Hell Awaits is Back!!!

That's right, my novel Through the In Between, Hell Awaits is once again available in both print and ebook at affordable prices.

If you like horror, demons, monstrosities, urban fantasy, winged monster maggots, and a bit of ultra violence, then you're in for a treat. This is a twisted journey from this world to the In Between, a place where nightmares are blissful, torture is cherished, and those evicted from Hell can roam free. Just think, what would happen if a couple of humans ended up there? All I know is that one way or the other, Hell awaits!

Available at Amazon and Shashwords.

Black Madness Hell Awaits

I am reissuing my back catalog with Grand Mal Press. It isn't an especially impressive back catalog, but it's mine and I'm happy to have these titles back in print and ebook once again. They aren't all available yet, we're working on it, but as soon as they are I will tell the world, and I hope you, yes you, help make these titles a success.

First up is Through the In Between, Hell Awaits. This one has been out of print for about a year (not long, right?). I was going to let this one rest a while, for no reason in particular, but decided to get it out there again. Second up is In Black. This one was published last year by a different press that went belly up only six months after the book was released. The book never even had a chance, as far as I'm concerned. The last release will be The Madness, which has been out of print for several years. This one is getting a massive revision as I've become a much better writer since it was originally published by Blood Bound Books as a novella double feature with the wonderful Craig Saunders, who is about as prolific as they come (you should read his work if you haven't done so yet. You'll thank me later).

I will post updates and links and all that happy stuff as each title makes it though the process. If you are interested is reviewing any one of these titles on your website, blog, etc., let me know and I will get you a copy. You can leave a comment, drop by my facebook page and leave a message or email me at robertessig.writer (@) gmail.com.

Through the In Between, Hell Awaits is available for kindle download HERE. Paperback is soon to follow.

Interview with Pete Mesling

When I was asked to read an advanced copy of Pete Mesling's new collection of short fiction, None so Deaf, I jumped at the opportunity. Having shared the pages of various anthologies I knew I would be in for some good reading...and I wasn't disappointed. From the first story, one that filled me with claustrophobic dread, right up to the final offering, I was thoroughly entertained and  enraptured. Pete has this ability to pull you into the narrative like a pied piper of word slinging and right when you feel like you know where the story's going, right when it feels safe, he pulls the rug out from under you in the best possible way, an effect of which, when done wrong, becomes contrived, and when done right (as Pete seems to have nearly perfected) is reminiscent of such luminaries as Bloch, Bradbury and Matheson.

I enjoyed the book so much that I asked Pete for an interview, to which he obliged. Following the interview are links to buy the book, and believe me, you'll want to get a copy.

Robert Essig: “The Worst is Yet to Come”, the first story in your new collection None So Deaf, deals with claustrophobia among other themes. As someone who has dealt with claustrophobia, I found this tale unsettling. The setting reminded me of an empty lot above my childhood house on the mountain we lived on. This story could have been culled from my own youth, so I couldn’t help but wonder if your own youth was inspiration on not only this story, but your writing in general.

Pete Mesling: I’m glad to hear you were unsettled! I spent a lot of time on the North Dakota prairie in my youth, so yes, I think that does inform much of my writing. On the other hand, I’ve lived in Seattle for a long time now, so that also informs my writing, as does the weird clash of both settings. I never trapped myself inside a gun safe, as young Lyndon does in the story, but I do suffer from claustrophobia, as I suspect most people do, to varying degrees. Elevators are like coffins to me, for instance. I hate them and need to use them every day, but I opt for the stairs whenever it’s an option.

RE: Where does the title None So Deaf come from?

                                                       

PM: None So Deaf came from a fairly long list, to be honest. From the beginning, my publisher, Books of the Dead Press, was interested in publishing two volumes of my short stories, and one of my proposed titles was None So Deaf, None So Blind. This popped out as an easy title to separate while retaining a sort of connective tissue. As a result, this volume is called None So Deaf, and the follow-up will be titled None So Blind. Both titles come from the old quotation attributed to Matthew Henry, that there are none so deaf as those who will not hear, and none so blind as those who will not see. I suppose there’s an impish implication there that many of the victims in my fiction get what’s coming to them. The titles are also an imperative of sorts for the reader. Listen up! Look alive!

