Infected by Michael Kelso

12/15/2024

Book one of the Zombie Infection series

Multi-genre, multi-volume, author Michael Kelso introduces us to the first book in his Zombie Infection series:
The zombie infection lurks in the depths of the earth, waiting to be unleashed.
All Gus Swanson ever wanted was to be left alone to his farm and family. But when the infection turns him into patient zero, a path of destruction begins that could envelop the entire human race.
As the world continues to spin on, unaware of the horror that lurks beneath its surface, a deadly infection is about to be unleashed. And now, it's spreading like wildfire, turning the living into mindless, flesh-eating zombies. As survivors fight for their lives, they soon realize that the true threat may not be the zombies, but their fellow humans who will do anything to survive. With every page, the danger grows, and the stakes become higher. Will anyone make it out alive in this new world? Or will they all succumb to the zombie infection? If you're a fan of all things zombie, then you don't want to miss out on Infected, the first installment in this gripping series. Grab your copy now and join the fight for survival. Because in a world ruled by the undead, only the strongest will make it out alive.

I got a good scare from reading this book.
Kelso wrote an admirable take on the undead genre. He made it seem all too real for my comfort. The setup was quite good and the flow of events logical and possible! Any small town could become the epicenter for the next, civilization-destroying plague!
The multiple characters are what made the book seem so realistic and plausible.
4.8 stars from me because I am picky about certain things.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/INFECTED-Book-1-Zombie-Infection-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-infected
It is also available in Kindle Unlimited.

You can connect with the author:
https://twitter.com/MichaelKelso2
https://michaelkelsoauthor.com
https://www.facebook.com/mikeswritings
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-kelso-825ba6a5
https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkelsoaut/pins
https://www.instagram.com/michaelkelso8294

I have reviewed another of Michael's books, Misadventures of a Cryptid Hunter: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-misadventures-of-a-cryptid-hunter
And another of Michael's books, One on One: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/one-on-one-by-michael-kelso

Tags: zombies, plague, monsters, horror, medical
Copyright © 2024 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction.

49 Comments

Mark

12/16/2024 05:07:10 pm

Welcome back to the Word Refiner channel, Michael. I am honored that you chose me again to promote your books. This is the third book I have promoted for you. For visitors, I have placed links a little bit above to the other two promotions.

We are continuing the questions from where we left off in September, a few months ago.

First question.

What is your favorite food and beverage?

Michael Kelso link

12/16/2024 07:06:05 pm

Favorite food is bacon. Favorite drink, I like water, soda, veggie juice.

12/16/2024 07:18:20 pm

Bacon is a favorite for a lot of people. I drink water myself more than anything else.

New question.

The cover is outstanding and scary! Tell us how the cover evolved. Who made it? Drop a link if appropriate.

12/16/2024 11:09:54 pm

I met my cover designer through a mutual author friend of ours, Boris Bacic, who is quite a prolific writer. Well worth checking his books out.
So, he recommended a cover designer who had done good work for him. His name is @nocturnum_19 on instagram.
I had some basic ideas of what I wanted for the covers of all 5 books in the series. Talking back and forth we were able to refine the ideas and he did an amazing job on all of the covers. I can't wait for readers to see them as I release them one by one.

12/17/2024 07:04:37 am

Five books! I do like a good, long story. The doctor and the researcher make a good team. The kid in the morgue seems to have a screw loose or two. I can see this will be a great story! Your fans will be happy.

New questions.

Have you ever gone through the query process?

Were you seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers and why did you choose that path?

12/17/2024 10:23:59 am

I started out querying short stories to magazones, but didn't have much success.
Then I stumbled across someone on linkedin who was looking for manuscripts. I told him about my first crime novel, 'One on One' and he asked for the first 3 chapters. A few days later he asked for the whole thing. A month later I signed a contract with him for that book.
Other than that, I'm completely self published.

12/17/2024 10:44:47 am

Congratulations on that deal with an independent publisher. Your story is different from many I hear.

Let's talk a little bit about self-publishing.

New question.

Why did you decide to self-publish when you had a deal for your first book?

