Books I Read in 2017

Here's the list of books I read over the past year. Not as many as I wanted to read, however I started a metric shit-ton of books that I couldn't get into, sometimes reading as much as fifty or seventy-five pages before shelving them. I'm currently reading Tom Piccirilli's A Choir of Ill Children and Grady Hendrix's Paperbacks From Hell, and enjoying both of them. I read mostly older books this year. I hope to dig into some newer stuff next year, but my bookshelves are filled to the brim with good old mass market paperbacks from the seventies through the Leisure crash, so who knows.

1. The Bottoms by Joe Lansdale
2. Mischief by Douglass Clegg
3. Edge of Dark Water by Joe R, lansdale
4. Road Rage by Stephen King, Joe Hill, and Richard Matheson
5.Ghoul by Brian Keene
6. Wild Blood by Nancy Collins
7. Arboreatum by Evans Light
8. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
9. Once Around the Bloch by Robert Bloch
10. Fear Today, Gone Tomorrow by Robert Bloch
11. Water Rights by Guy N. Smith
12. The Captors by John Farris
13. Breeding Ground by Sarah Pinbourough
14. Odd Man Out by James Newman
15. Dark Gods by TED Klein
16. Prodigal by Melanie Tem
17. Nightingale's Lament by Simon R. Green
18. Spectre by Stephen Laws
19. Mayan Blue by Melissa Lason and Michelle Garza
20. Dark Masques Ed. by J. N. Williamson
21. The Elementals by Michael McDowell
22. Strange Seed by T. M. Wright
23. How I Made A Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime by Roger Corman
24. Flesh by Richard Laymon
25. City of the Dead by Brian Keene
26. Midnight Sun by Ramsey Campbell
27. The Dirt by Motley Crue and Neil Strauss
28. It's So Easy and Other Lies by Duff McKagen
29. The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx and Ian Gittins

New Review of SALPSAN

My modern gothic novella SALPSAN was reviewed over at Confessions of a Reviewer recently. They gave the book three out of five stars. Though it's not the most positive review, it's an honest one, and I can appreciate that. It's so difficult to get a book reviewed these days with the glut of material out there (especially a self published book like SALPSAN!), so I am grateful that Confessions of a Reviewer took the time to read my work and review. Though the book didn't fulfill the reviewer, he did make some positive comments concerning the prose and atmosphere I created. This review is definitely worth a read, so please follow the link and see what they have to say. And then, if you feel so inclined, head on over to Amazon and buy a copy. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can borrow it for free.

Here's the review. Here's the Amazon link.

Brothers in Blood on Sale and an August Contest

My latest novella BROTHERS IN BLOOD is on sale for .99 cents for a short period of time. If you're a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, it is available to you for FREE. Grab a copy HERE.

The contest is simple. Whether you purchase the book now, purchased it already, borrow it for free on Kindle Unlimited, or got an ebook file from me for free, if you leave a review on Amazon by the end of August you can enter to win paperback copies of the first two volumes of the San Diego Horror Professionals anthology series (US only due to shipping costs). You are not required to leave a five-star review or even a positive review. Leave an honest review. That's what it's all about. One you leave a review, tag me on social media or leave a comment here on my blog and your name will be put into the hat. I don't expect to get a lot of participants (contests are always hit or miss), so your chances to win two paperback books is pretty good.

In short, read BROTHERS IN BLOOD, leave a review on Amazon by the end of August, enter for a chance to win paperback copies of SAN DIEGO HORROR PROFESSIONALS VOL. 1 and VOL. 2.

Happy reading!

You've Been Trigger Warned

How do you feel feel when you read something that triggers you? Maybe you had a problem with addiction in the past, maybe your ex was a drunk, maybe you were severely bullied as a child, maybe you have a unique fear, or maybe you were mentally or physically abused.

Maybe, just maybe you have cared for someone with a disability, and perhaps an extreme story that features some such person in horrific situations triggers you.