RE: Many of these stories have twists that I didn’t see coming, which I found exciting and somewhat reminiscent of Robert Bloch and the Twilight Zone. That’s not easy to pull off. Do these turn of events come naturally in your writing process, or do you have to work and rework the scenes to achieve the desired effect.

PM: First of all, thank you. Both Robert Bloch and The Twilight Zone have been big influences, especially The Twilight Zone. Richard Matheson, who wrote some of the best Zone episodes, was one of the greatest fantasists of the 20^th century. Charles Beaumont was also superb. In fact, be on the lookout in None So Blind for a long-ish story that I view as kind of an expansion of the concept behind the great Beaumont-penned Zone episode, “The Howling Man.” To answer your question, though, some kind of surprising element is important to me in fiction. If memory serves, Charlotte Brontë had something—The Professor maybe?—rejected because it lacked, in the words of one would-be editor, “a startling incident.” I think I know what that editor meant. I think of it as a shock point, but it’s probably about the same thing. It’s when something in a story turns and shakes the reader awake. It doesn’t have to be terribly shocking, of course. It can be a death, a kiss, a revelation. Whatever. But it has to be unexpected and yet plausible in the context of the story. It has to be earned, I think. I usually don’t sit down to begin work on a first draft until I have two ideas that have kind of merged together. That merger is what I consider to be a proper premise, and it often provides enough tension to accommodate, if not demand, the kind of twist I think you’re referring to. Then yes, I rewrite and rewrite some more until I feel the effect is just right.

RE: I’m a sucker for flawed protagonists, and there are plenty of them in this collection, some even malicious. Are their stories more fun to write?

PM: Great question. I suppose they are. If writing fiction is, in part, the act of making sense of the world, it follows that characters with flaws, whether they’re protagonists or not, will hold a special kind of allure. And some of this probably goes back to Aristotle and his ideas about tragedy. At the same time, I love it when a genuinely likable character presents herself or himself to me. It’s difficult to write “nice” without coming across as saccharine. Jesus, Charles Dickens still endures criticism on this front. He remains the gold standard, by the way. The emotional sweep of his novels, from terrifying darkness to great joy and levity, is one of the great magic tricks of literature.

RE: You’re stranded on a desert island and you’ve only brought with you five of your favorite books to read over and over until you are saved or starve to death after eating your own appendages. What five books would you choose?

PM: It never hurts to be prepared! Okay, I’m going to have to take the Bible to see if I can finally make any damn sense of that thing. David Copperfield, Clive Barker’s Imajica … Can I count all of Robert McCammon’s Matthew Corbett novels as one (once he’s finished them all)? If not, then at least the first one, Speaks the Nightbird. Um, Ursula K. LeGuin’s Always Coming Home. I’d probably smuggle a dictionary onto that island as a sixth book, too. It would be hell not having a good dictionary at hand.

RE: Vampires and zombies have had their day in the sun, so to speak. If you could hand pick the next horror sub-genre/creature to get the spotlight, what would it be and why?

PM: Categories can be so restrictive … I realize that I’ve published a number of zombie stories, but it was never a very conscious thing. In fact, sometimes the zombie element didn’t present itself until after I’d written a draft or two of the story. If you have a strong vampire idea and really feel that you need to run with it, you should. Why not? If you can inject it with some new blood (heh, heh), all the better. But I try not to obsess about trends. The next one is impossible to predict, and the current one is always getting more and more tired by the day. Write from the heart!

RE: “The Tree Mumblers” is a quick little piece of flash fiction, ominous in tone and open to interpretation. I couldn’t help but think that the mumblers were perhaps reading the unwritten works hidden in the very fibers of living trees. Maybe they’re just waiting for the revolution.  I get the feeling that there are deeper themes to many of these stories, hiding beneath the surface. Is this so, and if so, do you make a concerted effort to embed deeper meaning in your work?