12/17/2024 10:55:17 am

My book wasn't exactly flying off the shelves. And with them being a small publisher, they had no budget for marketing, so I was on my own.
Back then I had no idea how to market.
What I found out was I had no control over the book. If I wanted to change anything, or make corrections that readers found, I had to ask them to do it. Most of the time the answer was we'll get around to it. Which they never did.
I had no control over price either. I couldn't do kindle giveaways or anything.
It was then I decided to self publish so that I would have the freedom to do the things to make my books successful.

12/17/2024 12:54:38 pm

Your experience matches that of so many authors. You and they were surprised to learn they had no control over their book. It happens every day to someone.

Publishing contracts are designed to allow the publisher to make as much money as possible. No matter how much a publisher fawns over a book, when the dust settles, the book is treated a lot like a grocer treats a box of cereal on the shelf. The grocer will maintain interest as long as the cereal makes money for the store. When that ends a different box of cereal will take its place on the shelf.

Publishers of any size are operating on a very thin profit margin. Many rarely give an advance of any appreciable size and that advance must be paid back to the publisher from sales of the book. Most authors sell only 500 or so copies of a book, so with creatively crooked accounting many authors may not see more than a pittance of a royalty check, if any.

Many publishers list the book on their website and that is the extent of their marketing.

New questions.

Were you able to regain the rights to your first book?

What condition in the contract provided for the return of your rights?

12/17/2024 01:01:05 pm

Honestly I haven't looked. Like I said, it wasn't the most popular book. I actually just moved on and wrote a sequel, self publishing it.

12/17/2024 02:30:06 pm

Intellectual property rights are very important. When an author signs a publishing contract, they are giving a license to the publisher to use those IP rights in specified ways and for a specified time. Most authors are thrilled beyond description when they sign their first contract. They tend to be more careful with following contracts if they don't start self-publishing. Having a lawyer, experienced in IP rights and entertainment law, check a contract can save the author a lot of money and heartache.

One of my clients, David Garcia, Jr. wrote a guest blog about his experiences in that very area. I think it's a worthwhile read for every author. Here is a copy-and-paste link or hit the search box below: https://www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/protecting-your-ip

New question.

There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?

12/17/2024 03:13:42 pm

I'm not happy with publishers training AI so it can write books and sound like a certain author.
I don't think AI should write books at all. I think it's a major threat to the livelihood of authors.
I'm also not happy about how the author is generally the last dog at the bowl.
Without the author, the book would not exist, and yet editors, cover designers, marketers, and a host of others all demand their money up front. The author is always left for last.

12/18/2024 08:32:39 am

Amazon requires authors to disclose if Artificial Intelligence was used in the production of their book. Knowing human nature, I wonder how many will actually comply. I have seen a few AI covers and they look a little bit off in details. I don't think AI will be able to create in the same way a human can.

There are people who are trying to use blockchain technology to publish books. Crypto currencies use blockchain also but that is where the connection ends. Blockchain can not only guarantee the authenticity of a book that a person is buying, it can also provide payments to editors, cover artists, formatters and anyone else involved in getting a book to market.

New questions.

Is there a book that causes strong emotions to come up no matter how many times you read it?

Do you ever read a book more than once? If so, which one?

12/18/2024 10:08:53 am

LOTR is one of my all time favorites. I once read it six times in the space of a year.
There are a couple other books that I re-read every now and then.
This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness, both by Frank Perretti are masterpieces and will change the way you look at the world around us.
I also love the Heir to the Empire series of Star Wars books, and have re-read them. They should've been episodes 7 thru 9 instead of the dreck we got.

12/18/2024 11:40:12 am

LOTR is one of my favorites also. I read the series 3 times before graduating high school. It was my introduction to high fantasy. CS Lewis, one of Tolkien's best friends, was a prolific writer in his era and wrote many different kinds of books including his own sci-fi trilogy, "Out of the Silent Planet". The protagonist in the series was modeled heavily after his fellow Inkling, John Ronald Reul Tolkien. I enjoyed that series a great deal also.

I read both of Peretti's books long ago. Very eye opening, as you say.

I never read any of the Star Wars books, though I am sure I would have enjoyed them.

New question.

What book has changed your mind about any particular topic?