I've heard the term "trigger warnings" many times but didn't really understand what it meant. I mean, I sort of understood the concept, but for whatever reason I always pictured a gun trigger and wondered what that had to do with warning an audience about potentially offensive or harmful material. Duh. Certain subject matter can trigger a negative response in people--PTSD, depression, angst.

I just received the first Amazon review for my latest novella Brothers in Blood. It was a two-star review that mentioned various reasons for disliking the story including Kyle and Lyle Morris, twin brothers, one of whom is severely mentally disabled. The reviewer called the story "offensive." Now, I can laugh that off and use it to sell the book to people who want to read offensive material, but it got me thinking. I sure didn't set out to offend. In fact, Lyle Morris, though one of the antagonists, is a character who should have caused the reader great sympathy. I certainly didn't write about a mentally disabled character for shock value or to be cruel. That's what got me thinking about trigger warnings. The reviewer was triggered. Perhaps triggered enough to leave a negative review.

And there's not much I can do about that. After all, the subtitle on Amazon says: An Extreme Psychological Horror Novella.

Fair enough warning?

Look, I'm proud of this novella. Check out the book on Amazon and read the synopsis. If it looks cool, give it a shot and let me know what you think. If you have already read it , please leave a review. I'm not begging for four and five star reviews, I want honest reviews. Like the two-star review that's starting things off.

Consider yourself warned.

You can get Brothers in Blood for your Kindle or Kindle app an Amazon,com in the US, UK, and regional Amazon sites across the world.

Remember! Brothers in Blood is available on Kindle Unlimited for FREE. You can't beat that with a dead rat.

Monthy Newsletter #5 July 2017

Welcome back to my monthly newsletter. Maybe I should call it a newsblog, yes? Before getting to the usual news, reviews, and writerly goodness, I would like to thank everyone who has purchased, borrowed on Kindle Unlimited, or otherwise supported my latest horror novella Brothers in Blood over the past month and a half. This novella has had a better opening than anything I have published. I'm not saying I can quit my day job and write full time or anything, but I can maybe buy a better bottle of whiskey and a lobster dinner. Maybe. At any rate, thanks to everyone who shared a social media post or bought the book. Page reads on Kindle Unlimited have been fantastic. Unfortunately, as of this writing, there are NO Amazon reviews. I'm not going to lose sleep over this, but if you read the novella I would greatly appreciate an honest review. Thanks!

News

The latest San Diego Horror Professionals anthology has been released, this time with even more SD authors than before. My offering, "Brain-Case Soiree," is a Laymon-esqu story that follows a young couple in a strained relationship who decide to explore a long abandoned asylum and find something truly unexpected. You can purchase the anthology HERE in the US and HERE in the UK.

I'm fine tuning two novels that I am sending to two particular publishers for consideration. I have also started a story that I like to call a cross between THEM! and The Descent. The idea came from a recent experience at work and a conversation with my father during a recent visit to Arizona. I've put down another novel I was working on, figuring this one is more marketable. I'll probably end up writing them both simultaneously.




 Cool Read

I'm suggesting two books this month.

The Lucky Ones Died First is the debut novella from my pal Jack Bantry. I'm not only spotlighting his book because he's a friend, but also because it's a damn fun read. It's pulp cryptid horror fiction at its best. I think of this novella as Friday the 13th but with Bigfoot rather than Jason. I was lucky enough to beta read this one and was thrilled when I heard Deadite Press picked it up. It's getting good reviews, and rightly so. Purchase it HERE.

It would be remiss of me not to highlight James Newman's Odd Man Out. I bought the paperback a few weeks ago (a different sized trade PB than what I'm used to, but fitting for a novella), and read it in two or three sittings, which is quick for me. Not only am I a slow reader, but I have a young child. 'Nuff said. Yes, Odd Man Out is socially relevant, yes I'm a fan of Newman's work (and I consider him a friend), but more importantly, this was an all encompassing read. The kind of story that truly pulls the reader in and blocks out everything, creating a visceral movie in my mind. This story made me forget that I'm a writer, and that's hard to do, as any writer will tell you. That's the kind of thing that elevates a story. Animosity still holds its place as my favorite Newman read, but this one comes in a close second. You can purchase Odd Man Out HERE.

