Where the Dead Go to Die by Aaron Dries and Mark Allan Gunnells

There are monsters in this world. And they used to be us. Now it's time to euthanize to survive in a hospice where Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible.

Post-infection Chicago. Christmas.

Inside The Hospice, Emily and her fellow nurses do their rounds. Here, men and women live out their final days in comfort, segregated from society, and are then humanely terminated before fate turns them into marrow-craving monsters known as ‘Smilers.’ Outside these imposing walls, rabid protesters swarm with signs, caught up in the heat of their hatred.

Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible. But in a world where mortality means nothing, where guns are drawn in fear and nobody seems safe anymore – at what cost will this pursuit come? And through it all, the soon to be dead remain silent, ever smiling. Such is their curse. 

This emotional, political novel comes from two of horror’s freshest voices, and puts a new spin on an eternal topic: the undead. In the spirit of George A Romero meets Jack Ketchum, Where the Dead Go to Die it is an unforgettable epilogue to the zombie genre, one that will leave you shaken and questioning right from wrong…even when it’s the only right left.

It won't be long before that snow-speckled ground will be salted by blood.

Proudly brought to you by Crystal Lake Publishing – Tales from the Darkest Depths

Interview with the authors:

What makes Where the Dead Go to Die different than any other zombie novel out there?

Aaron Dries: The scabs of the zombie genre have been picked at for years. But here, we rip off the old flesh to make way for the new. But there's a lot of blood in between. We've done something different, something challenging, and honest. It's something I couldn't have done alone.

Mark Allan Gunnells: It's an original take on a standard horror trope. We approach the story from a much more emotional place, the horror coming less from the zombies themselves and more from a more personal horror of death and loss and guilt.

How did you experience the process of writing a novel with another author?

Aaron Dries: This was the first time I have collaborated, and I couldn't have asked for a better partner-in-crime than Mark. It took a lot of trust and honesty. I was constantly surprised by the process. Mark would write a sentence that would send my imagination reeling. It was such a fast, living process, ironic considering the undead subject material.

Mark Allan Gunnells: I love the art of collaboration. When it is done right, and I feel Aaron and I did it right, the result is a story that truly neither author could have written alone. It's a blending of our voices and talents to create something wholly unique.

Why should readers take a chance on your book?

Aaron Dries: Because this really is something different. It's a fiercely political work. It's about conservatism run amok, about humanity in an inhumane world. And considering the bureaucratic climate in which we currently live, I think it's rather timely.

Mark Allan Gunnells: Because we're offering a fresh and original take that is full of passion and emotion and suspense.

Where the Dead Go to Die eBook categories:

• Horror novel
  
• Science Fiction
• Post-apocalyptic
• Suspense Thriller
• Metaphysical