12/18/2024 11:44:53 am

I've read Dale Carnegie's How to win friends and influence people and it changed my perspective on dealing with people, especially those in power over me.

12/18/2024 01:51:04 pm

Yes, that was a good book. It was one of the first times I heard about having boundaries in work and business.

I got my employer to pay for a Dale Carnegie course on Effective Public Speaking. That was a game changer for me also. I no longer feared public speaking. That was a big step for a guy with a bad stammering problem.

New questions.

Did you have a favorite book as a child?

Can you read a book as a reader or only as a writer now?

12/18/2024 06:03:44 pm

The first book I really remember reading was called, 'Lad: A dog'. I also read the Big Red series.
I'm still able to read for enjoyment. My inner editor doesn't ruin every book I read.

12/19/2024 08:06:10 am

Lad: A Dog sounds like a good book. It's more than 100 years old now.

My earliest favorite was The Happy Hollister series written by Jerry West. I had at least a dozen of the series. It was about the kids in a family solving mysteries. I was quite surprised to see the books at a convention this last summer. The nephew of the author had recovered the copyright and was selling reprints of the original books. They looked and felt like the originals down to the paper and slipcovers.

New questions.

Which of your books is your favorite, and why?

What about your own books, do any of them make you emotional?

12/19/2024 10:19:33 am

'Misadventures of a Cryptid Hunter' is by far my favorite book I've written. I had so much fun writing it, especially with the sarcastic main character. It's also fun to write about cryptids and it's not a revenge story or about killing them, just catching them to make a living.
I think Misadventures is the best book I've written. I can't wait to work on the second book some more, once I get some other projects finished, like the zombie series.

I do have scenes in a couple of my books that make me emotional. One of them is coming up in the second zombie book, and another further along in the zombie series.

12/19/2024 12:44:45 pm

I loved Misadventures also! I laughed so much! Laughter is good for you, according to the Holy Bible. You maintained a great balance between humor and horror, silly and scary!

New question.

If you could ask every person, who has read one of your books, only one question what would you ask them?

12/19/2024 02:03:16 pm

'Did you enjoy it?'

12/19/2024 03:43:01 pm

That is a good question, one every author would like the answer to. It is sad that so many people don't leave reviews. Every author struggles with that issue.

New question.

Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired?

12/19/2024 05:43:09 pm

When I first started writing, I wrote songs. They had a spiritual component. As for my stories and books, Working on them can energize me when the ideas are flowing, but they can also drain me when they're not flowing. That's why I always have several projects going at the same time. If I get blocked on one project, I'll switch to another, just to keep forward momentum going.
Since most of my writing is fiction, I don't really feel like there's a healing component to it. I have been working on a non-fiction book about grief for a while now. It definitely has a healing component to it. It's my project that's designed specifically to help others. I also have been working on a book about how I wrote and marketed 'Misadventures'. That one's also designed to help others.

12/20/2024 07:10:30 am

Song lyrics are somewhat similar to writing a book because word choice is important. Lyrics are conveying a message and/or a story in a carefully defined format.

Feeling energized when the words are flowing makes a lot of sense to me. The flip side of that coin is quite relatable also. Having multiple projects to work on is a smart idea.

Grief is a huge issue because we all experience it in the course of our lives. Loss of any kind can generate feelings ranging from mild disappointment to feeling like you are in the middle of scorched earth.

New question.

Since a copyright in America lasts for 75 years after the author's passing, do you have a plan for all of your books and the royalties in your will?

12/20/2024 07:38:25 am

I hadn't really thought about putting it in a will.
I guess that's one of those things people don't think about until it's too late.

12/20/2024 09:54:26 am

You are right. Many don't think about that. Here is another thing that people don't think about. Technology and social media accounts. Here is a useful copy-and-paste link dealing with that issue: https://www.komando.com/tips/tech-steps-before-you-pass/

New question.

Why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?

12/20/2024 07:45:57 pm

I think having characters with relatable emotions connects the readers to the story and raises the stakes.
Without that emotional connection the characters seem paper thin and less interesting.
Like they say, no emotion in the writer, no emotion in the readers.

