Monday, December 31, 2012

Goodbye 2012...Hello New Year

Haven't been posting much as of late. Shame on me. Maybe I'll change that in 2012. I sure hope so.

In retrospect 2012 wasn't so bad. A lot of people cannot say the same considering politics, the economy, and the general state of humanity, but for me it was a good year overall. Of course, the politicians are playing Russian roulette with the American taxpayer right now, and their decisions will affect the middle class one way or the other (though I am, politically speaking, considered poor). If we go over the fiscal cliff, well...I don't know what to think.

But enough about that shit. I digress. What 2012 brought for me was the publication of my first novel Through the In Between, Hell Awaits, of which I couldn't be more proud of. To add a cherry on top, I sold my second novel People of the Ethereal Realm to Post Mortem Press. Those accomplishments alone made my 2012 a success. Though I sold fewer short stories, I made more money off of them, so take that however you like. I'm very pleased, and I can only hope to increase my reputation and sales in 2013.

On a personal level, my son is healthy and I did a metric shitload of work on my house (new flooring, remodeled my son's room, paint, baseboards, etc.). Doing the labor myself saved a pretty penny. The downfall of the year is that with getting older the need for health care is increasingly necessary. My wife has had an eye infection that the doctors and specialists can't seem to properly diagnose. That or they have their thumbs firmly planted up their asses (as I suspect some of them do). A trip to the ER without health insurance is a major bummer (to use some well worn SoCal vernacular). It's tough, but crunching the numbers we cannot decide whether it is worth paying for medical insurance or just dealing with the hospital bills (insurance is freaking outrageous!). Anyway, that's the big shit storm at the end of a decent year, and the bills haven't stopped coming in. On top of that, the eye infection, though seemingly healed, will likely come back (it came back once already). We can throw money at it, but until we find a doctor who gives a shit, we're screwed, glued and tattooed. I see paying ridiculous premiums for health care in 2013. Robert may be working an extra day or two a month, who knows.

All of that aside, I hope we all have a wonderful and prosperous 2013.

Cheers!

Monday, December 10, 2012

Through the In between, Hell Awaits -- OUT NOW!

That's right, folks!  My debut novel from Grand Mal Press, Though the In Between, Hell Awaits, is now live! Available in print, for kindle, nook, and at smashwords.

After an ancient tribe of sentinels disbands, the realm between Earth and Hell devolves into a land where vile beasts roam free and corruption reigns. In this aberrant land time is only relative, and pain can last forever. On Earth there are three strangers in search of something tangible, something real, something that gives meaning to their lives. Little do they know that a grisly murder in San Diego will mark the beginning of a series of events that will draw them to a world of madness, torture, and lawlessness where they will be forced to fight for their desires and their lives. Once in the realm of the In Between will they ever be the same again? Is there a way back home to Earth, or does Hell await?

“Essig brings a fat slice of urban horror combined with his uniquely abstract vision of a hellish world. Endless suffering abounds! For fans of down and dirty horror!” - Daniel I. Russell, author of Samhane

Cheers!