Featured Fiction

This week I'm going to tell you a little about a story published a while back called "The Nostalgiac." This one appeared in the Post Mortem Press anthology Fear the Abyss, which featured science fiction stories with a horror bend. It was great to be published with so many talented authors such as Jack Ketchum, Harlan Ellison, Mike Arnzen, and Tim Waggoner, just to name a few. "The Nostalgiac" was an idea I dreamed up long before I was invited to this anthology. I saw a pair of intergalactic grave robbers risking radiation to claim entire graveyards on a dying Earth. I wrote half of the story and left it there, not really knowing where to go. When I was invited to submit, I knew this was my only chance. All of the other sci-fi horror stories that I'd written at that point had been published. I thought through my issues with the plot,  developed the Nostalgiac angle, and treated it very much like an episode of the Twilight Zone (the story was actually compared to TZ in a review). I think it's my best sci-fi/horror mash-up to date. You can purchase a copy of Fear the Abyss HERE.

Book and Record Acquisitions

I bought quite a few books over the last month. The Ten Little Indians paperback was a nice find at two bucks in a book store I had walked by several times but never stepped inside. I think that and The Seed were pretty much two of the only horror titles they had in the entire store outside of some Stephen King and Dean Koontz. No lie. I looked through the entire store--literature, sci-fi, and fantasy sections--no labelled horror section!--with no luck. There were a few F. Paul Wilson titles, but I already had them. I was also pleased to find a hardcover first edition of The Kill Riff on Ebay (and very affordable to boot!). Here are a few of my finds:

Closing Words

In closing, I have some reflections about life and the genre. First off, the Fourth of July came and passed. I went to the fair with my wife, mother-in-law, and son. We had a great time despite insane numbers of fair-goers. Everyone was so nice. I think that was due to the Fourth being a more family friendly day, whereas an average night at the fair consists of wading through packs of asshole teens and drunk twenty-somethings who wish they were still asshole teens.

So I was looking over my files and wondering if other writers have so much unpublished material. I'm not talking trunked stuff, but novels and novellas that are good enough for publication (or at least I think they are). I have six novels (most teetering on novella status), two novellas, and five unfinished projects. I've been reflecting on how difficult it is to break through in the biz, even on a small level. I'm convinced that networking at conventions and writing conferences is better than blindly submitting to the very few respectable publishers who actually accept submissions. Of course, talent and good stories play a part, but I keep running that quote through my head that I've heard so many masters of the genre say: "It's twenty percent talent; eighty percent luck." The numbers vary depending on who's making that particular quote, but it can be attributed to any number of bestselling authors. I've developed a few fans. They contact me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and it's surreal. I've earned compliments (mostly for my short fiction), and some harsh criticism (don't we all). I believe in my work and I know I get better with each piece of fiction I pen, whether I trunk it or attempt publication. It's a tough business, but I'm relieved when I read some of the fiction being published and find that there are some amazing authors out there. At least, for the most part, I can see why my stories get rejected, considering the competition. I've been short-listed enough to know I'm on the right path, and I've had some of the best editors in the biz say nice things about my fiction. I have to remember this when self doubt rears its ugly head. Onward and forward and all that jazz.

That last part was long winded. Thanks for reading. See you next month!

Blood on the Page and Blood in Your Dreams

You’ve heard the term “blood on the page,” right? Means the author tapped a vein for inspiration, utilizing life experiences, emotions, events for fictional fodder, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Makes for gripping storytelling, for crucial reality, for living, breathing characterization, though you wouldn’t know how much blood was on the page unless you  knew the author personally or said author pulled back the curtain, as Brian Keene has done many times on his podcast. At this point, I think it’s pretty safe to say that most coming of age stories are fueled by the author's blood, veins tapped like kegs for ripe inspiration, sometimes maybe too much so, particularly for those who lived it, but it's not the only way.