12/20/2024 08:02:25 pm

It is certainly true. Another thing that seems to work well is characters that are multi-faceted, they have good qualities and bad qualities and a certain amount of woundedness from their past. Just like real people, like us.

I have heard that in more than one form, such as no tears in the writer then no tears in the reader.

New questions.

Have you ever done NaNoWriMo, National November Writing Month?

If you have, what kind of preparation do you do before it starts?

12/21/2024 08:34:30 am

I have done NaNoWriMo before different times and it helped me finish books.
I didn't really do any prep. I had books I had started, so I just used the motovation to finish them.

12/21/2024 11:06:15 am

That is a good use of the contest. It has been popular for years. Many writers join groups for fun and mutual encouragement.

The contest has fallen into disfavor for many writers, and they are boycotting it because NaNoWriMo accepts writers who use AI in writing their book. I know that AI is good at many things and good for somethings, but I don't think writing a novel is a suitable use of the tool.

Amazon requires authors to disclose if they used AI to write their book. I wonder how many authors disclose that. I read a few days ago that Amazon is limiting uploads to three a day for authors. Imagine having three books to upload on the same day. It boggles me.

New question.

What reality show, current or not, would you like to be on?

12/21/2024 08:31:06 pm

I've always loved Top Shot. I was sad when they stopped making that show. I would absolutelty love being on Top Shot if they ever made another season.

12/22/2024 07:03:17 am

That is a favorite in my house also along with Forged In Fire. I couldn't compete on Top Shot or Forged In Fire but both hold a lot of interest for me.

New questions.

Are you an under-writer or an over-writer?

When the first draft is done, do you need to add more to flesh it out or do you have to cut material because there is too much?

12/22/2024 08:12:04 am

I might be a little bit of an underwriter. I'll go back and make sure the scene is set well as I'm cleaning up my mistakes. Usually I don't cut a lot. When I finish I have generally what I want in the story. I try to search for polt holes mostly and clean them up as I go.

12/22/2024 08:26:26 am

That is par for the course for many writers, I think. You have written quite a few books and have honed your writing skills. It takes time to gain that experience of course and it does pay off in the long term.

New writers are the ones who struggle the most and land close to one end or the other of that spectrum. I encourage them to write it all down. It's easy enough to add or delete as needed down the road.

New question.

What type of material seems to need the most massaging in your stories: descriptions, dialogue or action?

12/22/2024 09:11:57 am

I usually need to reign in my dialogue when writing a book or short story. That's part of the reason why I've started writing screenplays. They're mostly dialogue and I could write dialogue all day.
I have no problem with action, as long as it fits the story and isn't mindless action for the sake of action. Like car chases are rare in my books.
Now for descriptions, one of my favorite things to do is set a scene with a well written description. Especailly as a horror author. Descriptions are my best friend. I can talk about a tree and say he hid behind a tree. Or I can say the dark imposing forest terrified him, with each tree holding untold horrors just waiting to jump out and destroy him. But yet he had no choice. The thing was pursuing him and it was either hide behind the tree and face unknown fears, or wait for the inevitable horror to find him exposed.

12/22/2024 03:52:03 pm

Dialogue is very important. Much information can be conveyed in conversations.

I have encouraged more than one author to take a class in screenplay writing to learn another method of writing. It is distinctly different from writing a novel or short story.

Nice comparison of scene setting.

New questions.

Have you ever used yourself as a starting point for a character in a story?

Would family or friends recognize you in the story?

12/22/2024 06:22:00 pm

I have at times used myself as a starting point for a story, but it's usually when I'm trying to get unblocked and just writing a throwaway story to get my juices flowing.
I've also used myself I'm mad and venting about something. But those stories never go anywhere and usually get deleted. They're just a means to and ends. A way of venting and throwing my frustration out into the void.
The only other writing that comes close to me using myself as a starting point was my crime novel, 'One on One'. It was set in a prison. Of course I used to work in a prison, so some of the issues I had to deal with as a corrections officer were changed around, fictionalized, and overly dramatized.
I had several people I worked with ask me if there were any true parts in that book and I said no, it is entirely fictionalized.

12/22/2024 07:27:00 pm

I have heard of writers venting their frustrations by writing them out and I have suggested writing about how a certain project is blocked. I think you have a good handle on dealing with those issues.

