I'll keep this brief...

Chances are, you've read my indie rogue novella, The Haunting of Nicolas Cage, and didn't hate it. So, thank you for that. How that even happened is a whole journey we don't have time for now, but let's just say it was an experiment to see if I could transition from screenwriting to prose, an experiment I ended up unceremoniously dumping on Amazon without much of a plan.

But then people started to actually buy it.

And actually read it.

And actually review it.

And it was actually (mostly) positive.

So, I took it more seriously and re-released an updated/lightly revised edition with awesome new cover art by the talented Em Hernandez that now graces the shelves of several very cool indie bookstores across the U.S. and Canada.

Go figure.

Which brings us to the present. I've got a new book coming out called THE PLUNGE and this newsletter is your VIP source for everything you'd want to know about it, along with some random insights into the life of an indie horror author.

What's The Plunge about?

Glad you asked. The story follows an American newlywed couple in Niagara Falls, Ontario, who have to survive their honeymoon after encountering an ancient curse that feeds on tourists in plain sight. At 79K words, it's my first full novel and it's not only bigger than my novella, but a hell of a lot scarier and, dare I say, even weirder.

Not gonna lie, I'm super excited/anxious for you to read it.

Why did you write it?

Another excellent question. I grew up in Buffalo, NY which––if you're unfamiliar with its geography––is a U.S./Canadian border town at the mouth of the Niagara River. I spent many summers visiting the Falls and was always fascinated by them. The older I got, the more I learned about the insane, and at times incredibly dark, history of the region. In short: Niagara Falls is both a popular tourist destination ("The Honeymoon Capital of the World") and also a mesmerizing death trap known for making people vanish into thin misty air. As a storyteller, that jarring juxtaposition was too tempting to resist.

But don't just take it from me: When you have 24 minutes check out this morbidly funny video where a mortician explains just how dangerous (and haunted) Niagara Falls really is...

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When's it coming out?

Wow, you're really on the ball, you know that? My manuscript is currently with my copy editor (a talented horror author in they're own right) and also my cover artist (I want so badly to tell you who it is because I didn't think he would say yes, and he did... more on this later 🤯).

If all goes well, we're looking at an early 2027 release.

What can I expect here?

I'm planning on doing these every other Monday (if possible) and along the way you'll get:

• A first look at the cover
• Preorder announcement
• Release date announcement
• Behind-the-scenes material
• Giveaways
• Signing/event announcements
• Other stuff I can’t think of right now

OK, that wasn't brief brief.

Sigh. Part of the Writer's Curse. I'll work on that. Really.

In the meantime, if you can think of anyone who might enjoy being indoctrinated into this newsletter, feel free to shoot them the sign-up link. The more the merrier. In this era of corporate monopolies and A.I. "novels" (🤮) it's more important than ever to support indie artists. So, thank you for taking an interest--it means more than you know. 🙏🏼🖤

Stay Spooky,

-MM-

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PS: Pebbles says hi