Author Interview with Lee Herrmann
I’m interviewing Lee Herrmann today, author of YA horror / dystopian novel “Journal of a South African Zombie Apocalypse”. Enjoy the interview!
1. When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I’m still not sure I want to be an author – it’s a lot of hard work!
Seriously though… I guess it’s was in 2009 when I woke up one day and thought, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this.’ I was literally a spur of the moment decision. I had been writing in some form or other, but novels seemed daunting until that point.
2. Where did you get the inspiration for Journal of a South African Zombie Apocalypse?
It stems from many conversations of ‘What would you do if the Apocalypse came.’ The book is basically a contingency plan I’ve had in my head for a few years. From there the characters wrote themselves.
3. What is your editing process like?
Poor. I hate editing. It’s the toughest part of getting everything to work.
I use my wife as a sounding board to ground a lot of my ideas, whereas my friend Steven is the opposite to ramp up more impossibility in the story. It’s a complex mix to get the right recipe and make the ideas gel.
4. What was the most challenging part of writing this book?
I’d have to say remembering to keep it in reality to some degree. Since it happens in South Africa I couldn’t get too carried away and couldn’t make too much stuff up that won’t be true to the location. I don’t like writing too factual and having to remember to make sure locations and names are correct was a bit of a bother.
5. Did you set any writing goals for 2014? Did you accomplish them?
The goal was to finish and publish Journal of a South African Zombie Apocalypse. I ‘finished’ it a year ago, but there were some flaws in the story I knew needed fixing, but dreaded unravelling a lot of the plot. Plus, I was having my second son, which made things a little difficult time-wise. But I did it and pushed through, and was able to finish it.
6. Are you working on something now? If so, can you tell us a little about it?
Most of my time at the moment is spent on marketing Journal of a South African Zombie Apocalypse, but I am slowly plotting out the sequel. There’s a lot to still explore in that world and meet some new characters.
About The Book
Title: Journal of a South African Zombie Apocalypse
Author: Lee Herrmann
Genre: YA Horror / Dystopian
Pages: 180 pages
Publication Date: August 2014
ISBN Number: 978-0-620615-92-1
South Africa has been infected. The army and police failed. Government fell. And now the dead roam the streets.
Journal of a South African Zombie Apocalypse is a post-apocalyptic story set in South Africa, 2 years after a mysterious outbreak has ravaged the country. No one seems to know how it started, but the reality is that most of the rainbow nation is mindless, walking zombies and it’s survive or be eaten.
After their supplies run out, 16 year old Kon, his brother and father leave their Pretoria home and embark on a journey for a new home. They Come across Kat and Dirk, two fellow survivors on a mission to reach Robben Island, a reputed safe haven. Together they embark on an epic journey across the country. Along the way they befriend other survivors, and face an unrecognizable new world filled with new, unpredictable dangers.
Oh, and there’s lots and lots of zombies.
Journal of a South African Zombie Apocalypse is a coming of age story in a very different South Africa, and chronicles one family’s fight for survival against the walking dead.
About the Author
Lee Herrmann was born and raised in South
Africa. He has always had a fascination with zombies and has numerous contingency plans for the eventual apocalypse. Therefore, while he waited, it made sense to write a book about zombies in South Africa.
He has a great love of by comic books, movies, television and popular culture, and cites his zombie favourites as 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead and The Walking Dead.
He currently works in a near-zombie environment as a Content Manager for a big corporate firm in Johannesburg and has had a varied writing background including copywriting, writing for web, radio and magazines. He is also the author of the mystery title, The Manservant Mysteries ( www.TheManservantMysteries.com).
Lee lives in Pretoria with his wife Dina, and two sons, Max and Nik. Every Saturday night he can be found going to the movies with his best friend Steve-Dave.
Links
www.saza.co.za
https://www.facebook.com/