name in Goran’s homeland, so it made sense.

I’m also a big fan of Wuthering Height, always have been. That’s where most of the Dark Hero stuff came from. Tough love, following Thom, a real harsh hero, but with a true heart capable of bearing the greatest love. And he’s saved it all for Thom, all these years he’s waited. And he finally met Thom, who moved him so greatly.

Thom and Goran are a couple for the ages. I pray they can fend off everything I throw their way. There are some major challenges coming, and these two simply BELONG TOGETHER.

I wanted an iconic, strong, complementary couple of heroes, who just happen to be young men having to grow up in such a short time, faced with such incredible challenges. I think it helps when you face hard things together, with the one you love. Goran is there for Thom at the end, a gentle abiding love, for such a kick-ass character.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

PM: SPOILER ALERT: Wow, you really kill me with these questions. You’re good!

Yes, it is hard. It is devastating.

When I had to let go of Ruth, losing her was as earth-shattering for me as it was for Thom. I loved writing Ruth. Pure joy. Nothing but pure joy. I remember when I was just getting started with the book, when I’d just spent a month putting every scattered idea I had down on the page and then trying to coalesce some form of an outline, I couldn’t help myself. I know you’re supposed to start from the beginning. Always best to go in chronological order, but RUTH! She burned a hole, like the rest of the story, right out of me. I remember it vividly: a core Narnia team of us were in London, workshopping with young actors to play the kids during the day, and meeting with established actors at night. We had dinner with my favorite, Tilda Swinton, whom I’d been pushing for to play the White Witch, lined up for that night, and I had an hour and a half to get ready. In that time, I wrote the scene where Thom follows Ruth after the first probationary scene and he asks her to read his future, and she says, “You have secrets, kid. I HATE secrets.” Finished that scene, felt really good about it, then ran off to dinner with our future White Witch.

Letting go of her made me cry, and it often has that effect on the reader. At least some of them tell me that.

Same with Hal. God, he’s so tragic. You know, originally I had him at the end alive and well and proud of Thom, watching the trains go by. That’s a hobby of my own father’s. It was so bittersweet writing that scene with Goran and Thom, instead of Thom and his dad.

But when you create characters in the context of a story, they’re alive. You have to make sure you don’t get in the way of listening to them, of telling their truth. That may sound strange for fiction, but it’s very true. I remember, Hal was the first character who took over, which is very Hal if you ask me. One of the opening scenes, where the criminals bust in his house to rob it and Thom is recuperating on the couch. I hadn’t planned any of what happened next. Hal just appeared and went to it, dispensing each criminal. I couldn’t believe it when the scene was over, because I felt I hadn’t really done any of it. Hal had written his own actions, made his own decisions in that section. Ruthless, brutal, protective of his son and his home, and missing his wife, who’d left him so long ago. That was his truth, and he acted accordingly.

So when it came time to write the climax, I always wrote that section to a specific Sibelius symphony, I just knew Hal had to go. That would be his decision, given that terrible choice, he would say, “This is what he do son,” as he put his old gloves and mask back on, fatally wounded, dragging Justice with him so he couldn’t hurt anyone else. “We save people.” That part still brings tears to my eyes too, Thom watching helplessly, but knowing that his father loves him for who he is, sexuality and all, the proudest father on earth, his last moments defined him as no other situation could. “Promise me you’ll love as much as you can,” Hal demands of his son before he blasts off with Justice to make sure the threat is gone for good. “Promise me!” And all Thom can say, wracked with tears, as he’s about to lose the one person who truly loves him unconditionally, is, “I will.” It’s so bittersweet, heartbreaking really. These two souls who long to find their place in the world, finally understand each other. They get that chance at peace, at communicating a love true and never-ending, even in death.

I will say this: expect MAJOR SURPRISES in the sequel. You may see more of RUTH and HAL revealed in ways you never thought possible. What do you supposed that stack of letters was that Ruth had Thom mail, the ones she stayed up all night writing, knowing that it was to be her last day on earth?

HERO’s sequel has major plans, and major surprises, in the most unexpected places. I can’t wait to write it! I started mapping it out before HERO was published. A third book, too! And what do you suppose Lila had been up to in her absence? Makes you wonder. I know for a fact Thom will wonder, and where will this lead him?

And, no, as hard as it was to let go of those characters, I can’t imagine writing it any differently. Not once have I thought about that, because like I said, I was just relaying what they were telling me to do. It’s happening with my next book, too, but these kids are cryptic—they’ve been part of a secret pact to hide each other from so long that it’s hard to listen, because they don’t want you to hear!

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

PM: Well, I already do it with surfing. Some days when the waves are way over head high, you get those butterflies in your stomach. Sometimes taking off on that wave is an incredibly steep drop, and your shaking and just holding on for dear life! If there’s one life lesson I’ve learned from surfing it’s that there are things in this world, natural elements, in this case the ocean, that are so powerful, it can be incredibly humbling.

I do have a fear of heights. Not sure I’ll ever sky-dive. Some of the crazy helicopter rides we took when making the first Narnia, through the mountains on the South Island, well, let’s just say I’m happy to be on the ground now.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?

PM: Research, research, and more research.

Also, I usually just turn to another project. I have so many other stories to tell. HERO, the new book that rewrites the werewolf mythology, some other stories I’m dying to tell. My problem is rarely getting stuck; it’s more a problem of which story I want to sit down and write that day.

IBT: I was super fortunate to be there at Comic Con last year where you and Stan Lee announced (without officially announcing) that Hero would be a movie. What if anything can you reveal about the project so far?

PM: We’re in the final stages of writing the pilot script. Please tell everyone you know to write Showtime to tell them you want this series. It’s groundbreaking, but not just because of the premise. It’s the way we tell it. All Thom’s struggles, internal and external, all the mysteries he uncovers, it’s a labyrinth, more along the lines of LOST. But Thom is the catalyst for all of it. His journey ignites the story, fuels it. And there are so many twists and turns along the way. I think most people, especially those unfamiliar with the book, will be pleasantly surprised by the emotional depth of the story.

I can’t wait to keep telling his story! There’s so much more for him and the other characters to tackle…

IBT: What’s your favorite type of hero?

PM: My favorite hero didn’t exist. So I sat back and dreamt of my favorite hero, what I wanted to read the most.

And that became HERO. Thom, Goran, Hal, Ruth, the whole probationary gang. They’re it!

IBT: Hero had to be one of the best and most exciting books I read last year, will we be hearing more from Thom, Goran, and company?

PM: You can bet your mask on it – there will be sequels! As long as these characters keep telling me their stories, I’ll keep writing them. Thanks for the compliment and the interview!

Please let everyone know they can contact me directly with questions at my website: www.perrymoorestories.com

And writing positive reviews online (especially on Amazon.com), joining or starting a fan club for the book, or just telling people about HERO and the upcoming series – it all helps get the book in the hands of those who need it.

And now more than ever, the world is ready for its first gay teen superhero, front and center, out and open, not a victim, not silly comic relief…but a HERO. That very thing which makes you uniquely you doesn’t have to make you feel alienated. Gay or straight, black or white, big or small, old or young, there is a hero in all of us. Believe!