PM: Another great question. Sometimes that intention is there from the beginning. When it is, I try to bury it during my initial pass, keep it from getting in the way of telling the story at hand. Then, in subsequent drafts, I’m more willing to give it voice. I tend to trust that if a theme, or message, is legitimate, it will hang around. And sometimes I don’t even see a thematic strain until after the story is complete. Art is funny that way. You plug into something bigger than yourself when you sit down to create something. You’re not always in full control. At least not consciously. You notice this kind of thing even more with music. When I used to compose a lot of guitar music, I’d often be surprised at some of the things I heard after the hundredth time playing a piece. Sometimes a structural element would strike me as especially apt. Sometimes it was a key change. Or sometimes I’d notice that something didn’t work as well as it could have, so I’d change it. I never considered a piece of music complete until I’d played it hundreds of times. You don’t really put fiction through that same kind of grinder. That’s why I think that although a first draft of fiction should be free and loose enough to keep you writing, it should also be strong enough to warrant future drafts. The point of revision should be to polish a gem, not squeeze diamonds from coal.

RE: What can we expect to see in the future for Pete Mesling. Anything coming out that you would like to talk about?

PM: Well, as mentioned, a second volume of short stories will be out from Books of the Dead Press at some point. There might be some limited editions of both volumes to look forward to as well, so keep an eye peeled for those. But first things first. None So Deaf is currently only available as an ebook, so we’re working to get that out as a print edition in time for StokerCon in May. I’ve got a story coming out from April Moon Books very soon. That will be in their Spawn of the Ripper anthology, which is a nod to the Hammer and Amicus horror films of yesteryear. Should be a lot of fun. Other than that, most of my efforts this year are going to be poured into the completion of my novel.

RE: Your parting words. Do you have a website, blog, social media you would like to direct people to?

PM: Thanks for the thoughtful questions, Robert. It’s been a real pleasure. Folks are encouraged to visit my website: http://www.petemesling.com/ That’s the hub for everything. From there they can subscribe to The Occasional Newsletter, check in on my Bare Knuckle Podcast, dig into my blog, and of course purchase my work!

RE: It was great having you, Pete! I wish you great success with your new book.



None So Deaf is available from Books of the Dead Press.


 Pete Mesling’s silhouette can, on rare occasions, be glimpsed prowling the watery byways of Seattle, Washington. In addition to being over the moon to have secured a deal with Books of the Dead Press for his debut collection, None So Deaf, he has sold fiction to such publications as All American Horror of the 21st Century, the First Decade: 2001 – 2010; Black Ink Horror; Best New Zombie Tales, Vol. 2; Spawn of the Ripper from April Moon Books; Champagne Shivers; Doorways; two of the Potter’s Field anthologies; Side Show 2: Tales of the Big Top and the Bizarre; Night Terrors; and a handful of Library of the Living Dead anthologies. When not writing or podcasting, Mesling enjoys dreaming up new ways to scare the bejesus out of his fiancée and revels in bike rides with his daughter, whose nickname is taken from a character in a Boris Karloff film.

Cover Art for Salpsan

The cover art has been finished for Salpsan, my forthcoming novella from Damnation Books. Gotta say I like it. Captures the tone of this gothic story quite nicely. I will post more information as the publication date nears.

Marion Fleicher has been stripped of her nursing license and ostracized in her homeland for an act of sheer compassion. Desperate to help the sick and needy, and struggling on a fixed income, she takes a job as a private nurse. She finds herself in the Spanish countryside at the door to a dilapidated old house wondering if she’s made a mistake. Behind the door is a motley trio: a servant-man who is as shady as a shadow and sneaky as an imp, Terrance Adler, Marion’s ambiguous employer, and her patient, who is in desperate need of a doctor. Will she be able to help her patient or will she die trying?

Robert's Random Musing #5

It's the second day of 2016 and already I have submitted four stories to various publishers new and old. I must be a glutton for punishment.

It's a funny thing about writing. I've been doing it for years and still I have no idea how things are going to end up, what stories publishers are going to like enough to pay me for, and after that whether anyone will enjoy reading them. It's difficult not to send a story out expecting it to be rejected. And yet, sometimes a tale seems to fit a theme or a particular zine like a puzzle piece, and I swear those ones have a death wish. They always get rejected. I've researched the market, read their publication, followed the guidelines to the last minute detail, and BAM, rejection.

