Last fall, I had the privilege of hosting the very cool Mark Tufo in the Halloween Haunted Blog Tour. Mark is the author of the popular Zombie Fallout series as well as plenty of other books, most recently Tim 2. Now that it’s summer, it’s my honor to host him once again for the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour. Check it out!
Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2013
Mark Tufo
Hi my name is Mark Tufo, most of you know I moved to the East Coast a couple of years ago, really just to get away from the urban sprawl that was Denver. I traded people for mosquitoes, I figured it for a victory! It’s not that I mind the individual person it’s the vast sea of humanity that I sometimes have problems contending with. Anyway so yesterday was quite literally the first day in the previous ten that it was not raining. I waited a few hours until the lawn was dry and I decided to mow what had become a veritable jungle of grass. I didn’t mind, I consider mowing a lot like painting, very Zen-like. Yes I know I’m weird my wife Tracy lets me know all the time.
So I spent a couple hours toiling with mower and weed whacker and when I was satisfied with the job I looked up to my raised deck. I was hoping the cushions on the furniture were dry because hanging out, reading a book and drinking a beer right then sounded like the most awesome thing on the planet. I put the mower up, grabbed a Rolling Rock and the electronic reading device my wife has been trying to force on me for a year. I keep telling her I’ve never had to ‘charge’ a book before reading it! And she’ll ask me how many books can I carry?
Whatever, I opened up to the 2nd chapter of Twilight (don’t judge me). And was just settling into Bella and her new school when I heard rustling in the trees off to my right. Didn’t pay it all that much attention, there were some wild turkeys in the area. Then it kept going and was now approaching, my heart was beating a little faster. I was hoping it was deer or even more so for a moose. Been in the Moose state for two years hadn’t even seen a moose shit. Damn things are as elusive as Bigfoot, speaking of which that would be insanely awesome if one of those came strolling through my yard.
Just so we’re clear this is not your typical suburban house with neighbors bracketing my sides. There is nothing on either side except for woods and then a carve out of said woods for my home and lawn. And I love it just like that. So the possibility that it could be Bigfoot although remote was still probable. I got up quickly and silently, if it as a moose I was going to have to run in the house and get Tracy. She’d kill me if I saw one and didn’t tell her. Henry my Bulldog who had been lying by my feet enjoying the respite from rain was now pawing at the patio door to go back in. Riley my other Bulldog was up against the railing looking over the yard with me.
I was disappointed at first when I saw blue jeans coming through the woods. Then a little pissed, what was he doing on my land without my permission? Then apprehensive, what was he doing on my land without permission? I watched for a few more seconds not saying anything. I watched as the he walked straight into a blackberry bush. Those things are no joke they can tear through leather and he didn’t so much as say ‘ouch.’
“Great he’s shitfaced or high on meth.” I said softly. Neither of those prospects made me happy.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I shouted down to him, he was about 30 yards away. His head swiveled up slowly and he looked from side to side, I guess trying to figure out where the voice ‘from above’ came from.
I backed up a step, Riley started barking savagely, Henry pawed at the door more furiously. He was the one that had the right of it. I loved zombies right up until one walked into my backyard.
(My hope is that this will be continued)
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Join Mark Tufo and eight other Zombie authors during the Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2013, going on all of June. Visit the Facebook event page for more information, too!
