Author preps book release with zombie photo shoot

PACE — Author Tim Sousa will soon release his second book in a three-part series centered on zombies. He held a photo shoot April 22 to get images for the novel’s cover.

Sousa — who is from Massachusetts and moved to Pace in January — said he has been writing since childhood, but this trilogy is the first time he has written novels.

"I've been writing since I was 8 years old, but mostly poetry," Sousa said. "I have published two poetry journals, and have one in the works."

Sousa was a police officer in Boston for 10 years, and his experiences inspired his poetry. His first book, "Inspired by the Streets," was published in 2010 and contains poetry and short stories based on his life as a police officer. The second, "Secrets," is based on behind-the-scenes experiences, according to Sousa.

So how did he go from policing to penning stories? Natural impulse.

"I have so much creativity in my head," Sousa said. "When I see an opportunity to write something, I take it."

Originally, his first novel, “The Refuge: Cape Cod,” was supposed to be a short story. When a co-worker read it, he asked, "What happens next?" Sousa has now written 24 chapters for his three-book series.

"My favorite genre, when I'm not doing poetry, is horror novels," Sousa said.

He always supplies the artwork for his book covers; this time, local photographers Olivia and Robert Madden took the photographs in Pensacola. There will be a bigger photo shoot in Boston in the coming months, according to Sousa.

He said the long-term goal is to make the series into a show or video game.

If that happens, it won’t change him, he said.

"No matter how famous I get or how many people know my name, my favorite thing to do will always be to sit in the backyard with the fire going, enjoy a vape and hang out with the kids," Sousa said. 

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Author preps book release with zombie photo shoot