Sure, I’ve bled on the page here and there, but let’s face it, ideas are all around us, buried in experience, hiding behind unusual facades, ready to slip into our minds and take root. I ask you to take this little ride in exploring the roots of my novella Brothers in Blood, because there is virtually none of my own blood on this one. It’s pure fantasy (set in the real world without supernatural elements, not sword and sorcery fantasy!), completely drawn from my imagination . . . and a number of outside influences. So come with me, let’s take a ride.

In a nutshell, Brothers in Blood is the story of Kyle and Lyle Morris, twin brothers who murder people for two very different reasons. One brother is mentally disabled and the other is mentally deranged. Lyle has a caregiver, Desiree, who finally feels content in life when her ex returns out of nowhere to torment her. Things happen, bad, bad things, and soon enough everyone is tangled in quite a messed up web of madness and perversion.

The first element of the story I came up with was the twin brothers, but originally they were characters in two separate stories, and they were inspired by an episode of Taboo or My Strange Addiction, I can’t remember which one. The episode dealt with a man who liked pretending that he was a baby. He wore diapers and bibs and even had an adult sized crib made for him. I started thinking about the awful extremes of someone with that kind of mental state and wrote two separate short stories, one dealing with a serial killer who dressed as a baby while murdering hookers with a giant bulb syringe, and another about a mentally deformed man with the mind of a toddler who kept the faces of those he murdered and stitched them together into a comfort blanket. The stories weren’t all that good. There was just something off about them, so I didn’t do much to look for a magazine or anthology to send them to. But the characters stayed in my mind.

One day it occurred to me that they were two very different people, yet so similar . . . like sicko twins. That’s when the seeds that had germinated in the writing of those stories sprouted into the beginnings of a novella. I developed a pretty good idea of how the twin brothers coexist and feed off of one another to achieve their unusual goals, sadistic and absurd as they may be. I thought about how these men got to this point in life and what kind of tragedy could have spurred them down such a damaged path. This was all good and well, however it occurred to me that I needed a protagonist, I needed a story. I won’t go into detail, because I don’t want to ruin the story for those of you who have not read it yet, but I decided that Lyle, being a grown man with the mind of a toddler, would very likely have a caregiver, particularly since he and his brother live off of many facets of the system from Medicaid to Welfare to cash aid. One of the requirements for some of the aid Lyle is receiving is having a caregiver visit on a weekly basis. Enter Desiree, a woman whose life is finally going in the right direction. She loves helping people, has a steady boyfriend, and has finally gotten over her psycho, stalker ex . . . and then she comes home to find a rose and a note on her doorstep, and her world begins to crumble.

I’ve always admired the way Richard Laymon laid down his stories, often with twists and turns that keep the pace ratcheted up and the reader turning the pages. With Brothers in Blood I intended on doing the same thing by introducing another antagonist, one with a fetish of his own. He’s a sick man with nothing to lose, which are perhaps the scariest of deviants. I won’t say much about him, because I’d rather he was revealed to the reader organically than here in an essay. I again went to shows like My Strange Addiction for inspiration. I’ll leave it at that.

Now, I have a story, I’ve written the first draft, but for the life of me I can’t come up with a title. I don’t remember what the working title was. I have about six unfinished stories with variations on “Untitled,” so I try to give each new story a fill-in title to avoid confusion. Titles are important, and I’ve not been very happy with my other book titles. Through the In Between, Hell Awaits? Michael Arnzen asked, at a convention, “So what’s with the long title?” Yeah, should have called that one Hell Awaits. People of the Ethereal Realm? Not bad, but… In Black? I kinda like that title. It was originally called Paint it Black, but I figured people would think the Rolling Stones were somehow weaved into the plot or something like in a Greg Kihn book. So one day I’m at work listening to Anthrax on my ipod. I was plotting the ending of the story in my head (I tend to plot while driving or at work, that way I’m ready to write when I sit my ass in front of the computer). I was listening to the album Persistence of Time. Anthrax fans might know where I’m going with this. The song “Blood” was on. So close to finishing the first draft, I was actually running possible titles through my head, and then the chorus hit: “Brother on, brother on, brothers in blood!”

