I'm still here........................

I know it's been a while. Thankfully, I have not been taken down by a herd or come across a psychopath with a Louisville slugger. So, what does everyone think about FTWD so far? Are you annoyed with Nick yet? The jury is still out with me on this show. Not sure I'm loving the whole "we are one with the dead" vibe. Maybe the show will redeem itself this season. I hope to see Reuben Blades' character again soon. He is the only one I felt the least bit vested in.

Who's ready for TWD finale this week?

Seems like this season has flown by, and the question on everyone's mind is "who is Negan going to introduce to Lucille?" Also, what will become of our hero, Daryl? So many questions that will (hopefully) be answered on Sunday night. Also, did anyone else wonder if Maggie has miscarried and the baby turned inside her? Was that the cause of her intense pain last week where she doubled over? If the virus is in all of us, and it's no longer remaining dormant after death, would it not be reasonable to assume that a miscarried child would be effected in the same manner as others?

Who's up for another free book promotion?

My short story Humanity's Last Full Measure will be available for free download Friday 3/25 and Saturday 3/26. Check it out and let me know what you think. 3 additional short stories in the works right now. Hope to have them available soon.

Free book promotion

One day left for the free version of Firsthand Witness to the Fall. Check it out and leave me a review!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01CTN94TI/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1458445895&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=shawn+clay&dpPl=1&dpID=51WorMUCbUL&ref=plSrch

Firsthand Witness to the Fall - Available for free download on Saturday and Sunday!

Hey everyone, I had intended on running a five day promotion of my short story Firsthand Witness to the Fall starting today, but didn't get it submitted in time. Instead, it will be free for two days (Saturday and Sunday) and I will run two additional free promotions for my other stories in the coming weeks. Please check it out if you haven't already and leave me some honest feedback. This was my first story to be published.

Future works

What kind of zombie stories would you guys (and gals) like to see in the future? I'm always trying to come up with new ideas to tell a story in a genre that seems to "have seen it all". I know there has to be a lot of original ideas out there. If anyone wants to share one, I might make it my 5th short story or book release.

Get my first book free for a limited time............

Starting Friday, I will run a five day promotion of my first book, Firsthand Witness to the Fall, for free. Check it out and then my other two as well. By the way, got a fourth in the works. (Think George Romero meets Tom Clancy. )

Carol and Maggie

Wow, what a dark episode. Looks like Carol is starting to have a crisis of conscience now that she sees Maggie may be following in her footsteps. Is this a little hint to let us know that she might be the recipient of Lucille's wrath when Negan finally shows up?

New Links to my previous works.............

Made some adjustments, which resulted in having to republish my first two short stories on Amazon. Here are the new links to them. Check them out and spread the word!

http://www.amazon.com/Firsthand-Witness-Fall-Shawn-Clay-ebook/dp/B01CTN94TI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457720161&sr=8-1&keywords=shawn+clay

http://www.amazon.com/Humanitys-Last-Full-Measure-Shawn-ebook/dp/B01CTOCBEW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457720161&sr=8-2&keywords=shawn+clay

Newest Book Now Available!

Check out my newest offering:

When the zombie apocalypse comes, you're toast.

An authoritative guide on how not to end up as one of the mindless horde.


http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Apocalypse-Comes-Youre-Toast-ebook/dp/B01CTRN5Q2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457720161&sr=8-3&keywords=shawn+clay

Eugene: A man with impeccable timing and taste in t-shirts................

I know I can't be the only one who laughed out loud at Rosita, moments after being kicked to the curb by Abraham, turning to find Eugene looking at her while sporting his "Virginia is for Lovers" t-shirt and eating one of Carol's cookies. All in all, one of the best episodes yet. Rick and gang have no idea the hornet's nest they just kicked. Someone's gonna be meeting Lucille quite soon I believe.......

Who is Negan going to kill first?

We are all thinking it. Who do you think will be the first to fall to Lucille? Will the show follow the comic? Will it be Abraham? He seemed very melancholy this last episode? Would they dare kill of Daryl or Carol? Your thoughts?

Well, it finally happened......................

The official power couple of the zombie apocalypse is now official. Can't say that I saw it coming, but we all knew it was just a matter of time. Now, will it last? Who knows? Every woman that seems to get close to Rick dies a tragic death, but this is Michonne we are talking about. I don't know what the future holds for the terrible two-some, but one thing is for sure: they are ready to fight, any time, any where. Even if woken up in the middle of the night, naked.

My story is on ebookbump.com right now!

Check out ebookbump.com right now for a write up on my story Firsthand Witness to the Fall. Read it and let me know what you think!

TWD returns!!

i have to say, that was one of the best openers of the series. I loved the rest of the show as well. Still staying true to the comics with Carl losing the eye. Eagerly awaiting the next episode. What did you all think of it?

