Boyfriend, father, author, and radio personality. Armand Rosamilia is a New Jersey boy turned Florida transplant. And for the record, a majorly down to earth guy. We could totally hang!
Here's my version of a shout out to Armand...since he made me laugh my butt off with his responses to my questions.
His email signature says it all. "Horror. Heavy Metal. Zombies". It's like he read my mind!
First thing’s first…tell us about Armand Rosamilia the
author. What would you like your readers to know about the Dying Days series and
you in general?
The Dying Days series is a little different take on zombies…
it is set not in a big, dark city but on the gorgeous sandy beaches of Florida , and the stories
themselves focus on the survivors. Sometimes the scariest monster out there is
another human and not a zombie. What would they like to know about me? I'm
great-looking, sexy and I'm humble.
Do you write full time or do you keep a day job?
For the past two years writing has been my day job. And
night job. And no-days-off job. I write more hours than I ever worked, and I
was in retail management. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
What’s the weirdest question you've ever been asked in an
interview?
This one.
When did you decide to make a career of writing?
I was burned out on retail and then the company I worked for
let me go, which I was quite happy about. I kinda looked for another job but at
the same time decided to give my lifelong dream of writing full-time a shot.
I'm glad I did.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things
do they say?
I love talking to readers, and they get in touch with me on
Facebook and Twitter all the time. They keep me going. I do many book signings
each year and meet new readers all the time.
What was your favorite moment in the Dying Days series?
There are so many. Maybe the character Tosha Shorb's first
appearance in "Dying Days 2"… I liked her so much I wrote a prequel
to her story, and it will be out in November 9"Dying Days: Origins")
For those who don’t know Darlene Bobich, how would you
introduce her?
She's a normal woman, late twenties, a bit chunky… just your
average chick. She has panic attacks, she isn't superhuman and she wasn't
military trained. She just has a will to survive.
How long does it take you to write a book?
It depends. I hit my daily 2,000 word a day goal but I'm
usually working on 5-6 stories at once. I can hit 40,000+ words in a month. If
I'm just working on one book I can finish the first draft quickly, but never
work on one at a time.
What do you do when you are not writing?
Sleep. Watch the Red Sox game. Hang out with my girlfriend,
Shelly, and/or my daughter Katelynn. Eat way too much.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences
or purely all imagination?
Many of the characters have some things about them based on
real people or real situations. I like to eavesdrop on conversations and
sometimes I hear something worth using in a future story.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received from
another author?
Pretty much anything Stephen King says in "On
Writing."
What's the one question you wish you would get asked but
never do?
What's the weirdest question you've ever been asked in an
interview…
Who are you reading right now?
A biography or three. I usually read non-fiction books for
ideas and hardly ever fiction anymore.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Just do it. Write and keep writing until you get better.
Then keep writing until you are actually good at it.
OK, so, what’s next, do you already have a new project in
the works?
Always. I'll be working on "Dying Days 4" in the
next few months and a bunch of other horror, thriller, erotica and contemporary
fiction stories. 2014 should be another solid year of releases for me.
Where can readers stalk you?
Website: http://armandrosamilia.com