Then I'll submit a story I like enough but am not in love with, on a whim, to a place I've hardly bothered to research as far as what they actually publish other than what's requested in the guidelines and I get the acceptance. Can you believe that? It goes against everything I've been told about submitting, but I swear doing it blindly has given just as many results as reading a publisher's entire catalog.

I have two stories in particular that are favorites, "Shiwanara" and "Dermousfusion," both of which have made impressive short lists and maybe piles, but neither of which have been accepted into publication. Both of these stories have gone through extensive rewrites over the years and the list of rejections attached to each one goes back to zines that are dead and all but forgotten, but I love them I continue to submit to the best markets out there. I just know they'll sell one of these days...right?

Right?

And then there are stories I thought had no chance, stories that were too weird, stories that, though I liked them, I thought might not have what it takes, and you know what? I've sold some of those ones on the first try. Cash in hand.

I'll never understand the biz, what makes certain stories sell and others flounder like beached whales washed with enough of my mind's tide to keep them alive, waiting for that surge to ebb them into the sea of publication. I'll continue to splash those old whales until the tsunami rolls in.

Happy New Year!

Liar Liar Pants on Fire!

You can't judge a book by its cover, but damn this cover is cool! This brand new anthology of flash fiction is now up for pre-order HERE.


59 flash fiction fables from 29 of your favorite Post Mortem Press authors.
What? What? I thought you said 44 Lies by 22 Liars?
Well, the editor is a liar too ...

Flash fiction from ...
J. David Anderson, Paul Anderson, David Bernard, Max Booth III, C. Bryan Brown, Kenneth W. Cain, Brad Carter, Kyle Dickerson, Emma Ennis, Robert Essig, Teel James Glenn, Scott Goudsward, KT Jayne, Tally Johnson, MF Korn, Christian A. Larsen, Michael Matula, Josef Matulich, Jessica McHugh, P. Andrew Miller, Georgina Morales, Billie Sue Mosiman, g. Elmer Munson, Andrew Nienaber, Cynthina Pelayo, Nelson W. Pyles, Patrick Scalisi, Rob Smales, and Tim Waggoner.



I happen to have three stories in this book. To tell a little bit about a tiny story is pretty difficult to do without giving something away, but here it goes.

"Moonlight Sonata" is perhaps one my oldest ideas, spawned from a poem a good friend wrote when we were in Arkansas on a family vacation. He told me I could use the idea. The draft I wrote back then was atrocious (I was about sixteen), but the idea stuck with me, so I rewrote it into a flash story and I think it's quite effective. We were metal heads, but we could also appreciate classical musicians such as Bethooven, Mozart, Mussorgsky and Brahms.

When I was a kid I was always fascinated with what people carved into tree trunks, the lunch tables at school, or even fresh concrete. I remember the word SLAYER in the concrete near my grandma's house and an amazing rendition of Iron Maiden's Evil Eddie on a table at my grammar school. "Names in the Sidewalk" came straight from my childhood brain, because there's something deeper to a name in the sidewalk than someone merely stumbling upon fresh concrete.

I have no recollection of writing "Meeting the Quota." I do recall that I wrote it for a Blood Bound Books anthology of which I landed three other flash fiction stories. As for where the idea originated...

The Last Horror Fan to Watch It Follows?

I'm late to the party, which isn't unusual for me, but I finally watched It Follows, and what follows are my thoughts on the film and some examination of the themes. There are spoilers aplenty, so if you haven't yet watched this fine film, refrain from reading on (and do yourself a favor--watch It Follows!).

I like to go into a movie with no expectations. I prefer not to see the trailer, read any reviews, or even look at the synopsis if I can help it. Not such an easy thing to do with people posting their thoughts on Facebook and Twitter and whatnot. I've learned the fine art of ignoring (which, consequently, is also great for cat memes and political nonsense). That being said, I had seen a lot of posts about how good It Follows was, but I didn't read about the film any further than that.

A few days ago my wife and I watched It Follows and we loved it, plain and simple. Better than Babadook, Cabin in the Woods, all the gross-out horror films from the past decade and just about anything I've watched in recent years. That's my opinion. You may disagree.