Prepping

Lots of gear is now being marketed, albeit tongue-in-cheek, to the zombie apocalypse crowd. There are zombie-themed firearms, edged weapons, ammunition, survival kits, etc. The question is, are you truly prepared for what is more likely (natural disaster, civil unrest) to happen or what you WANT to happen? Do you have a couple day's worth of food and water stored back? Extra fuel for your vehicles? Extra medications? Pet food? Cash on hand? What would you do if you had to exit your home in 10 minutes or less, with little or no possibility of returning? What would you take?

Since spring, and severe weather season, will be here before you know it, take the time now to prep a little for a rainy day. You don't have to be a doomsday prepper by any means. Just consider acquiring the following and storing it in a quality bag or backpack somewhere you can get to it quickly.

3 day's food and water for each person (Datrex brand water pouches are great, and the emergency ration bars or freeze dried food packs are light weight and don't take up much room. You won't be eating like a king, but it will be enough to keep you going.)

Fully-stocked first aid kit, including personal prescriptions

A few hundred dollars cash in small bills

A firearm you are familiar with and extra magazines, ammunition, spare parts

A good fixed blade knife, folding knife, and multitool

A variety of survival manuals

A water filtration device (or at the minimum, iodine tablets)

Fire-starting devices

Weather radio

Change of clothes, including shoes

Reliable flashlight with extra batteries

Copies of all important papers (can be stored on flash drive)

Tarp

Camping mess kit

Games / books for kids

Extra pet food / medication

Solar powered cell phone charger

Toilet paper / personal hygiene items

Two five gallon cans of fuel (non-ethanol fuel will keep longer, but rotate every couple of months)

These are just the beginnings of a well thought out survival kit. Buy quality gear, and prep as you go. Once you have a 3 day supply of food and water, think about setting back a week's worth, then a month, then 3 months, etc. Water can be stored in a variety of containers and can be rotated out periodically. If your insurance allows it, start getting your prescriptions in 90 day increments, preferably mailed to your home. A little time and effort, and you and your family can be ready for whatever may come.

Fortress!!

If there was a massive zombie outbreak, where would you hold up?  My buddy Mike Porter lives in a major urban area, surrounded by water and bridges.  So hanging out in his house wouldn't end well.  He'd have to get out of the city, preferably before the outbreak had finished spreading.  Ultimately getting into a rural area and being on the run all the time wouldn't work out either.  At some point your luck would run out.  So where would you go?

Large structures designed to hold populations for extended periods are probably your best bet.  Military complexes, Prisons, Malls, Airports, Underground Bunkers, Missile Silos, Ships, Offshore Oil Rigs.  Each had its own advantages and disadvantages.  Each would also be sought out by other groups of survivors, which potentially could be as much of a danger as the undead.

So where would you go?  

How many more seasons do you think The Walking Dead has?

First of all, let me be very clear: I LOVE THIS SHOW! I was just talking with my boss today and we were discussing if the producers are going to try to find an endpoint to the show or if they will continue to film to try to follow the comic book. I kind of think that they will have to find a way to wrap it up at some point. We all know that hot shows eventually wane and sometimes even overstay their welcome (I'm talking to you, LOST). I don't ever want to see TWD jump the shark and turn cheesy, but I also don't want them to wrap it up too soon and leave us hanging. I love that they are keeping it close enough to the comic, yet just different enough to keep you guessing. I can't wait to see Negan this season. If you've read the comics, you know it's going to be quite the challenge to keep his language clean enough for tv.

What are your thoughts on the future of TWD?

You ever had one of those days...................

When you would almost welcome the zombie apocalypse so you could escape the absolute insanity of your job????????? Today is one of those days. I need some Walking Dead therapy or something.

What's your favorite part of a zombie movie?

I have to say that my favorite part of any zombie movie is the set-up to the fall. I love learning where the outbreak will begin and the comedy of errors that it usually is a result of. I like that Walking Dead has gone and done their version of a "prequel" with Fear the Walking Dead, I would just like to see more of how Atlanta and the rest of the south fell so quickly. If nothing else, some more webisodes would be nice. Also, Dr. Jenner noted that the French were the last to go offline. I would love to see what happened over there as well.

Your thoughts?

The Dead Shall Serve

Zombies have become popular in all aspects of popular culture in the last few years.  From the Walking Dead, to the Living Dead, the Forsaken of World of Warcraft, and the touchy freely zombies of Warm Bodies.  What is it about zombies that has attracted so much attention and support from fans?

Part of it is the same reason that science fiction is so popular.  You can apply real world issues to these stories, such as overpopulation.  Race relations.  Immigration.  Gun control.  Terrorism.  Things that may be politically charged or taboo, and express them through fiction.  The zombies attacking the mall in Dawn of the Dead are all about pointing out the evils of consumerism in America.

Why do you think zombies are so popular?

