Ever have one of those jobs that feels like an eternal punishment? Well, that’s better than an actual eternal punishment. Preorder “A Dead End Job” today to secure your copy, and find out why some career paths are worse than others.
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Turn the Page by Justin Alcala
You hear it all the time. Goodbye 2020. What a year. Can’t wait for 2021. We yearn to move on. We ache for a better tomorrow. And in the literary world, the uncertainty from the last twelve months drives a similar desire.
According to Guardian journalist, Alex Clark, 2020 was a mixed year for the publishing life. While bookshops closed, literary festivals cancelled and hardback sales shrunk, digital books surged in the face of the pandemic. Lockdowns and work-from-home environments gave readers more time for books. Racism, COVID-19 and a divided nation drove authors to their keyboards, congesting the market. As a result, many established writers, such as novelist and screenwriter David Nicholls, are bowing out, focusing on other projects.
But is stepping down the answer? Is it time for career writers to walk away in the face of a flooded environment? Unless you’re well established, even the best rising stars in the literary world will face a noisy market. Getting your voice heard and your book in front of an audience will be more difficult than ever. Should budding authors, columnists and screenwriters retire?
The answer is a simple sentence word. No. Writers run a parallel struggle with the rest of the world. Confusion, mistrust and disorientation fog the future. There are new hurdles. But one thing is for certain in these turbulent times. They will change. In the words of C.S. Lewis, “There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
The fingerprint of the literary world will never be the same. Digital books, who were already on the rise, have clinched a large part of reading retail. Bookstores and libraries will need to change the way they do business, focusing on alternative ways to sell physical copies. Top tier publishers will have to be more selective on how they sift through thousands of authors, and independent writers will need to get creative with getting books in readers’ hands. What doesn’t change though is a writer’s desire to create.
Storytellers are storytellers. Journalists need to report. Artists can’t cease the call for expression. Fresh stories, no matter what the temperature of the market, need writing. An author shouldn’t ever compromise their work because of business complications. Once the book is ready, then one can worry about market strategies, sales profits, and whether they need to find other ways to help establish income. It won’t be easy, but there’s no wisdom in trying to take the fire from a dragon.
We may want to move on from the past. The future may be confusing. But in the literary world, one thing is for certain. Readers need books. There will always be a desire to read insightful columns, inspiring stories, and other forms of written art. Authors are going to need to think of novel ways to get their work into readers’ hands, but it can never deny the call to write.
Preorder “A Dead End Job” Today and Dive Into the Absurd
One of my favorite parts of “A Dead End Job” was taking a classically ominous figure like Death and making him into a funny, likable guy. Early readers seem to love it too. Preorder “A Dead End Job” on Amazon today to guarantee your copy. It’s a wild ride through the absurd.
Death needs a vacation. Badly. But there’s a catch: There are certain people who just seem to cheat the system, always falling through the cracks and not ending up dead like they’re supposed to—who’s going to take care of them while he’s out?
The answer is simple. He needs an intern. So, with the help of his I.T. guy, Jumbo, he starts scanning through a list of potential candidates.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that one prospect—Buck Palasinksi, a bankrupt hitman with a roleplaying addiction—could have what it takes. After he’s drilled in the forehead by a bullet while scoping out his next target, he falls right into Death and Jumbo’s laps.
If they shove him back into his body, he’ll have a few weeks to prove that he has what it takes to be Death’s right-hand man…That is, if he can take out Public Enemy Number one, John Dillinger, while he’s got a werewolf sidekick and tries to quit smoking.
A Dead End Job https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LQXMY5C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_D-E6FbZQJ0SMQ
Get Christmas Horror “Justin” Time for the Holidays
There’s nothing like a little scare to get you in the spirit, and there’s nothing like a spirit to get you a scare. Enjoy all of the Justin Alcala Christmas horror titles, from novels like “Consumed” to short stories like “It Dances Now” ( 101 Proof Horror Anthology). We have all your needs on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or http://www.justinalcala.com.
Check Out My Christmas Appearance on the Podcast “Were You Still Talking?”
Check out the latest podcast appearance on the fantastic Joel Albrecht’s “Are You Still Talking?” In this Christmas episode, we discuss the new book, “A Dead End Job”, Dracula, The Mandalorian, and gallons of other nerdy topics. On that note, have you preordered “A Dead End Job” on Amazon yet?
Book Preview: Preorder “A Dead End Job” Today
Death needs a vacation. There’s only one catch. Who’s going to do his job while he’s out? The answer is simple. Death needs to hire an intern. So, with the help of his I.T. Guy, Jumbo, the two look for a qualified candidate. It doesn’t take much to learn that their prospect, Buck Palasinski, could have what it takes. He’s a Chicago hitman that’s just been killed on the job. If they bring Buck back from death, he’ll have a few weeks to prove that he has what it takes to be Death’s right-hand man…that’s if he can kill the Underworld’s Public Enemy Number One, John Dillinger. Finalist for the 2019 Speculative Literature Foundation’s Diverse Writers Award. “This reads like a neo-noir mixed with a hefty dose of dark humor, and I’m loving it. The story grabbed me initially, and I liked the personification of Death and the little, nerdy details that make the author (and the characters) genuine.” -Speculative Literature Foundation Juror Preorder on Amazon Today!
