Something Wicked Comes: Interview with Ann Aguirre + Giveaway of Outpost

It's no secret how much I love and admire Ann Aguirre, author of Enclave and Outpost (and so much more). She's the one author I can always count on to impress, entertain and cause some serious heartbreak. A few months ago, I'd invited her to answer a few of my questions, and she graciously agreed. You can find that interview HERE. 
Today, we went with something different. Instead of the usual chat about characters and worldbuilding, we talked about zombies and Halloween traditions. 

Hi Ann! Thanks for agreeing to do this Very Serious Interview about all things creepy and gory. Let's get the most important thing out of the way: how do you think you would fare during a zombie apocalypse? You seem very resourceful to me – do you think you'd be among the survivors, or one of the first to fall?

That depends. Are they slow zombies or fast zombies? There's no way I could outrun anything fast, but I'm a pretty good hider. If my survival hinges on bunkering down, being quiet, and occasionally unloading with a shotgun, I'd say my survival chances are excellent. I spent some time on the firing range in Vegas, and I blew the face off a zombie clean with a 12-gauge. I did well with a rifle, too, less impressive with machine gun or handgun.

Your books often have some kind of flesh-eating monsters, and although they're never traditional zombies, they are always both terrifying and disgusting. This led me to conclude that you're not especially squeamish, but we all have our limits. Where do you draw the line? Do you remember a scene from a book, or even a movie, that you found particularly repulsive? While we're at it, what is your favorite zombie book/movie of all time?

I find vomit scenes utterly disgusting. Blood bothers me less, actually, though I think wood chipper scenes like you find in Fargo and Tucker & Dale vs Evil are too far and quite revolting. As for my favorite zombie movie? Easy. 28 Days Later.

Zombie-human relationships are becoming increasingly popular. It started with Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies, and in YA, Lia Habel's Dearly series is certainly worth mentioning. As a true romance reader I know you to be, how do you feel about this new rotting hero?

I haven't read either of those books, and I'm not on board with zombies being love interests. I think that's super gross. I also am opposed to vampires as love interests, frankly, but I know I'm alone in this. But look, dead is dead. I don't want to date anyone who might be tempted to eat me. That's a mood-killer if you ask me. 

What is more creepy:

Zombie humans or zombie animals?

Both are creepy. But there's just something about a zombie dog...

Traditional zombies or voodoo-type zombies?

Tradition.

Zombies or ghosts?

Ghosts.

Do you have some Halloween traditions you're willing to share? How does Halloween in Mexico differ from Halloween in the United States?

We don't celebrate Halloween too much, overall. The kids have outgrown any desire to trick or treat, and frankly, my son never had any desire to put on weird clothes and "go begging", as he put it. When he was maybe seven, he said to me, "Mom, can't you just buy me candy if I want some?" I was like, "Of course." And that was the end of costumes.

We do still carve a jack-o-lantern, but otherwise, Halloween isn't a thing here. Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico. You can find more information about it  HERE. I love the pan de muerto (bread of the dead), which is a lot more delicious than it sounds. It's a light, sweet pastry with dried fruit and covered in sugar; you can only get it in the month preceding the holiday. There's also las Catrinas (a skeleton in a pretty dress), sugar skulls, and all kinds of cool stuff. Mostly, though, it's about honoring—and thinking about—the loved ones you've lost. I find it's a lot more meaningful than Halloween, too.



Aaaaand it's time for our giveaway! Enter the Rafflecopter to win a copy of Outpost, the second book in Ann's Razorland series. The giveaway is international, of course, anywhere The Book Depository ships. Now, if for some (crazy) reason you still haven't read Enclave, you can opt to win that book instead. 
Have a great Halloween, guys! 

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