KATE WALDEN DIRECTS: NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIE CHICKENS

In this new middle-grade series for girls, 12-year-old Kate Walden dreams of being a big-time Hollywood director one day.

But finishing her first movie, Night of the Zombie Chickens, is turning into a big-time nightmare. Kate’s mother isn’t happy that her prize organic hens landed the berserk zombie chicken roles. And when Kate’s lead actress and best friend ditches her to hang out with the popular crowd, Kate’s movie seems doomed. Even worse, an embarrassing blunder lands her on the Loser list at school. Forced to hang out with the misfits, Kate discovers being a social zombie isn’t quite the kiss of un-death she thought it would be. Kate writes and carries out the perfect revenge script on her former BFF, but a hen hit squad seems to have its own diabolical script to ruin both her social life and her movie. Julie Mata is a video producer by day and a children’s fiction writer by night. She has also worked as a freelance writer and television news reporter, covering everything from murders to pig races. She has a BA in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing from Oberlin College and an MSJ from Northwestern University. She also wrote, produced and directed a short film, Bus Driver, which won the Best Drama award at the Wildwood Film Festival in Wis- consin and played in numerous other festivals. She lives with her husband and two daughters.