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.

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 #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.

Great Review of In Black...and an Interview!

Thanks to Joseph Williams for agreeing to read my book In Black for review, and double thanks for enjoying it enough to offer me the opportunity to be interviewed. It's a great, in depth review. Perhaps the best I've received to date.

"Robert Essig doesn’t hold anything back in In Black. It’s the sort of balls-to-the-wall horror that makes you want to cleanse your reading palate afterwards because it’s so intense, grotesque, and unflinching that you need to ingest some lighter material just to interact with normal society again."

"...Chase’s reactions in high-pressure situations are the most understandable and most realistic of almost any character I’ve read in a novel recently."

Those are just two samples I pulled from the review. Read the entire review HERE, and don't forget, there's an interview too!

In Black is available at all major online book stores, such as Amazon (US) & Amazon (UK).

"...You're a Sick Bastard..."

"...And I hope you get what's coming to you. Preferably near the black, undulating pool."

Why would someone say something like that about me? Are you kidding? Jeez!

All jesting aside, those are words from Rish Outfield, the dude who did a masterful job reading the audio version of my novel THROUGH THE IN BETWEEN, HELL AWAITS. I was blown away when I heard it. I listen to a lot of audio books (two to three a month at least), and I know how important the reader is. My favorite is Phil Gigante who, to me, is best known for his brilliant reading of Joe R. Lansdale's Hap and Leonard books. Rish is that good. If you dig audio books, you'll dig this one. I'm not just saying this because it's my own book. Well, maybe a little bit, but really, Rish did a damn good job and I couldn't be more proud of the production. If you decide to give it a shot, I hope you dig it and I know you will.

Don't be afraid. I may be a sick bastard, but that just means you'll enjoy the fruits of my twisted mind. Check out the audio book HERE.

If you listen to it I'd love to hear what you think.

Cheers!

"Cramped" - Free Short Story

If you weren't aware, there's a place on the Grand Mal Press website that features free short fiction from some of the GMP authors. The purpose for this is pretty simple: read a short story, get the gist for a writers style, and then buy their book if you feel so inclined. Of course, you could always use the feature on amazon that allows you to read the first several pages, but why not read an entire short story? Did I mention that it's free? Yep. My short story "Cramped" has recently been added and I think you, yes you, will like it. I would also suggest reading the other stories available.

If you're still not sure whether to go from my short piece right on over to Amazon to buy my Grand Mal release, Through the In Between, Hell Awaits, then  I suggest you use Amazon's preview feature and read the first paragraph. It's a hell of a hooker if I say so myself (easily my favorite opening of anything I've written).

Grand Mal Father's Day sale!!!

That's right, folks! Grand Mal Press is having a Father's Day sale all weekend. Many of their kindle titles are only .99 cents including my novel Through the in Between, Hell Awaits.

Pick up a few titles, read 'em, and then leave your thoughts via customer review.

Cheers!

Hell Awaits Audiobook Now Available

My debut novel Through the In Between, Hell Awaits is now available in audiobook format from Audible.com. 

While the audiobook was in production I had the opportunity to listen to the first chapter. I was nervous about hearing someone read my work aloud. Would he hit the nuances? Would it have the flow I intended? Would he fuck up the odd names of the sentinels and demons?

My wife and I listened to the sample and we were floored. Rish Outfield did an amazing job. For anyone out there considering this purchase, I stand behind the production 100%.

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!

Free PDF of Through the In Between, Hell Awaits

Through the In Between, Hell Awaits will be out very soon.  This means we need to create some buzz. If you would be interested in reading a free PDF of the book, please contact me HERE and I would be happy to get one to you. You wouldn't be required to post a review on amazon, however that would be very much appreciated.

Thank you! I appreciate your interest.

Cover Mock-up for Through the In Between, Hell Awaits

My debut release Through the In Between, Hell Awaits is coming along nicely. Here's the cover mock-up.  There may be some minor alterations before publication, but I have to say I'm very pleased with it.  We're looking at a few weeks before uploading the files and debuting this bad boy.

I'm excited about the book's release, and curious about how readers and reviewers are going to respond to it. I hope to schedule some local book signings and hopefully make it to a convention or two next year to promote the book. I will report here with further news.

Cheers!

The Latest News: Ethereal People & Hell Awaits

It's been a while. Far too long, really. So here I am, back on my blog writing about what I've been working on. In short, I haven't been working on anything aside from the edits for my debut novel Through the In Between, Hell Awaits. Yes, you read it right, my debut novel. For those of you who have been following (yes, you!), What was supposed to be my debut novel, People of the Ethereal Realm, has been cancelled for publication with Twisted Library Press. Why? Well, twelve months passed and the contract became null and void. Simple as that. But really I have no idea why the book wasn't published. Unfortunately, it appears that Twisted Library Press, unless it is resurrected, is no longer publishing books. With little response from the Dr. Pus, no one really knows what happened. He has mentioned that he's dealing with health issues. I wish him the best. He's a kind and generous man who gave me many opportunities early on.

I have some plans in the works for PotER. If everything works out, it will now become my second novel, because Through the In Between, Hell Awaits is steamrolling through Grand Mal Press like a bat out of, er...Hell. The manuscript has been edited, the edits have been reviewed and approved, and the cover art is now under way. It's only a matter of time, and I couldn't be more excited. This book is insane, it's violent, it's horrific, and it will take you to places only visited in nightmares. I will make updates as the release draws near.

I'm currently doing revisions of my 40K word novella Stronger Than Hate. This is easily the most brutal piece of fiction I've penned. I wrote it months ago and haven't looked at it since, so I'm kind of excited to go through it again. The trouble will be finding a publisher for it. The extreme nature of this story kind of narrows the list. That's all right. I accept the challenge.

Until next time...

Through the In Between, Hell Awaits -- Sold to Grand Mal Press!

I am proud to announce that I have sold my second novel Through the In Between, Hell Awaits to Grand Mal Press.  Yes, yes, I know, I announced this two weeks ago on Facebook and a few forums, but I figured I had better blog it here too. 

I wanted to include a blurb for the story, and I had been working on something cool that would entice people to look forward to this book.  Well, as it turns out I hate writing blurbs.  It's difficult, but it's a part of being a writer.  Just how does one boil down 90K words into a paragraph or two?

Bah, that's another subject for another post.  I'm more than delighted to be a part of the Grand Mal family, and I will be making updates as I get more info about my forthcoming novel.  For now, here's a short blurb, or perhaps more of a teaser:

Austin Wheeler roams the earth in search of meaning, of something tangible to fill the void his wealthy upbringing left him with.  Rich Wompler, tired of his routine life, left his family to follow his favorite rock band on their west coast tour.  Witness to an unusual and bizarre murder they find themselves on two very different paths that lead to a crossroad called the In Between where demons and monstrosities roam freely.

Will they make it out of the In Between alive, or will they remain stranded in a realm where pain is limitless and suffering can stretch beyond eternity?

It must be known that through the In Between, Hell awaits!