Authors can't wait for 'Walking Dead' season 5
Zombies, walkers, Terminus … the virus is inside of all of us! Season five of The Walking Dead kicks off Sunday night on AMC, and no one knows what to expect. First, I'm recapping past seasons by using different animals to represent each season (just go with it). Then, we have some fearless authors who have battled (in their heads) zombies to share some advice for novice zombie slayers as well as what they're looking forward to in season five. Joining us are Marissa Meyer (Cress), Rachel Haimowitz (The Flesh Cartel, Season 3: Transformation), Mary Calmes (Blue Days), Kindle Alexander (Full Disclosure), MaryJanice Davidson (Undead and Unwary) and Alison Kemper (Dead Over Heels).
First, recaps of past seasons …
Season one: Rats, because everyone scattered and panicked and people did whatever it took to survive.
Season two: Wolves, because the lone survivors developed a pack mentality and struggled to establish a hierarchy. Who was the alpha? Shane or Rick?
Season three: Pomeranians. Now hear me out! I have one, and they can be supersweet (like the governor) or superevil (like the governor). And this whole season was about building a "home." And making pets out of the walkers.
Season four: Cougars, because, like Terminus, they stalk-and-wait predators. Also, like most of the characters during season four, cougars are loners. And, of course, you can't leave small children around cougars or zombies.
Now we hear from our authors …
Favorite zombie weapon?
Marissa: The lamp on my nightstand. I've spent many nights wide awake, thinking, if a zombie crashed through my bedroom window right now, I'm grabbing that lamp and swinging for all I'm worth! Then ... probably hiding behind my husband.
Rachel: Dean Winchester. He's a highly trained killer and protector of innocents who literally stopped the biblical apocalypse, so I'm pretty sure zombies would be no big thing. Bonus: He's smokin' hot.
Mary: Favorite weapon is Michonne's sword because it's fast and 100% accurate.
Kindle: My favorite weapon of choice against the walkers would be a UTS-15, the ultimate tactical shotgun. The UTS-15 holds 15 rounds and is lightweight, perfect for me. But the thing I like most about this gun, is that I don't have to be a marksman to make a kill.
MaryJanice: Love. (I'm kidding. A rocket-propelled grenade launcher.)
Alison: Daryl. Yes, I believe Daryl Dixon would be my weapon of choice for the Zombpocalypse.
Which character of yours would be the first to get turned into a zombie?
Marissa: Probably Cress, my computer-hacking genius. She's not much of a fighter ...
Rachel: Probably Nicky from Master Class. He's an actor with no special fighting or surviving skills, and he lives and works in New York City, which has no hope of escaping an outbreak.
Mary: Jory from A Matter Of Time would be the first one. He's too trusting. He would try and help and get bitten.
Kindle: I love this question! My character most likely to be turned first is Larry Michaels, Colt's father in Double Full.
MaryJanice: That's not rhetorical for me. One of my characters did get turned into a zombie: Marc, a gay emergency room physician who continually bemoans his lack of love life (which was not improved by becoming a shambling, grumpy denizen of the undead). After the actual zombie, the character first turned would be Fred the mermaid (from the Sleeping With the Fishes trilogy). She's in water much of the time, so she'd be hard to grab and chomp. When on land, she's so contrary (allergic to shellfish, terrible swimmer, clumsy on boats) and unpleasant (you'd never invite her anywhere, which suits her fine) the zombies wouldn't be bothered. "Leave the grouch alone; let's gnaw on someone slightly less irritating. The world is our oyster! If 'oyster' means 'brains'!"
Alison: I hate to say it, but probably the country boy, Cole, from Dead Over Heels would be the first to go. He's whip-smart, but crazy-determined to find his family. I worry about him wandering through the zombie-infested forest on his own.
What is one thing you hope will happen in season five?
Marissa: I kind of ship Rick/Michonne, so I'm hoping we might have just a LITTLE bit of romance this season ... (What? You think I watch it for the GORE?)
Rachel: I just really want everyone to be safe and happy, but for now I'd settle for them escaping the box car and taking over Terminus as their new home and actually fulfilling the mission Terminus so falsely advertised.
Mary: Two parts, I hope the people who captured Rick and the others ... die. And that Rick and Carl are reunited with Judith.
Kindle: I want Rick's group to find a place where they can finally rebuild their lives and I seriously doubt that place will be Terminus, those people are just creepy. I love this show and I honestly can't wait to see what's going to happen in season five.
MaryJanice: I kind of want Carl to die. I know. It's terrible, he's just a kid, look how much the annoying character has gotten slightly less annoying while still being annoying, blah-blah. He drives me nuts. I'd like to see the Carl Buffet in season five. Or Daryl and Michonne hooking up. Those two could run the world. They would be an unbeatable team of awesome. I would be proud and happy to have them as my post-apocalyptic overlords.
Alison: Daryl. Carol. Kissing.
What's your catch phrase when killing zombies?
Marissa: "Why won't you die already??" Interestingly, this is also my catch phrase for killing spiders.
Rachel: "Oh, God, please don't eat me!" while frantically scrambling backward to hide behind Dean?
Mary: My catch phrase is: Game over!
Kindle: "Looks like you could use another round." But I might even steal "look at the flowers."
MaryJanice: "Oh, God, it's in my hair!"
Alison: "Eat this, you mutha—" Haha! No, I love to think I'd be a badass, but I'd probably be the one screaming, "Run! Or we're all gonna die!"
Jessie Potts, also known as Book Taster, adores books in all forms. She also does reviews for RT Book Reviews magazine and works in the submissions department at Dreamspinner Press. You can follow her on Twitter (@BookTaster).