I have my title. Yes, there are other books with that title (kinda popular with books on war and soldier camaraderie), but it fit the novella so well that I had to use it, and I have no regrets. It’s catchy, looks good on the cover, and fits the story very well. So, though I didn’t bleed on the pages of this particular novella, it certainly is covered in blood. In the first weeks sales have been good. Better than any of my prior releases. This pleases me greatly. If you have read it, consider reviewing it on Amazon whether you loved it, liked it, or hated it. The reviews help the book get traction, and, of course, I appreciate the effort. Thanks!

Brothers in Blood is available on Amazon for $1.99, or FREE with your Amazon Unlimited subscription. Purchase the book in the US, UK, or from Amazon wherever you happen to reside across the globe.

Monthly Newsletter #4 June 2017

Thanks for taking a gander at my little newsletter. I will briefly discuss my latest ventures into horror fiction, a book I would like to suggest, some pictures of my recent book and record acquisitions, and more. It will only take you a few minutes, so take the ticket (it's free!) and enjoy the ride.

News

The big news is that my latest Grand Mal Press release, Brothers in Blood, has been released. This is a short novella e-book exclusive. FREE for kindle unlimited subscribers and only $1.99 to buy. I think that's a very fair price for a 26K word story, and I hope you check it out. If you have read it or plan to do so, I would love to hear what you think. Reviews on Amazon can make or break the visibility and success of a book, so do all authors a favor and review their books. It really does help.

Brothers in Blood is a story about a pair of demented twins who murder people for very different reasons. One of them has a caregiver who is finally getting her life together, but it looks like her ex is back, and he wants something from her that she cannot give him.

"Texas Chainsaw Massacre with twins!" -- Jack Bantry, author of The Lucky Ones Died First

You can get Brothers in Blood in the US, and in the UK. It is available from Amazon worldwide, so you should have no trouble finding it.

Also in news, I will have a short story in the forthcoming San Diego Horror Professionals Vol. 3. The story was originally published years ago in a little known anthology. I cut a lot of the fat, rewrote some parts, and changed the title to "Brain-Case Soiree." Should be out later this month.

Cool Read

I'm going to highlight a book that was originally published in 1968 called The Captors by John Farris. The copy I have was published in 1987 by Tor and is labeled as a horror novel, but this is really a mystery about a young woman who is kidnapped for ransom and then escapes, only something about
her is a little off when she returns home to her heartbroken mother and step father. As the book rolls along and the search for her kidnappers deepens, the reader begins to suspect just about everyone, and as the plot unfolds and you learn who the kidnappers are and what their motives are, things get very interesting. The book is a bit dated. Some of the themes were more poignant in the sixties than they are today, but I find that kind of charming. The mystery is fantastic, regardless.

Featured Fiction

I am putting the spotlight on my short story "Inflatable War" that was originally published in DarkFuse Magazine and then reprinted in a gorgeous little hardback called DarkFuse #4. I sold the foreign rights after being contacted by DreamPress.com. The French translation is now available in their annual anthology Tenebres 2017. This marks my very first foreign translation. How cool is that?

Book and Record Acquisitions

I haven't had luck with records lately, but I have bought a HUGE amount of used mass market paperbacks since the last newsletter. I'm particularly happy about the Fritz Leiber first editions. Here are a few pics:

Closing Words

For those of you who took the ride, here we are at the end. It was a short ride, as I assured you it would be. I would like to thank everyone for their support, particularly those of you who downloaded a copy of Brothers in Blood. I know who some of you are, and you kick ass! I hate to sound like a broken record, but reviews are greatly appreciated. If you happen to be reading this and you review books on a website, blog, etc., email me HERE and I will provide you with a copy for your preferred e-reader.

That's all for now. Summer is here. If that's your sort of digs, then have fun in the sun. As for me, this is the beginning of the worst part of the year. I hate the sun and heat. I'm already looked forward to Fall.

