Books
To see what Dana's alter-ego Inara LaVey has been up to, click here ~
Plague Town
Plague Town, Dana’s latest novel is scheduled to be released by Titan Books in Spring 2012. Think Buffy meets The Walking Dead...
Ashley was just trying to get through a tough day when the world turned upside down.
A terrifying virus appears, quickly becoming a pandemic that leaves its victims, not dead, but far worse. Attacked by zombies, Ashley discovers that she is a 'Wild-Card' — immune to the virus — and she is recruited to fight back and try to control the outbreak.
It's Buffy meets the Walking Dead in a rapid-fire zombie adventure!
For those of you who scroll further down and see Ashley Drake: Zombie Hunter, my e-release by Ravenous Romance, you might wonder if there is any connection between this book and the upcoming Plague Town. The short answer to that question would be “Yes.”
Plague Town will be a revised and updated version a lot of new material and a slightly older heroine. So the new release should please those readers who enjoyed the original, while attracting a more diverse readership. The same wonderful blurbs from my fellow authors still apply! If you have any questions about it, please feel free to email me at zhadi@aol.com!
Ashley Drake, Zombie Hunter: A Plague on All Houses
Ashley Drake is just a pretty northern California co-ed with a love/hate crush on the strong-jawed, golden-haired Gabriel, her frustratingly handsome teaching assistant. But neither are what they appear to be...
In the space of one day the world has gone topsy-turvy. A viral outbreak is bringing the dead to life. Ashley discovers strength and abilities she never dreamed she had when she becomes drawn into the struggle against the walking dead as part of an elite zombie hunting unit. Her new squad leader? Gabriel, who is shouldering more than a few secrets of his own. Between fighting with zombies and fighting with Gabriel, Ashley is about to learn the true meaning of drop-dead gorgeous.
What other authors have to say about the book:
“A PLAGUE ON ALL HOUSES is sexy, weird, creepy, over-the-top zombie
goodness. Required reading for the deranged.”
— Jonathan Maberry, New
York Times bestselling author of Patient Zero and Marvel Zombie Returns
“Spooks, scaries, and zombies, oh my! Treat yourself to Dana Fredsti’s A Plague on all Houses, a zombie romance (don't worry, romance between humans, no one losing body parts in the midst of - romance!) Chills and thrills for that season when you're looking for - chills and thrills!” — Heather Graham, author of Hallowed Ground & The Flynn Brothers Trilogy
“Fredsti’s writing is razor sharp as her heroes fight off the horde while fighting their attraction for each other. Who will win? Ashley and Gabriel or the Undead outside their door?” — Stacey Graham, author of The Zombie Dating Guide
“Dana Fredsti has created a world as familiar as our own back yard and populated it with recognizable people we care about ... and zombies. But this isn't just another zombie novel. It spans a spectrum of emotion and action that sets it above the rest. A PLAGUE ON ALL HOUSES will have you turning pages fast ... and checking the locks on all the doors.” — Ray Garton, author of Live Girls and Sex and Violence in Hollywood
“A Plague on All Houses is a fast-moving zombie tale that reads like a blast of energy. If you like zombie apocalypse stories, this is a must read!” — Lois Gresh, New York Times Best-Selling Author of BLOOD AND ICE and ELDRITCH EVOLUTIONS
“As adorable an end of the world as you're liable to get, Fredsti's A PLAGUE ON ALL HOUSES is brisk, witty ultraviolent romantic gurlventure.... It is, in a word, a hoot.” — Gina McQueen, author of Opposite Sex and Apocalypse as Foreplay
“I laughed until I cried and gnawed to the quick of my nails as I was held in Dana Fredsti’s thrall. I will never watch Zombie movies in the same way again.” — Night Owl Reviews (5 Stars - A Reviewer Top Pick)
“A Plague on All Houses is worth devouring; so devour it I did. Dana Fredsti continues to be one of my favorite authors, and while I am going to try and not stalk her too terribly, I want the next book in this series NOW!” — Bookwenches (5 stars)
“Get yourself a copy now! Don't wait another minute. But make sure you've given yourself time to read it, because you aren't going to want to put it down.” — Long and Short Romance Reviews (5 “books”)
Murder For Hire
MURDER FOR HIRE : The Synopsis
Connie Garrett has a lot on her plate. Her mystery-oriented theatrical troupe, Murder for Hire, has been hired as entertainment for Emerald Cove’s first annual Fall Festival, a series of events held to honor local authors and raise money for the newly opened Emerald Cove Library.
This year’s Festival post mortem honoree is Shay Randell, creator of the famous hard-boiled detective Mick O’Mallet. (More...)
The History of MURDER FOR HIRE:
Murder for Hire was started many years ago (more years than my vanity cares to calculate) by my best friend, Maureen Anderson and me. Maureen and I met at Clairemont High (the ‘stunt double’ high school for Ridgement in the book and movie FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH) and discovered we shared a love of Daphne Du Maurier’s gothics, Gene Kelly movies, Betsy/Tacy books, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and cocoa, and, of course, mysteries. (More...)
