1. How do you know when someone is a zombie?
Well now hold up! If we’re talking about THE UNDERTAKERS, then don’t call ‘em zombies! Zombies are slow and stupid, while Corpses – the villainous invaders who animate the dead and wear them like suits of clothing – are fast, smart and well organized. They project an illusion of normalcy around themselves, so that 99.999% of the world see ordinary men and women. Only kids, and only a few kids, are “lucky” enough to be able to penetrate these masks, and spot the rotting cadavers underneath.
So, to answer the question: you don’t.
Not unless you’re an Undertaker.
2. Can you give us a teaser from Queen of the Dead?
Thirteen-year-old Will Ritter and the rest of the Undertakers have won their first victory, but the celebration is cut short when a new threat emerges through the Void between worlds. Lilith Cavanugh, the Queen of the Dead, is even more ruthless and dangerous than her predecessor, and her ambitions are even more sinister.
To defeat her, the Undertakers will need to prevent an assassination, rescue Will’s family, and somehow convince a skeptical F.B.I. agent that their cause is just. But how to you convince a grown-up that monsters are real?
3. Are you addicted to any TV shows? What do you watch in your spare time?
I am a crazed Doctor Who fan and have been since I was a teenager. When it’s on, it’s my favorite show. When it’s not, I mourn it and wait for my other favorite shows: Fringe, The Walking Dead, How I Met Your Mother and NCIS!
4. What are some of your favorite Young Adult novels?
I enjoyed the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series. I loved Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy. But my favorites in YA have to Jackie Kessler, A. S. King and Heather Brewer! YA has come a long way since I was a kid, when Nancy Drew the Hardy Boys were about the only games in town. It’s edgier now, more challenging, and I think that’s being reflected in the number of young readers we’re picking up out there.
The Undertakers: Queen of the Dead by Ty Drago
Publisher: Sourcebooks (October 1st, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult/Middle Grade
Paperback: 432 pages
Series: The Undertakers, #2
Twelve -year old Will Ritter and his rag-tag army of teenage resistance fighters may have triumphed over the Zombies last time, but that's the thing about the dead: they keep coming back.
A new Corpse leader has crossed the rift and taken command of the invasion: The Queen of the Dead is even more brilliant and ruthless than her predecessor, and her ambitions are even deadlier. Will and the crew must somehow rescue his mother, prevent an assassination, and show FBI Agent Ramirez the truth about the Corpses-and the danger the world faces.
But how do a bunch of kids prove to a grown-up that monsters are real?
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HOW THE TOUR WORKS Each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page: http://judithgraves.com/events/the-crossroads-tour/crossroads-2012/ and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour.
Answers are to be emailed to judithgraves @ ymail dot com by October 28th at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on OCTOBER 31st – HALLOWEEN.
The GRAND PRIZE you’re vying for? A brand new KINDLE, preloaded with a title from each of the participating Crossroads Blog Tour Authors. That’s right folks, a free KINDLE and 13 free EBOOKS!