by Jay Wilburn
*Jay entered the castle feeling he had made the worst decision of his life. The cold dark corridors led from level to level without end. He saw light from rooms off to one side. The experiments he saw going on inside would haunt him the rest of his days. He decided not to interrupt. Noises down another corridor led him to rooms where men and women engaged in all manner of carnal congress. He decided not to ask them for directions. By accident, he stumbled into a broad banquet hall or throne room. A bearded man sat upon a throne at the far end of the expanse as if waiting on him. Jay wanted to flee, but he came all this way for an interview, So, he approached.*
Jay Wilburn: I’m looking for author Brahm Stroker.
Brahm Stroker: Ask your questions. I am ready.
Wilburn: Tell me about your recently translated work.
Stroker: Rated Z: Money Shot: An Anti-Romance
Wilburn: I afraid to ask, but tell me about it.
Stroker: Dick Shooter and Bunny Hole are two porn stars who meet up on a movie set and hit it off in a relationship that tries to build throughout. Shooter, from Texas, is a serious man of few words who is most concerned about the welfare of his teenage daughter and still loves his alcoholic ex-wife. He’s a little miffed that Bunny makes more money than him and is very worried about a hard on that won’t go away.
Bunny is from a small town in Maryland, raised by her grandmother. She became a big star, but is on the downside of her career. She falls in love with Shooter, but there are just so many distractions preventing her from connecting.
Anyway, they are in the midst of making their latest film when everyone starts getting sick and the world goes to hell. Join these anti-heroes as they set out to save those they love, only to face one trial after another. Ultimately, their trail leads them to the biggest church in Oklahoma for an unforgettable climax.
Wilburn: I’m a big fan of Shooter and Hole’s films. My favorite is the one where they … I mean, I just watch them for the articles. Back to the story. Explain to me exactly what is going on with your zombies? They don’t exactly act … zombie-like.
Stroker: Are they really zombies? They seem to be thinking and acting and even conversing. Something is going on that seems to have religious undertones or maybe it’s a virus or maybe something else. This is not your traditional zombie apocalypse. Some might think the living are more dangerous than the undead. Others might notice a theme and see an underlying message.
Wilburn: What tone were you going for in this first in the Rated Z series?
Stroker: The dark comedy and anti-romance thread make it edgy, coupled with lots of goop and gore. It is meant to be more of a parody of the genre than an incremental derivative. What From Dusk Til Dawn did for vampire films, Rated Z does for the zombie genre.
Wilburn: What inspired this interesting tale?
Stroker: Ex-wives, old girlfriends, jerks and oddballs met over the years, and probably too many Beavis & Butthead episodes.
Wilburn: When are the next ones coming out?
Stroker: This is the first book of the series. The second book will be out later this summer. A third will follow around Halloween.
Wilburn: What do you hope readers come away with after The Money Shot is complete?
Stroker: This is meant to be pure entertainment. I expect readers will laugh and be grossed out and will begin to care for and even root for the anti-heroes.
Wilburn: So, that’s the story, folks. Check out Rated Z: Money Shot: An Anti Romance now.
Stroker: Oh, you see them too. I thought it was just me.
*Jay opened his mouth to respond, but them just fled the throne room instead.*
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