Empire was originally published online as a serial novel, from August to December of 2006. It will be published in trade paperback by Permuted Press. New material has been added, increasing Empire's content by 20% and adding new depth to the post-apocalyptic world in which the story takes place.
The Plot:
105 years after the global outbreak of a zombie plague, the coastal community of Jefferson Harbor, Louisiana is being abandoned by the vestigial U.S. government. Those who choose to stay behind & fend for themselves in this ghost town face the packs of feral undead that roam the badlands, as well as the threat posed by psychotic mortals, who have snapped after living their entire lives in a world ruled by the dead.
But the undead have a new enemy. The Grim Reaper himself has risen from obscurity to put these ghouls down once and for all. Those who have defied his touch for so long will now fall - and a new chapter will begin for all of humanity.
The online version is still free to read at the site. I encourage any and all feedback, good or bad!
Also available at the site (for download in .pdf format) are two prequels to Empire - the novella "AfterDead", which was originally serialized in The Hacker's Source magazine; and the short story "MetaDead".
As if that weren't enough, I just can't seem to help tying my other zombie stuff into the Empire universe. At Permuted Press you'll find The Undead, The Undead: Flesh Feast and The Undead: Headshot Quartet, all of which contain Empire-related stories (though they do act as stand-alones too). Bloody Books' Read by Dawn 2 has one also. But don't let my presence stop you from checking out any of these EXCELLENT zombie/horror anthos! ;)
