Thea Isis Gregory has only been writing for a few short years, but already shows the maturity of a more experienced hand. Let’s get to know Thea in her own words:

Thea writes zombie stories and science fiction. She was raised in rural Quebec, where her imagination was often her only friend, and this upbringing also engendered a fanatical love of reading and books.

Thea moved to the city at the tender age of 17 to study science, eventually majoring in physics, because physics is awesome. Her first love has always been science (fiction), and she maintains an unquenchable thirst for discovery and the unknown.

Thea writes a series (currently on book 5) called the Zombie Bedtime Stories. I’ve had the privilege of reading books 1-3, as well as a mini-prequel. I’ll focus on the actual ZBS, as the prequel was a good introduction, but I know you want more.

Locked In begins the series with a look at Haley and Frank, paramedics out on what should be a routine day, but goes horribly awry when they’re called to a school. We’re introduced to Thea’s intimation of zombies when a homeless man attacks Haley with surprising vigor and power. He’s subdued, but all is not well. Thea’s characters are surprisingly deep and emotive, no small task in a 20000 word story.

The story twists into an explanation of the disease – the word “zombie” isn’t uttered at all – with Thea’s internal examination of the zombie psyche is one of the freshest, and most disturbing in the genre.

Locked Out continues the series in a non-linear fashion with new characters, although they are in the same timeframe and city as Locked In. Anna is head of a research facility whose life gets turned upside down as a result of an epidemic. The military invades the facility, we’re introduced to Major Cliff (I’m still trying to figure out if his name is a pun or inside joke) who subsequently informs Anna that her team has been reassigned to assist with discovering the cause of the epidemic.

This story is incredibly character driven, as almost every scene is occupied by interaction between two or more people, creating a pace that’s panicked yet well within the author’s control. The universe expands, as does the reader’s understanding of what Thea hopes to accomplish: death by ravenous horde.

Up next is Deadlocked which brings the trilogy full circle, as this book focuses on Frank, Haley’s partner from Locked In. Deadlocked begins as Frank and Haley part ways, and immediately recounts Frank’s plot during the time that Locked In takes place. The story follows Frank’s journey to ensure Haley’s safety. This is Thea’s most in depth character study yet, one that takes a lingering fear and exploits it into a full-on apocalypse.

All of Thea’s books are well written, and it’s evident that she has a passion for both her craft and horror. Currently she’s working on books 4-6 of the Zombie Bedtime Stories, and projects that they’ll all hit the digital market during 2012. Thea is also a NaNoWriMo winner, having completed the first draft of her Sci-Fi novel Sanity Vacuum this past November. For more information on Thea Isis Gregory, including links to buy the Zombie Bedtime Stories, visit her website and follow her on Twitter.