Zika Virus.........is it the beginning?

Of course not, but you know you thought about it. If you had to guess what the catalyst to the zombie apocalypse is, what would you say? Virus? Experiment gone bad? Extra-terrestrial? I am interested to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Day by Day Armageddon......

I mentioned the other day about the writings of JL Bourne. Here is a link to his website and his excellent work. Check him out and try his books. You won't be sorry.

http://jlbourne.com/

Fast zombies vs. slow zombies...........discuss...............

It's the age old debate in the zombie genre: will the undead be the shambling, mindless corpses that Romero depicted or will they be faster than an Olympic sprinter, a la Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead zombies? What do you think and why? All of this is purely speculative. At least for now.....

Me personally, I think the slow zombies would be the reality. Decay sets in and rigor mortis isn't going to allow you to run a 100 yard dash in 6 seconds flat. Besides, I think the fast zombies take away a lot of the intensity in a film because you realize that, regardless of what you do, they are faster than you and more than willing to kill you. If there was an outbreak and the zombies were like that, well, humanity is pretty well screwed.

On the other hand, the slow, shambling zombies of the original NOTLD are, in my humble opinion, much scarier. They never stop. They never think. They just. keep. coming. You can escape them, if you only stop and control your own fear. That's what they have over you: the psychological advantage. No one expects to see their dear departed get up and come after them. We freeze or run. Fight or flight. Once you realize, though, that instead of making a Rambo-like final stand, you can simply run out of sight and regroup, then your chances of survival increase tenfold. Take away the fear factor, and the zombies are just like mindless herds of cattle that roam wherever their next meal beckons to them.

The overall health of the zombie genre.....

Zombie movies have always maintained a cult following in the entertainment world. Romero really brought it to the big screen and it's been off to the races ever since. Now that the genre seems to be the highest it's ever been with The Walking Dead breaking every record possible, where do you guys see it going from here?

Lots of people complain that every zombie movie is simply a re-hashing of what's been done before. To some point, I would have to agree. I truly appreciate zombie movies that think outside the box and go where others have never dared trod. What all stories would you all like to see that you don't feel have been portrayed before in this genre? Post your ideas here. I may incorporate one or more of them into a new short story or novel, with your permission of course.

Zombie Apocalypse Weaponry Choices

OK, we've all thought about it: what weapon am I going to use when Uncle Fred rises from his casket and tries to eat my cousins? Well, I would love to know what you guys think. Me personally? I'm going minimalist. The theory behind that is that if things get so bad that I have to bug out, I want to be stealthy. No, not just stealthy, ninja stealthy. 500 pounds of ammo and magazines clanking around will get me eaten in a hurry or mugged by those with superior firepower. Here is what I would grab if the dead rose tomorrow:

Ruger 10/22 rifle with 5 Ruger factory 25 round magazines
Good quality 22 revolver
Two 500 round bricks of ammunition
Collapsible police baton
Machete

What would you guys grab?

My new story is now available.

My newest short story, Humanity's Last Full Measure, is now available on Amazon. Check it out and let me know your thoughts!

http://www.amazon.com/Humanitys-Last-Full-Measure-Shawn-ebook/dp/B01B3DIMJI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453845584&sr=8-1&keywords=shawn+clay

If you haven't checked out the Day By Day Armageddon Series by JL Bourne.......

Then what on earth are you waiting for? Hands down, this is some of the best zombie apocalyptic writing I have seen in a very long time. Written in journal form, it follows a Navy pilot from the early days of an outbreak to living / surviving in a world where the dead rule. Very good content that has a permanent place of prominence in my horror library. Check them out today. You will thank me later.

My writings...........

Currently, my first short story, Firsthand Witness to the Fall is available on Amazon.com for download. The story chronicles the experiences of the volunteers in a bio-dome style experiment and their reactions to a mysterious attack on many of the world's major cities and the resulting fallout.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

http://www.amazon.com/Firsthand-Witness-Fall-Shawn-Clay-ebook/dp/B00TBW2FMO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453817671&sr=8-1&keywords=shawn+clay

In addition, my upcoming short story, Humanity's Last Full Measure should be available sometime in the next few days. This story follows a Major in the US Army as he goes from day one of a nationwide outbreak of unknown origin throughout the fall of civilization and then to a bold initiative to launch a counter-offensive, that, if unsuccessful, could lead to the end of humanity.

Welcome to When Darkness Falls.

Welcome to When Darkness Falls, a place to come discuss all those things that go bump in the night. The focus here will primarily be of the zombie genre, mainly due to the fact that I am a Walking Dead devotee and love all things zombie. I will also be featuring my short stories that are available for purchase on Amazon.com, so I hope you will all check them out and let me know what you think. Vulgarity and profanity will not be allowed, as neither contributes in any manner towards a discussion. Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy my ramblings.