Until next time...

Brothers in Blood is OUT NOW!

That's right! My extreme psychological horror novella Brothers in Blood is now live, available for FREE with Kindle Unlimited or $1.99 to purchase.

"Texas Chainsaw Massacre with twins!" -- Jack Bantry, editor of SplatterpunkZine and author of The Lucky Ones Died First

Twin brothers Kyle and Lyle Morris depend on one another to live and to kill, only Kyle’s strange desires are becoming more twisted with each new body. Lyle, a grown man with the mind of a toddler, doesn’t understand the perversity of his relationship with dead things. Lyle’s caregiver, Desiree, is worried about the big ol’ lug, and she’s terrified of his brother, but she’s been getting those strange letters again, the ones that her stalker ex used to send her, only now it seems as if he wants something she can’t give him.

A necromaniac using his deformed brother for fresh meat; a young woman in the clutches of her ex’s twisted fantasies—blood will flow . . . but who will bleed out first and what will be left of them?

 Think Rex Miller's Slob meets HG Lewis's Gruesome Twosome.

The response for this novella has been good. Big thanks to all who have bought a copy. If you have read it, please leave a review. This day in age independent releases live and die by the Amazon reviews. It's sad but true. And remember, you don't have to love a book to review it.
 

Here are a links to purchase in the US and UK.


Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Monthly Newsletter #3 May 2017

Welcome back! Yes, I missed two months. I could tell you that I was churning out manuscripts left and right, that I had a busy couple of month saving the world from the grips of evil, or . . .  the truth--it slipped my mind. I would really like to post once a week at the minimum here on my blog/website, but I'm a terrible host. I find it difficult to use my writing time on anything other than fiction, but I'll work on that. In fact, I have something brewing that I hope to reveal in another couple of months.


News

I just got the cover for my brand new novella Brothers in Blood. Looks pretty cool, huh? This will be coming out very soon as an exclusive ebook from Grand Mal Press. Think HG Lewis's Gruesome Twosome meets Rex Miller's Slob. 

I finally got paid paid for a story that was published a year ago. I know Harlan Ellison would be disappointed with me were he to know--or even really give a damn--that I didn't get paid for a particular story. In fact, I didn't even make a request for the payment when it should have become clear that the publisher was slacking. Shame on me. The release of this particular anthology was lack luster, which kind of caused it to slip off of my radar, so imagine my surprise when someone took over the company and decided to pay the authors and send out contributor copies. Good on them. The real question here is, will Harlan Ellison sue me for not putting a trademark symbol next to his name?

I've been hard at work on an urban fantasy novel I started about two years ago. I have been working off and on, writing stories and other novels when my interest in this one waned. I'm nearing the final stretch and looking forward to typing THE END.


Cool Read

I've been trying to promote newer books books in the cool reads section, but I've been reading older books lately, so this week I would like to spotlight Douglas Clegg's Mischief. This is a Harrow house story that takes place back when Harrow was a dormitory, and deals with the mischief college students get into concerning secret societies and unusual intitiations. I'm a big Douglas Clegg fan, and I love the Harrow books. He finds unique ways to tell stories that revolve around that creepy mansion and this was one of the most unique I have read in the series, adding a layer of history and intrigue to a fictional building that has more to offer than your standard ghost story.


Featured Fiction 

This month I am going to highlight a story I co-wrote with Jack Bantry called "A Lesson in Renegade Filmmaking" that was published in Dark Moon Digest #25. This one is for the horror movie fans out there. It's a coming of age story about a kid in the 80s who befriends the local video store owner. As their relationship cements over talk of horror movies and strange lessons regarding the methods in which the movies are made, things get a little strange between the two. It's always fun writing with Jack, and I believe we come up with some killer stories. This is a great jumping off point to our work. Hopefully we'll have some good news soon about a novella we're shopping around.

