About Jim Beck
Jim Beck is a freelance writer and produced screenwriter who resides in Burbank, California with his loving wife, rambunctious son, and cute little dog named Monster. He has written for Cartoon Network’s Pink Panther & Pals, produced a short zombie film and independent feature film that was recently selected for Sundance, and is currently awaiting the release of his first direct-to-dvd creature feature.
Jim’s screenplays have placed very high (and in some cases, won) in contests conducted by Cinescape Magazine, Project Greenlight, Acclaim TV, Acclaim Film, and Writer’s Boot Camp, among several others. In the case of Writer’s Boot Camp, he was awarded a one year writer’s fellowship to develop future projects.
Jim runs his own website (www.blackroostercreations.com) and has self-published two full novels,Patient Zero and Virgil: A Superhero Tale. He is currently prepping his third and fourth, a supernatural story called Beneath and his own unique take on the classic Jekyll & Hyde tale. He is also the creator of two ongoing TV In Prose series, Alter Ego and Pest Control, which are books given the television treatment, split into seasons and episodes.
In his spare time, he enjoys watching movies, having open-heart surgery (though it was not his choice), playing video games, and searching the universe hoping to find more spare time.
You can find out more about him and his work at http://www.blackroostercreations.com
The Interview
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
Patient Zero is about a single father who submits to a nanotechnology procedure in order to help treat a brain tumor. After the procedure, he finds himself slowly turning into a zombie, and must protect his son from a quickly developing outbreak.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
I had been watching a bunch of zombie movies and realized that most of them stuck to a similar formula: either the zombie outbreak had already occurred before the start of the movie or it happened very quickly after a few minutes, and then a group of survivors would band together to help fight the infected. I wanted to do something different, a story that’s more personal in nature.
Who is your biggest supporter?
My wife, family, and friends. My wife reads everything I write and gives me honest feedback, even when my writing is a bit subpar. My family and friends are there for me in pretty much any way I need.
In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
This is the first full novel I’ve written, and I come from the screenwriting world, so I guess the answer would be writing prose. It’s an interesting change, to say the least.
Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?
Once I finish a first draft, I eat a cat. If a cat is not available, my family goes out to dinner somewhere for BBQ or mexican or whatever.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
The entire world and everyone in it.
What are you currently working on?
I am finishing a superhero novel called Virgil: A Superhero Tale, which will be released in either February or March. After that, I’ll be working on a supernatural thriller called Beneath, my own take on Jekyll & Hyde, and new episodes of my TV in Prose series, Alter Ego and Pest Control. I also have a serial killer story called Victim 34 and a superheroish story called Indestructible, but those are only in the planning stages.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
For writers, I’d say make sure you’re writing each day and create a website that looks professional to help draw in fans. For readers, take a chance on self-published books (hint hint).
What are some of your long term goals?
The only goal I have right now is to keep writing. The most important thing for me is to see my creations published, because I have a lot of stories to tell.
What do you feel has been your greatest achievement as an author?
So far, finishing my first full novel and actually being told that it reads like a “real” book. I was concerned with that, since screenplays have stricter rules and that’s what I’m used to.
What do you feel is your biggest strength?
Being prolific, both with the writing itself and the number of ideas I have at any given time.
Biggest weakness?
Procrastination, which prevents me from writing about all my ideas as quickly as I would like. Plus, I don’t think I will ever be the kind of writer who can crank out a 100,000 word book. I get bored too easily and want to finish so that I can go to the next story. Another holdover from my background in screenwriting.
What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?
As far as I know, this is the first zombie book told from the POV of the virus itself. I also tried to create a different experience for readers by featuring a single father and his son as the main characters, a slow transformation into a zombie, and the evolution of an outbreak as it occurs.
You know the scenario – you’re stuck on an island. What book would you bring with you and why?
Only one? That’s too harsh. How about just one Kindle?
If you could go back and change one day, what would it be?
Must I benefit from it? Because there’s this one day in September, about ten years ago…
Are you a different person now than you were 5 years ago? In what way/s?
In the past five years, I’ve gotten divorced and remarried, dealt with a meth addict, had a feature film made, written for a kid’s cartoon, and switched from writing screenplays to novels … so yes, I’d say I’m pretty different, but for the better.
What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?
Never give up. Never surrender. And something about Grabthar’s hammer…
Is there anything you regret doing/not doing?
I should have moved to Hollywood to try my hand at screenwriting when I was much younger, before I had a bunch of responsibilities. Though, to be fair, my best ideas have come from the past five years or so.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Nothing right now, but if you want to e-mail me, I’ll be sure to answer. 
About Patient Zero
Bob has a brain tumor.
Not to worry, though. He’s the prime subject for a new procedure involving nanotechnology. Microscopic robots are introduced into his body and effectively destroy the tumor. Job well done.
But there’s a catch. A virus lying dormant for years inside him is manipulated by the tiny machines and causes Bob to die and then be brought back to life as a zombie.
His transformation into one of the living dead is slow, first appearing as a skin rash and advanced arthritis. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the virus has mutated and Bob is slowly losing control. Now, no one is safe — not the neighborhood pets, his co-workers, even his son.
Told from the point of view of the zombie virus itself, this story of a single father, his son, and a zombie outbreak is a cautionary tale of advanced medical science and where it might lead us.
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