Day of the Living Pizza — Vickie Johnstone

Story originally published in The Gage Project book on April 19, 2012. Written for and dedicated to Gage Bailey. Detective Smarts of Crazy Name Town has a problem. Doctor Boring and his receptionist have been bumped off, and the only clues at the scene are some olives, tomatoes, mushrooms and sprinkles of oregano. With the townsfolk dropping like flies and strange figures stumbling down the streets, Officer Dewdrop has an idea. All royalties from this paperback will be donated to children's charities in the UK. If you enjoy this story, why not try The Gage Project collection of stories, jokes and verse for young readers. It is published by Inknbeans Press and is raising money for children's charities. It also contains more of my work too. Juvenile fiction aged 10+/YA/adult. “I really liked this story. It was funny and the author did a great job of making ‘zombies' out of something most kids love: Pizza! The names she used (Detective Smart) and the fact that a mystery was woven into a zombie book made it so much more fun. It will make you laugh, make you hungry, and make you want to read it again and again!” (Gage Bailey, age 14) “Part zombie apocalypse and part young adult crime mystery and fully hysterical, this short work delivers many grins and chuckles as Detective Smart matches what passes for wits with a town of Pizza Zombies with limited vocabulary.” (Ed Drury) “A really fun read for kids and kids at heart! I really don't like zombies, but then who does? These were a taste (ok, pun intended) of zombies without the gore. Just right for tender hearts and chickens like me.” (Linda Rae Blair) “ The author has a wonderful sense of humour as shown by the character's names (Officer Dewdrop, Joe Mango, Bob Banana, Chief Egg), and the mystery involved (why are people turning into walking pizza zombies?). If you are in the mood for some silliness and need a good laugh, Day of the Living Pizza is the book for you.” (Greta Burroughs) “I couldn't help it, I found myself laughing aloud many times as I read this story. The idea of someone running down the street screaming while a giant pizza man chased her was both funny and scary.” (Ey Wade) “ Vickie Johnstone will brighten your day with Day of the Living Pizza.” (Gregory S Lamb)