I’d like to meet you this Friday
COME JOIN ME AT THE (VIRTUAL) MIAMI BOOK FAIR!
November 20, 2020 @ 5:30 PM EST
Humor in Fantasy
Moderated by: Michael Feeney
In discussion with:
Sarah J. Sover (author of Double Crossing the Bridge)
Sean Gibson (author of The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True)
Justin Alcala (author of A Dead End Job)
urbanfantasybooks #comedy #miamibookfair #bookfair #authorpanel #authorpanels #authorsofinstagram #bookstagram #humorwriter #humorwriting
Coming October 2021: “A Dead End Job”
Coming October 2021: Death needs a vacation. There’s only one catch. Who’s going to do his job while he’s out? The answer is simple. Death needs to hire an intern. So, with the help of his I.T. Guy, Jumbo, the two look for a qualified candidate. It doesn’t take much to learn that their prospect, Buck Palasinski, could have what it takes. He’s a Chicago hitman that’s just been killed on the job. If they bring Buck back from death, he’ll have a few weeks to prove that he has what it takes to be Death’s right-hand man…that’s if he can kill the Underworld’s Public Enemy Number One, John Dillinger.
Preorder Today at:
Buried In The Rain
Check our my latest creepy short just in time for Halloween.
It was a stormy night at the Steamy Beans cafe. Crackled jazz played from faulty speakers. Nikki cleaned the register glass shielding leftover sandwiches. Steve pretended not to watch her from a back table, shuffling student papers while staring at his smartphone. He’d finished grading papers an hour ago, but didn’t have anywhere to go. His entire life revolved around being a professor.
Steve snuck another glimpse of Nikki from the corner of his eye. She leaned over the table, her slender arm stretched over to the tip jar. She collected the few lone singles Steve bequeathed on his first, second, and third round of pumpkin spice latte. She looked up at Steve. Their eyes met and she smiled. Steve beamed widely, resting his hand on his arm, and promptly knocking over his coffee. His graded papers drank up the river of pumpkin spice. Steve hurried for dispenser’s napkins, dabbed…
View original post 2,179 more words
READERS, Don’t PAY THE PRICE
It’s the spooky season, and Covid has created a need for scary books, but holy smokes, they’re expensive. That doesn’t seem fair. So, it’s time to flip things around. For a limited time, I’m offering a few short stories and books for free, and another set at discount price. Check them out below and enjoy. Some are online magazines, others Kindle based. All are for your enjoyment. Happy Halloween!
FREE
Black Petals Horror/Science Fiction Magazine
A Horse for Us All
http://blackpetalsks.tripod.com/blackpetalsissue71/id35.html
Killian Black is a ruthless highwayman on his last shilling due to a treacherous epidemic in eighteenth century England that’s forced everyone into hiding. Luckily, he’s heard rumors of a royal convoy riding from the King’s country estates, a score that’ll replenish his pockets and pay for his many vices. The only catch, his informant can’t confirm that there’s riches in the royal carriage, so it’s up to Killian to investigate.
Drunken Pen Writing & Podcast
Buried in the Rain
(Available 10.25.20)
Steve is a stuffy professor down on his luck, grading papers on a rainy night at a coffee house. His only excitement are the glances from his crush, the barista, Nikki. Then something strange happens. While Steve reads about a possible killer in the area, a teary eyed girl appears in the entrance of the lonely cafe. Steve tries to comfort her, but scares her back into the stormy street. Torn, Steve pursues her through the bleak weather, beginning a chase that takes him to a broken house in a bad side of town, and ends… in blood.
DISCOUNTED PRICES
A Forest Only Whispers (99 cents)
DLG Publishing
A Forest Only Whispers is a romantic witchcraft story about Melissa, a contemporary witch that lives with her mother and Nanny in a charming New England village. Years ago, her high school boyfriend, Rían, disappeared in the nearby woods, and since then Melissa has never been the same. Now a college student, Melissa spends time with her family, the O’Phelans, her coven sisters and best friend, Hellwise. While the story starts off with a simple family tradition of baking Nine Maidens Pie during the Autumn Equinox, the reader learns that Melissa is sneaking off to join her sisters in praise. As the plot continues, Melissa joins her modern day coven as they go into the legendary Limingdover Woods, where Rían disappeared.
Consumed, BLKDOG Publishing ($3.99)
Sergeant Nathaniel Brannick is trapped in Victorian London during a period of disease, crime, and insatiable vices. One night, Brannick returns from work to find an eerie messenger in his flat who warns him of dark things to come.
When his next case involves a victim who suffered from consumption, he uncovers clues that lead him to believe the messenger’s warning. Despite his incredulity, he can’t help but wonder if the practical man he once was has been altered by an investigation encompassed in the paranormal. That is, until he meets the witch hunters, and everything takes a turn for the worse.
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