[Updates from The Writer's Desk]

This last Saturday found a crew of five (plus a helpful husband) in a cold, cement-walled garage shooting the first book trailer for When the Dead. On board we had:

• Shayla Jones – Shayla is the owner/operator of Phantomlight Media. She co-wrote the script for the shoot, aided immensely and equally in the creation of the concept and storyboard scenes and she directed and produced the shoot itself. Shayla also knows many talented and creative people and she brought several on board for the project.
• Domenic Barbero – I don’t know much about Domenic except that he is incredibly skilled at making visions come to life through the camera. He drove from Bellingham to work with us, provided valuable ideas for scenes and was super easy to work with. I recommend him wholeheartedly. Domenic was the Director of Photography for the shoot.
• Becky Hansen – Becky is my sister and zombie makeup partner extraordinaire. She was our Makeup Artist and Art Director and her work was disgustingly beautiful. She truly helped the dead walk, or, lay on a steel table . . .
• Nicholas Swenson – Nicholas was our infected person. He came early and put up with everything we put him through (ice packs and a fan to his half-naked body, onion to his eyes, liquid latex to his lips), a real trooper. He was so helpful, hardworking and aware of continuity issues. And for the record, he would survive the zombie apocalypse!

Of course I was there too. I got to play the mysteriously anonymous part of The Scientist. The trailer itself has a mix of imagery from the first (published) book and the second book that I am currently writing. Below are some sneak peek, unedited (!) stills from the video we captured. Check back for the actual trailer!!!

I can’t wait to make the second trailer! More characters, more weapons and a little bit of life and death.