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
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.