A comedy came out in 1999 called The Muse, it was about a screenwriter who lost his touch after a string of successes. You might enjoy it if you haven't already seen it.

One on One was a powerful story and quite dark. I wondered the same thing as your co-workers. You gave them the perfect answer. I think it unwise to ever admit that you based a character or an incident on someone you know.

New question.

Have you ever used other acquaintances as the basis for a character, to the point they have recognized themselves in your book?

12/22/2024 07:49:11 pm

That's a touchy question.
To protect the guilty and the innocent, I will say that I have used someone I know as a basis for a character but changed the person's name.
This person is shall we say not my favorite person in the world by a long shot. I started out writing them as a character who does loathsome things and therefore very easy to hate.
This peraon has not, to my knowledge realized.
Twist of fate. Even though I based this character off of someone I despise, the character has grown into one of my favorites to write.
The irony.

12/23/2024 08:08:06 am

I think that was a wise choice. To do otherwise could lead to all kinds of problems and discomfort.

That is very funny and ironic.

New question.

What do you do to flesh out the characters for your stories?

12/23/2024 11:44:01 am

For main characters in my novels I try to give them some characteristic or flaw that might not be immediately evident, but shows in the way they interact with others and the world around them.
My short story characters not so much because there's not enough time to go very in depth with characters.

12/23/2024 02:59:55 pm

That is a good plan. One writer recently told me she gives her characters secret flaws. She never mentions the secret ones but they do show up naturally.

New questions.

Which is more fun to write, the protagonist or the antagonist, and why?

What is one thing you hate about your protagonist and one thing you love about the antagonist?

michael kelso link

12/23/2024 03:12:06 pm

It all depends on which protagonist or antagonist. In Misadventures, the protagonist was my favorite to write, in fact he was my favorite of any character I've written. I think it was his snarky I don't give a crap attitude that was so opposite of his profession of a park ranger. It was so much fun to write him because he didn't really follow any rules. Most of the time he was giving the rules the finger.
In my zombie book, things are a bit different. Since it's such a large story with so many characters, there isn't really a set protagonist or antagonist. The doctor who's trying to track down this virus is currently playing the role on main protagonist, but there are others who do their fair share as well trying to end this infection.
My current antagonist is the unlucky farmer who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and became infected, turning him into a killing machine. One could argue that it's not his fault, but that still doesn't diminish the body count he's racking up.
I'd say for this zombie book, the selflessness and dedication to others is what I love about my protag.
As for my current antagonist, I'd say his singlemindedness.

12/23/2024 03:16:33 pm

I got that last part mixed up. The one thing I hate about my protagonist is his moral superiority. Thinking that his way is the only way to handle this crisis.
One thing I love about my antagonist is his sheer brutality.

12/23/2024 04:33:39 pm

That brutality answer made me laugh. You come across as a quiet and thoughtful person but there is quite a tempest within it seems. On second thought, we all struggle with hurt and rage at some point, I guess you are as normal as the rest of us.

Last questions.

Which is more important to a story pace or flow?

How do you control it?

12/23/2024 06:46:07 pm

You talk about pace and flow as if they're two separate things. I really see them as the same.
Good pacing is going to result in good flow and vice versa. At least in my opinion.
One of the biggest ways I control it is with dialogue and description.
If the story is moving along too quickly, I'll throw in some description to slow things down.
If the story is dragging a bit, dialogue will pick the pace up.

12/23/2024 07:18:50 pm

I admit, it is a little bit of a trick question and almost every answer is right. I do agree with you they are tightly interrelated and likely the same thing.

Your solution is quite good, also. Writing must allow for a rhythm, up and down, fast and slow. Otherwise, the reader might strain to keep with non-stop action or fall asleep without any action.

Thank you, Michael, for hiring me to promote your book. I am impressed with your writing as it seems to improve with each story I read. I am honored to have you on the Word Refiner channel again.

Until next time, keep on writing.

12/23/2024 07:46:01 pm

Thank you. I appreciate it.
It's always fun to talk about writing with you.

Infected by Michael Kelso

Book one of the Zombie Infection series

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