Thrift Store/Used Book Store Finds

I have found a lot of good books over the past month and a half, so I am only showcasing a few of them. The Laymon books are a particularly good find, both acquired from a used book store I recently discovered. It is becoming more rare to find decent records at thrift stores since the popularity in vinyl has boomed in recent years, so I was pleased to find some good stuff.

Closing Words

Well, this is the third time I've written these closing words. The draft for this newsletter has been hanging around all through April. As I said in the opening words, there is something brewing that will force me to be a bit more punctual concerning my newsletter, but I don't want to spill the beans just yet.

And finally, congrats to all who recently won Bram Stoker awards!

Monthly Newsletter #2 February 2017

Welcome back to my monthly newsletter. A day late, but certainly not a dollar short. I'm still green, so cut me some slack, please! I hope you find some of this interesting, and if you have any feedback it is always welcome. Cheers!


News (fake or otherwise)



I have a number of works in progress at all times. I really wish I could focus on one or two at a time, but I have way too many ideas brewing in my head, and they all want out. In fact, after a recent incident that happened to my wife and I, I have the beginning of a novel in my head. As much as I want to open a new document and type away, I have to restrain myself. This is not easy. So, I'm focusing on two pieces right now. One is the first book in a potential urban fantasy series set right here in San Diego. The working title is The Underground: A Veronica Hensely Story. I took some of the tropes I see in urban fantasy and tried to twist them a bit. I love the story. I'm about 65K words in. The other is a collaboration with Jack Bantry. Think Cronenberg's Shivers with the comedic essence of Return of the Living Dead. We're having fun writing it.

The San Diego Horror Professions, a group of horror authors I roll with here in town, have set up a twitter feed. We all have access and will pop in from time to time to tweet out cool horror stuff. Sure, you'll get tweets of us selling our prose, but we'll dish out some cool and fun surprises too. Follow us HERE.


Cool Read

This month's cool read is Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen (with Jon Wiederhorn). I love a good rock bio, and anyone who reads these things knows that the autobiographies are the best, especially when the artist is brutally honest. Uncle Al is nothing if not honest in the telling of his absolutely mad, absurd, drug and alcohol fueled life of debauchery as the front man to the industrial metal band Ministry. Easily one of the best rock bios I've read, right up there with bios by Lemmy, Ozzy, Slash, and Rex Brown.


Featured Fiction

 This month I'm shining a light on my short story "Starving Artist" that was published last year in San Diego Horror Professionals Vol. 1, featuring Ryan C. Thomas, Chad Stroup, David Agranoff, Anthony Travino, Bryan Killian, and myself. My offering is about a woman so drawn to a piece of art on the boardwalk that she has to buy it. When the beach bum who sold her the painting shows up at her door the next day, she finds out that the painting is more of a curse that the exquisite piece of art she just HAD to have. I've had some good feedback on this story. If the horrors of losing control terrify you, then you will probably like it too. You can pick up a digital copy HERE for just a buck.





















Thrift Store Finds

Didn't find much over the past month. My local thrift stores have been weak. The books and records pictured below were from a library book store and a nice old man who's selling records and toy cars locally on the weekend. Nice guy. Used to be a DJ decades ago, so he has an insane pile of records. I've gone through them twice and still there are more buried under tubs of cars and other records. His prices aren't the best, but he's willing to haggle. Some good surf rock from the Champs. Not the most surfy Ventures record, but good nonetheless. Krokus is an unabashed AC/DC ripoff. I hate it. Haven't read either author, so I hope these books are good starting points.

Closing Words

In closing this month's newsletter I would like to let you all know that two of my titles are on sale for .99 cents for another week. If you haven't checked them out already, there's no better time. Reviews are always welcome, whether you liked it or hated it. It means a lot to authors, and apparently the Amazon algorithms.

"Well written, well paced and thoroughly twisted, In Black is sure to please readers of horror and Bizzaro alike." 

- Bryan Killian, author of Welcome to Necropolis and Dust of the Devil's Land

Get In Black HERE.


"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. Russel, author of Come into Darkness and Mother's Boys

Get Through the In Between, Hell Awaits HERE.