Zombie mine

View larger image Stacey I. Graham and her daughter Vyolette, 4, hold cupcakes they made that were inspired by Graham's short story, "Eye of the Beholder," a zombie romance. Rich Cooley/Daily Recommend This Print This Get E-mail News Alerts Buy Photos/Page Reprints * Breaking News If local news is breaking and you know about it: * Call Us: 800-296-5137 * E-mail Us * Upload Your Photos View larger image Graham and Vyolette sit in Rose Hill Park in Berryville. Graham runs a writer’s blog and several websites for fans of zombie stories and other authors. The mother of five gains inspiration from her family, who offer ideas for her writing. Rich Cooley/Daily View larger image Since submitting her first short zombie romance for an online contest, Graham has written three Christmas-themed zombie tales and is working on a book of zombie dating tips. Rich Cooley/Daily

Local author publishes first of several ghoulish romances

By Josette Keelor -- jkeelor@nvdaily.com

BLUEMONT -- Local author Stacey I. Graham has found a literary market she can sink her teeth into.

In a quick, eye-popping series of events, the 42-year-old Clarke County resident released her first short story on Sept. 28 as part of an anthology of zombie-inspired romantic fiction, "Hungry for Your Love." She had little time to celebrate, however, before her second story and two zombie Christmas carols were released Wednesday at Amazon.com in the charity anthology, "The Undead that Saved Christmas."

"Eye of the Beholder" tells the story of Anna, a newly undead woman who stumbles upon love in post-apocolyptic New York City. Though the story quickly gained the attention of anthology publisher, St. Martin's Press, Graham was flattened by the news.

The story was simply something she wrote for a contest through the Ravenous Romance blog at blogspot.com, but it would prove to jump-start her interest in the ever-growing world of the undead.

"There was a call for an anthology on the website, and I had never written such a short story," Graham said. She had also never written about zombies before. "In fact, I wasn't even a romance writer."

"It was a very quick turn-around," she said. "The anthology came together really well, and this is my first anthology."

So what's a novice writer of zombie romance short stories to do? Roll with it.
Cue the Christmas carols and heart-chilling holiday tale "And to All a Good Fright," the proceeds of which will help buy Christmas gifts for foster children in California.
After learning her first short story would be published, she lost no time in expanding her powers of offbeat humor and swiftly turned out several chapters in "The Zombie Dating Guide," a tongue-in-cheek advice book for zombies having a difficult time finding love.
Her efforts landed the attention of book agent Dawn Frederick, who currently has her attention focused on marketing the idea to editors.

"'The Zombie Dating Guide' is nonfiction because it's classified as humor writing," Graham said. She stitched together a few chapters and a proposal and promptly began fishing for representation.

Judging by the start of her query letter, it's no surprise she soon had a bite:
"Vampires are moody. Werewolves leave hair in the sink. Ghosts are notoriously vapid," Graham wrote. "What's left in the paranormal dating world that's not already been left for dead? The Undead! Ready to lumber into the dating world, and THE ZOMBIE DATING GUIDE is here to help. No longer content to shuffle in a corner, moan, and sniff the cheese tray, Zombies are."

Tapping into the right literary market just when zombie literature takes off is amazing enough; finding success in a genre she had never tried or considered before last year has brought a second life to the stay-at-home mother of five.

Admittedly, Graham was already a humor writer, which helped her greatly in making the switch to zombie romance.

"It was funny, so the editor picked it up," she said of "Eye of the Beholder." The anthology is available at bookstores nationwide as well as online in e-format.

Though she may be new to the world of published authorship, Graham has already become proficient at marketing herself and her writing online. The head of six websites, a blog and a Facebook page for her still-in-progress "The Zombie Dating Guide," Graham spends a lot of time online learning about writing from agents, editors and other writers through blogs and discussion boards. The built-in-audience on the Web also allows her to test new material before deciding to use it in her writing.

Her family, too, has provided some much needed on-the-spot inspiration.

Her youngest daughter Vyolette, 4, helps out her mother more than she knows.

"[The] best lines ever come from her," Graham said. "Things like 'I'm allergic to dumb.' She told me she wanted iced pickles one day, and it took me about a month to realize she meant icicles, 'cause it was winter."

"Vyo definitely has this natural sense of humor."
Another daughter offered fodder for Graham's humor-hungry zombie fans: "Where do you go on your first date? The human buffet."

Besides keeping busy with her own writing, Graham enjoys helping other writers young and old.

A self-proclaimed ghost hunter who has a blog at AskaGhostHunter.blog spot.com, Graham has been working on "The Girls' Ghost Guide" for ages 10-14.

She has also run the website WeeGhosties.com for many years.

"Ghosts are a perennial favorite," she said.

On the Facebook page, she offers weekly dating tips for zombies and receives feedback from fans.

She also plans to participate on a panel of writers at ZomBcon next week.

"It's a huge zombie convention in Seattle," she said.

"Writing is a business," she said. "Vyolette and I have our schedules down," she said. "Luckily I have an amazing husband who's very supportive of everything I do."

And what doesn't she do? Graham's interests, though deeply rooted in the world of the undead, transcend paranormal activities. She also heads the website AnArmyofErmas.com for writers who enjoy emulating the writing of Erma Bombeck.

Graham encourages anyone interested in publishing their writing to learn everything they can about the business online.

"For any writers, just keep your name out there," she said. "It's very easy to get lost in the shuffle. ... "Update your blog at least once a week."

Also, don't be afraid to take risks.

"I was just curious, I wanted to try," she said of penning a zombie romance. "It's snowballed from there. I thought it would be funny." More than funny, it's also been a lot of fun.

"I really didn't know zombies."

"Eye of the Beholder," by Stacey I. Graham, is available as part of the anthology "Hungry for Your Love," at booksellers nationwide and online. "The Undead That Saved Christmas" is available at Amazon.com. For more information about Graham, visit the Web at www.staceyigraham.com.