Showcase: Chimera by David Wellington

Kirkus proclaims that CHIMERA is, “sure to score with those who like a little touch of science fiction with their action thrillers.”  With the “…crisply written and exciting…” CHIMERA, Wellington shows how dabbling into genetic manipulation can produce terrifying results.  (Booklist)

Ten years after wounded Special Forces veteran Jim Chapel returns home from Afghanistan, he is drafted into a new war soil.  A small band of fugitives has escaped from a top secret upstate NY military facility, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. Four men are loose in America, men with superhuman speed and strength, men carrying a deadly virus, men with a mission: kill an innocent civilian. And they will not stop until their mission is complete.  Chapel is tasked with hunting down the group of escapees and unraveling the mystery behind their existence. Aided by a mysterious woman named Angel and a courageous, beautiful veterinarian, Chapel begins a cross-country hunt to stop the murders. But are the killers really rogues, or are they part of a sinister conspiracy that reaches the highest levels?

Q.  What inspires your writing?

A: I don’t think I actually want to know the answer to this one, because then it might go away.  Basically, in quiet moments, stories just come to me—maybe just an image, maybe a character.  It’s awesome, and I don’t want to jinx it!

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being an writer?

A. Meeting readers is always a blast.  But the best part is definitely when I get an idea for a story and all I can think is, “That’s so cool, I have to write it down.”

Q.  What is the toughest part of being an writer?

A. The waiting.  It can take up to a year between when I finish a book and when it gets released.  Usually I get so nervous during that time I end up writing another book.

Q.  If you could not be writer, what would you do/be?

A. A very sad person who wanted to be a writer but didn’t know how to start.

Q.  What would the story of your life be entitled?

A. The Very Boring Man Who Wrote Very Interesting Books.  Hopefully.

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?

A. Views from the Oldest House by Richard Grant.  I still have no idea how he wrote that book, and I know I’ll never write anything as beautiful.

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like?

A. Ishmael from Moby Dick.  I have a crazy job that I take too seriously, even though I’m perfectly aware how crazy it is.

Q.  What character from all of your book are you most like?

A. Fetlock from the 13 Bullets series, even though he’s a villain.  He thinks he knows best and so he gets in everybody’s way and stops them from doing what they need to do.  I should really just let my characters work things out on their own, but instead I have a pathological need to meddle in their lives.

Q.  Which book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?

A. Oh, that’s tough.  Books are exciting, and I really need some quiet time right now!  I guess Little, Big by John Crowley, but only the first half before things get bad.

Q.  What is your favorite season?

A. Autumn, definitely.  Especially now that the summer heat wave is here!

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

A. My best book covers are for the 13 Bullets series, just black and white glamour portraits of evil vampires with dayglo colored titles.  They really grab you.  I love the green color of Chimera, my new book.

Q.  Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

A. I was the guest author at a convention where almost nobody read books.  Every time someone came up to me I was just so excited… at one point a man came up carrying a very old camera.  It was clear right away he had no idea who I was, but he really wanted to show me the camera and talk about all the cool levers and switches on it.  I agreed it was a very nice camera and I asked, “Are you a photographer, then?”  He got a very strange look on his face and said, “No, I just bought it on eBay because it looked cool.”  He felt the need to share this with someone.  I’m glad it was me.

Q.  Are you working on something new?

A. Always!  Big zombie epic next.  Very hush hush.  But it’s huge.  And it has zombies.

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

A. Thanks so much for reading my meandering thoughts on books.  You should definitely check out Chimera, my new thriller.  It’s got tons of action, a sexy veterinarian, and a robotic arm.  And spies, lots of spies, and action.  Did I mention all the action?  You’re going to love it!

David Wellington is a contemporary American horror author, best known for his Zombie trilogy as well as his Vampire series and Werewolf series. His books have been translated into eleven langauges and are a global phenomenon.

His career began in 2004 when he started serializing his horror fiction online, posting short chapters of a novel three times a week on a friend’s blog. Response to the project was so great that in 2004Thunder’s Mouth Press approached David Wellington about publishing Monster Island as a print book. His novels have been featured in Rue Morgue, Fangoria, and the New York Times. 

He also made his debut as a comic book writer in 2009 with Marvel Zombies Return:Iron Man. 

Wellington attended Syracuse University and received an MFA in creative writing from Penn State. He also holds a masters degree in Library Science from Pratt Institute.

He now lives in New York City with his dog Mary Shelley and wife Elisabeth who, in her wedding vows, promised to “kick serious zombie ass” for him.