New! Listen to Dana reading the Prologue of Murder for Hire, by clicking here!
OTHER WRITING PROJECTS :
A Man's Gotta Eat What a Man's Gotta Eat
An except from a short story published in DANGER CITY.
Click here for the original program for the Raymond Chandler Festival in La Jolla, the event that eventually spawned MFH: The Peruvian Pigeon.
Hell on Heels
Hell on Heels, essay in MORBID CURIOSITY CURES THE BLUES:
For ten years, Morbid Curiosity was a one-of-a-kind underground magazine that gained a devoted following for its celebration of absurd, grotesque, and unusual tales -- all true -- submitted from contributors around the country and across the world. Loren Rhoads, creator and editor of the magazine, has compiled some of her favorite stories from all ten issues in this sometimes shocking, occasionally gruesome, always fascinating anthology.
This quirky book is filled with tales from ordinary people -- who just happen to have eccentric, peculiar interests. Ranging from the outrageous (attending a Black Mass, fishing bodies out of San Francisco Bay, making fake snuff films) to the more "mundane" (visiting a torture museum, tracking real vampires through San Francisco), this curiously enjoyable collection of stories, complete with illustrations and informative asides, will entertain and haunt readers long after the final page is turned.
I’ve had quite a few essays (six) published in Morbid Curiosity, a nifty alternative magazine published by Automatism Press. I’ve gotten permission from the editor of MC (Loren Rhoads, an excellent editor and even better writer) to put my essays up on my site (which I will do eventually!) , but I would strongly urge you to check out the magazines (those still available) in their entirety. There are a lot of really cool and interesting essays. I also had an essay published in another Automatism Press publication, DEATH’S GARDEN (1995), a book of essays on cemeteries. I’m not sure if it’s still available, but it’s definitely another worthwhile purchase (and not just because of my essay about eating chocolate croissants in Forest Lawn Cemetery) if you can find it.
Click here for essays from Morbid Curiosity.
One of my favorite stories, YOU’LL NEVER BE LUNCH IN THIS TOWN AGAIN, was published in MONDO ZOMBIE. MZ (yes, I do love my acronyms) was the long awaited sequel to BOOK OF THE DEAD and BOOK OF THE DEAD TWO: STILL DEAD, both edited by John Skipp and Craig Spector (authors of some great horror novels such as THE BRIDGE, THE SCREAM, LIGHT AT THE END, DEAD LINES and THE CLEAN UP).
Both books are anthologies based (some stories more loosely than others) on the flesh-eating zombie infested universe created by George Romero with his ground-breaking movie NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, released in 1968 (more on this and other zombie movies on the Get a Slant page). MONDO ZOMBIE is set in the same universe, edited by John Skipp. I guess Spector skipped town. Heh.
My first published short fiction story was in CAT FANTASTIC IV, edited by world famous sci-fi and fantasy author Andre Norton. The story, PROFESSOR PURR’S ALLERGY CURE, was co-written with Brad Linaweaver, author of the award winning novel, MOON OF ICE (and much more!). Check out his website and if you’re a fan of the videogame DOOM, check out the novelizations by Brad and his co-writer, Dafydd ab Hugh.
One of the projects I’m the most proud of is my work as co-writer and associate producer on URBAN RESCUERS, a documentary about feral cats and the TNR (Trap, neuter, return) program. As an animal lover and someone whose found homes for over a baker’s dozen of kittens and cats, this project holds a special meaning for me. To quote the official synopsis by writer and producer Nikki Corda:
Astonishingly, nearly 4 million stray or feral cats inhabit the streets, parks, back alleys and backyards of Los Angeles County, and they are reproducing at an alarming rate. The current solution is round-up and kill. But is there a better way? Urban Rescuers profiles a group of fiercely dedicated animal welfare crusaders in Los Angeles who skirt the law in order to rescue feral cats from the certain death they face upon landing in animal shelters. The methodology involves a controversial solution for feral cats known as "TNR" (trap, neuter, return), which calls for sterilizing these animals and then allowing them to live out their lives in the wild.
As the TNR process is revealed, passionate and surprising arguments on both sides of the issue are heard from the heads of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the Feral Cat Alliance, the Los Angeles SPCA, and the Los Angeles Department of Animal Regulation, among others. The documentary shows that TNR is legal in other communities where it works efficiently, within the system. As we investigate, Los Angeles officials are asked to adopt the policy. Urban Rescuers is a thought-provoking journey of ethics, featuring big personalities and stunning footage of feral cats in Southern California.
For more information, check out the website at the link above!
Like at least 50 percent of the population, I’ve written a few screenplays, both by myself and with partners. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve had a few optioned and two produced. The experiences I’ve had in the wonderful world of the film industry (oh, excuse me, that should really just be The Industry) make watching movies like THE BIG PICTURE, PLAYER and SWIMMING WITH SHARKS, as well as shows like ACTION and THE BUSINESS both highly amusing and REALLY painful at times. Anyway, check ‘em out if you’re interested!
Click here to read about Dana’s jaded past as an actress.