There's so much to like about It Follows. Like any great horror film, you're pulled into the plot right from the get-go and the movie doesn't let up until it's done with you. The credits roll and you're thinking, shit, that was crazy. I was left thinking that I'd finally seen something new that made me feel what I'd felt after watching horror films when I was a kid, what made me fall in love with the genre. Even movies I've enjoyed in the past decade or so leave little impression. Yeah, Strangers was good, but I don't remember a damn thing about the plot. Was that the one with people terrorizing a couple in a house? Were the killers wearing masks? Was it that one? Yeah, I liked Sinister, but I don't really remember the plot. Was that the one with the people who hanged themselves in a tree in the backyard? Does it have something to do with reel to reel film? I can't remember, because the impressions were so faint. It Follows, however, left a fucking pothole on my mind, and that's a damn good feeling. That's what great art is all about.

I found myself thinking about It Follows while at work the day after watching it. I have so many questions about so many elements of the story that weren't tied up and pretty like a Christmas present. And I like that. Why should all the elements be so neat? Life isn't neat? We die with things unwrapped, undone, unfinished, so why should a movie have to be so goddamned neat? The other night over drinks my wife and I had a great discussion on the film and we came up with some interesting speculation on potential themes.

To put it in a nutshell, so to speak, It Follows is a metaphor for sexually transmitted disease. I don't know that the writer took that into consideration while dreaming up this idea (it did originate from a dream, but I'll get into that later), but it's fairly obvious when you think about it. The person being followed can only stop the thing from following by having sex with another person who then carries the burden of being the one followed; however, if the current person being followed is killed by the follower, the follower goes after that last person and will continue down the line, killing all who have been infected. There's no beginning, no one knows where this thing comes from or why, it's just there, and it can only be transmitted through sex. And it will find you no matter where you run to. It's worse than AIDS. Kind of makes you wonder if wearing a condom would prevent it from being passed along.

Another element of the story that intrigued me was the time frame. My wife and I were both confused as to what decade this film was supposed to be in. I assumed, while we were watching, that it was intentionally filmed to have no recognizable era, kind of like Donnie Darko and Blue Velvet. It's a method that can be jarring at times, but also charming. My wife did a quick search and found out that the director purposely blended generations to give the film an ambiguous, dreamy sort of feel. You watch and wonder why the car is an old station wagon, why the characters are always watching black and white sci-fi movies on an old television, and what kind of reading device the one girl has that is shaped like a sea shell compact (the director said that he was inspired to create the so-called shell phone from a shell shaped makeup compact that was popular in the fifties). The director also said that the idea was inspired by recurring dreams of random people following him for no apparent reason. He wanted to preserve that dream-like theme and general ambiguity of the villain by creating a familiar world that doesn't really exist, and I think he achieved that. Well done!

There's also an element of paranoia at play, which is best shown in the character who passes on the, for lack of better term, disease in the beginning of the film. When the afflicted girl tracks him down, he's shifty and frightened about everyone around him. That's the beauty of the bizarre permutation that stalks the infected. You never know who it is and you have to assume it can be anybody. This element of the story creates a sort of viewer paranoia. I found myself watching the background and wondering, is that the follower? Is that? By the end you're kind of mentally exhausted, but in the best possible way.

I used to have quite a collection of horror movies on VHS. I still have a lot of them, but my collection has been thinned out over the years. I still have a VCR and I still watch movies on it. I will until it breaks. That's just the way I am. I love old horror films. I'm a sucker for sixties and seventies horror film, but don't discriminate the good ones from any generation. That being said, as I get older, I like what I see much less. As I mentioned above, most of the films I've seen in the past decade are ultimately forgettable, even the good ones, and I certainly don't get that feeling I used to get that causes me to want to buy a movie and watch it over and over again. Part of this is due to getting older and having a shit-load of responsibility that prevents me from sitting on my ass and watching old movies all night, but it also has to do with lost interest.

I'm going to buy It Follows. It will be the first modern horror film I've bought in a loooong time, but hopefully not the last.

-Robert