C. O. Bonham

Today I bring you a book from the darkside of fantasy, one that deals with death and the problems that arise when the dead do.

About the Book

“Some people might say that there are worse fates than death. In some worlds, perhaps that may well be the case. But in mine, it would be a lie. There is no greater horror than that which comes after death.”

On the streets of an ancient city, with creepers wandering at will and a mysterious assassin leaving corpses all over Pandorum, a young Spook with a dark secret will do anything to keep his brothers safe, even from forces that threaten to tear them apart from within. While others are searching for impossible cures from outlawed Spinners, Conrad Ellis III does not believe in fairy tales and miracles. But when he discovers a strange girl with shrouded ties to the Assassin, Eli is forced to leave the streets he loves and travel into the very heart of Pandorum in order to save a member of his family. With his health failing and the danger escalating, there is no escaping the inevitable truth. Today, he may hunt creepers.

Tomorrow, he just might be one.

Purchase on Amazon

Because this book is a little bit outside of my usual tastes I decided to pick the authors brain a bit to see what led her down this dark rabbit hole of walking dead.

FANtastic Interview with Savannah Jezowski:

Just reading the description is enough to give me chills. This is such an intriguing premise. Is there any one thing that you can recall sparking the idea for After, or the story world in general?

 YES. My husband and I were in a book store and all the books were about zombies. I wanted to write a book from a Christian point-of-view that explored the concept of the undead.

Yes there certainly is a lot of Zombie fiction out there, and almost none of it is Christian friendly. I think what troubles many Christian readers about speculative fiction, and horror in general, is when the stories are obviously not how things work. Example: the dead do not really walk. How does After support a Christian worldview?

 After is a fantasy world with mild elements that relate back to my Christian worldview. After takes place in a world before the Redeemer has come to change things. It’s a dark world. People are floundering in their faith. The emperor is oppressive. People are dying in darkness and wandering the Neverway. There is a Divine spiritual being called the Ever Father who orchestrates things behind the scenes. There is a man with strong magical gifts (called a Spinner) that is hinted to be something more than what he claims. Magical gifts could be compared to talents rather than blatant supernatural abilities. There is also a distinction made between the rights kind of magic, i.e. natural magic vs. dark magic. There are lots of little things that could relate back to my Christian worldview, actually.

 How do you imagine creepers fitting into a spiritual afterlife? Are they just reanimated bodies with no souls? Or are their souls trapped inside with/without a hope for redemption?

 Creepers are my idea what “living hell” might be like. When people die outside the Ever Father’s plan, their souls remain trapped in their decaying bodies and they wander the world with only fractured memories of their past. Always alone. Always in pain. I know it sounds kind of gruesome, but really it’s more sad. I don’t dwell much on the yucky zombie aspects lol. My main character doesn’t either. He hunts creepers, but he often catches himself feeling sorry for them.

Now that the meaty questions are out of the way, how about some fun?

If you ever got that coveted movie deal who would you cast?

Oh, that’s hard. I have so many favorite actors that would make the short list. I always thought Chris Hemsworth or Jason Momoa would be nice for Conrad. It needs to be someone kind of burly who can pull off a gruff role. For Ivan? I could go a bunch of different ways. For Fen? The girl from Pacific rim would be perfect. She pulled that role off with just the right amount of strength and fragility. And for Victor? Honestly, he’s the hardest of all because he’s so sweet and so innocent. I don’t think I would ever find an actor that I approved of 100%.

That sounds like a great cast and I love the graphic you made.

Are you prepared for the Zombie apocalypse? Where would you make a stand and what is your weapon of choice?

Goodness, no, I’m not prepared. I’d probably hide in my basement with a baseball bat and die within the first few days.

Baseball bats can be an effective weapon, don’t underestimate yourself.

You have to live in your story world for one month: How do you pass the time? Do you survive?

Wow. I would love to live in my world, but honestly…it’s a dangerous place most of the time. I would love to spend some time with the Elllis and Jenks boys, but their house is rather cramped and they’re always squabbling. It might be more fun to spend my time at the Manor with Fen and the angels (the ladies of mercy). At least there I know I would be safe and would live long enough to get home again.

And now for the most important question of all: This is book one, what are your future plans for the series?

Wither, in the Five Enchanted Roses collection, is already set in the world of the Neverway. It’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling about some minor characters who show up in After. I’m also working on revisions for the sequel to After, a novella loosely inspired by Red Riding Hood and immediately following the events of Wither. So chronologically, it takes place five years after After. I’m planning to write at least two novellas and two more novels in the story world before moving on to other things.

 Sounds like there is a lot more to look forward too in the world of the Neverway. Thank you for talking to me today and sharing about your book.

About the Author

Savannah Jezowski lives in a drafty farmhouse in Amish country with her Knight in Shining Armor, a wee warrior princess, and two English Springer Spaniels. She is the author of When Ravens Fall and The Neverway Chronicles. Her work has been published in Ray Gun Revival, Mindflights and in the student publication of Fountains at Pensacola Christian College. She is also a featured author in Five Enchanted Roses from Rooglewood Press and Mythical Doorways from Fellowship of Fantasy. She likes books, faeries, writing hats and having tea with her imaginary friends.

Website — Facebook — Instagram — Goodreads

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Blog Tour Schedule

• Monday, May 14^th  

  –      Review – Rachel Lopez

  –      Review – Cup of Books

  –      Review – Hunting for Truth

   Tuesday, May 15^th 

  –       Guest Post – Lands Uncharted

  –      Book Review – Reflections of an Author

  –      Guest Post – Jenelle Schmidt

   Wednesday, May 16^th

  –      Book Spotlight – Seasons of Humility

  –      Author Interview – Jilligan’s Island

   Thursday, May 17^th

  –      Character Interview – Jenelle Schmidt

  –      Character Interview – Unicorn Quester

   Friday, May 18^th

  –      Author Interview – C. O. Bonham–You are here.

  –      Author Interview – Autumn J. Cruz Writing

  –      Book Spotlight – Read, Write, Laugh, DANCE

   Saturday May 19^th

  –      Author Interview – Liv K. Fisher

   Monday, May 21^st

  –      Blog Tour Wrap-Up –Unicorn Quester